Understanding the phase separation behaviour of microemulsions for enhanced oil recovery processes

winsorcourtesy of DataPhysicis

Microemulsion mixtures are commonly used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes due to their high crude oil extraction efficiency. Generally, such mixtures consist of a thermodynamically stable dispersion of crude oil, surfactant, and water or brine. The phase behaviour of the mixture changes from Winsor I to Winsor II by the way of Winsor III when adjusting temperature, salinity, and pressure. The Winsor III state is the most desirable during the EOR process. The dispersion stability analysis system MultiScan MS 20 from DataPhysics Instruments (Fig. 2) is a compact and versatile measuring device for the optical stability and aging analysis of a variety of multi-phase dispersions. The phase behaviour of a crude oil, surfactant, and water mixture will be presented in this application note

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Annex 1 2008 v. Annex 1 2022: A side-by-side comparison

fillingbcourtesy of Particle Measuring Systems

Annex 1 2008 is the basis for the 2022 version. This paper provides an easy-to-understand side-by-side comparison of the Annex 1 2008 v. 2022 versions, broken down by section.

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Using a Pamas particle counter for parts cleanliness

courtesy of Pamas

partsYou can measure the cleanliness of components and packing materials with an automatic particle counter. The surface cleanliness is analysed indirectly by removing any particles from the surface through flushing, hosing, flooding or placing the item in an ultrasonic bath. The rinsing fluid is analysed with the liquid particle counter. The surface contamination is calculated by comparing the results with a blank measurement of the clean rinsing fluid.

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Solubility

 courtesy of Surface Measurement Systems  

Solubility is a critical consideration across a wide range of industries. 
In pharmaceuticals, solubility is an incredibly important parameter needed to achieve the correct drug dosage in the body.
Poor solubility is often associated with higher doses needed to reach the correct bioavailability of the drug.
Solubility is affected by temperature, the solvent, and the properties of the compound undergoing dissolution.

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Finding a Particle Source via a Handheld Aerosol Particle Counter

courtesy of Particle Measuring Systems

Mini2Pinpointing a particle source can be a challenge in cleanrooms and laboratory flow equipment where the movement of clean air (which is the purpose of the air handling system) can mask particle generators such as faulty filters, motors, robots, operators and residual dust. 
The Handilaz® Mini II handheld particle counter has two significant advantages to help overcome this challenge.  First, the 0.2 micron sensitivity allows for measurement of particles that can affect the overall performance of rooms as clean as ISO Class 3.  Second, its small size allows the user to easily scan areas of interest without the weight, bulk and additional equipment required by other instruments. 

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Studying the stability and kinetics of fast-breaking foam

courtesy of DataPhysics Instruments

Cosmetics, detergents, and pharmaceuticals are often applied as foam due to its good spreading ability and its anti-stick properties. Many cosmetic manufacturers strive to develop foaming products, because consumers often consider foaming cleaning products as being of higher quality and providing better usability. Their stability has a significant influence on their applications. Foams consist of gas bubbles that are dispersed in a liquid phase. Because of various destabilisation mechanisms they are usually quite unstable.

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Online Particle Counter for Water Quality

Courtesy of Pamas

WaterViewerThere are various existing methods to determine whether water is clean and free from particulate contamination. In water treatment systems, both particle counters and turbidimeters are used for water quality control. Turbidimeters measure the collective amount of solid contaminants in liquids. The more turbid a liquid is, the higher the measuring value will be.

In contrast, Automatic Particle Counters do not measure the collective amount of solid particles, they analyse size and quantity of each single particle in the sample flow. Whereas turbidimetres  indicate the degree of turbidity which is caused by the particle contamination, an Automatic Particle Counter detects every single particle that passes the sensor cell during measurement. The knowledge of the particle sizes is of paramount importance in water applications, as it helps to quickly identify certain types of bacteria or even a failure in the system (e.g. break-through of a membrane filter) The Automatic Particle Counter thus gives more versatile and significant results than a turbidimeter. 

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Sorption Science Bulletin Summer 2023

courtesy of Surface Measurment Systems

Staying up to date on the latest findings and insights is vital for researchers, allowing them to employ the best experimental practises and analytical techniques.

Below we have gathered all the relevant studie from 2023 so far to employ the DVS and iGC methods, providing key details on the use of sorption science instrumentation in a research setting.

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Drying and Dehydration

courtesy of Surface Measurment Systems

Matter under ambient conditions interacts with moisture and volatiles continuously. Exposure to heat and a high airflow over material will induce some form of drying. A material’s ability to resist rapid transitions between wet/hydrated states can be a good measure of stability.

Removal of volatiles from the surface of a solid can have a significant effect on the surface area by collapsing fragile crystals, altering surface energy, and changing the hydrated state of a solid. The degree of wetting and interaction with moisture can significantly change a material’s function and performance, therefore, monitoring its wettability/dry-ability is ever more necessary.

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Measuring the surface potential and isoelectric point of polyester fibres with a zeta potential analyzer

courtesy of DataPhysics

Fibres
Polyester fibres are synthetic fibres manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate. Polyester fibres are widely used in the textile industry. However, unmodified polyester fibres have deficiencies, e.g., a low water uptake, a hydrophobic character, and few reactive groups. This means they display a low affinity for dyes. Many techniques for improving the reactivity and hydrophilic character of polyester fibres exist in an industrial context. Generally, modifying fibres can enhance the interactions between the cations or anions of the dye and the functional groups on the fibre surface, and thus, the dyeability and water sorption of such fibres[1].

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Particle counter for aviation hydraulic fluids

courtesy of Pamas

Aviation hydraulic fluids The cleanliness control of hydraulic fluids is a typical application of optical particle counting with the aid of an Automatic Particle Counter. Hydraulic fluids are used for the transfer of energy in hydraulic systems. For smooth operation and uninterrupted maintenance of functionality, it is essential that the operating liquid is regularly controlled; a high degree of contamination could cause a malfunction within a component and may also lead to a complete system break-down. 

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EU GMP Annex 1 2022 FAQ's

courtesy of Particle Measuring Systems

Annex 1 is a regulation that outlines manufacturing requirements for sterile drugs made in and imported to the EU. In August 2022, a new revision of the EU GMP Annex 1 regulatory standard for sterile drug products was released, replacing the most recent draft from 2020 and the existing revision from 2008. Contamination control is vital in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and the requirements for environmental monitoring remain essentially the same in this revision; changes in the recent revision of Annex 1 highlight strategic control through further alignment with existing regulations from other organizations, the concept of a contamination control strategy (CCS), the separation and expanded guidance on Cleanroom Classification and Cleanroom Monitoring, and the definition of Quality Risk Management (QRM) as a central principle to defining processes, operations, and limits.

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DVS Carbon out now

We are happy to announce the release of the world’s first purpose-built gravimetric sorption analyzer for advanced CO2 capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) applications.

With unique engineering and measurement capabilities, the DVS Carbon combined precise humidity control with dynamic mixing to enabled analaysis of CO2 uptake in materials in real-world conditions. 

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Correct specific retention volume determination in inverse gas chromatography

1685713992120courtesy of Surface Measurment Systems

Attention all iGC researchers! We are excited to share a new publication that challenges the conventional approach of normalizing retention volumes and underscores the importance of considering temperature variations in iGC experiments.

This groundbreaking research opens new avenues for accurately characterizing chemical and physical processes.

Congratulations to Dr Anett KondorAlexander BismarckDaryl Williams and Daniel Burnett on these findings.

Find the link here

Quantifying the Long-Term Stability of Drinks

MS 20 with six ST Scourtesy of DataPhysics

Drinks are often mixtures of different ingredients and are therefore liable to separation processes. It is important to quantify these separation processes to optimise drink formulations. The MultiScan MS 20 dispersion stability analysis system, developed by DataPhysics Instruments, can reliably and efficiently analyse drink dispersions regarding their destabilisation mechanisms and ageing characteristics. The following use case evaluates four whey-based drinks and compares their overall stability.

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Sterility Assurance Applied to Stem Cell Therapies

courtesy of Particle Measuring Systems

Abstract

Stem cell therapies are becoming more important in the pharmaceutical industry. The genetic manipulations of the cells involved create a powerful tool to treat serious diseases, such as cancer. In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made several advancements towards the regulation of stem cell therap

  • Published perspective on stem cell therapy in the New England Journal of Medicine
  • Increased regulation enforcement for stem cell clinics
  • Released new guidance, Regulatory Consideration for Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products: Minimal Manipulation and Homologous Use

To regulate this industry, the FDA uses a risk-based enforcement approach with considerations for how and why the products are used. FDA’s discretion for how regulations will be enforced ends November 2020. Companies responsible for ensuring full compliance should contact the FDA before the cutoff to remove uncertainty regarding the regulatory status of their products and to determine whether the products are subject to premarket approval. FDA guidances are intended to help bring innovative, safe, and effective products to patients as efficiently as possible

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Incorrect or missing sample preparation leads to incorrect results

courtesy of Pamas

Question:
Why do samples have to be prepared before particle measurement?

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Temperature Range for the MS 20 MultiScan Extended

courtesy of DataPhysics

The MultiScan MS 20 dispersion stability analysis system from the measuring device manufacturer DataPhysics Instruments can now also analyse dispersions at sub-zero temperatures down to -10 °C.

The extended temperature range enables users to carry out measurements under real environmental and storage conditions. This enhancement is particularly interesting for product developments in the fields of pharmaceuticals, food, lubricants, and paints.

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ISO 22716 Solutions for Cosmetics & Personal Care

courtesy of Particle Measuring Systems 

Providing you with a complete spectrum of contamination monitoring solutions. 

The Cosmetics and Personal Care manufacturing industry is required to meet ISO 22716:2007 and worldwide GMP Standards for hygienic production and contamination control. This includes monitoring viable and nonviable contamination that could impact the safety and quality of your products. Particle Measuring Systems brings in-depth knowledge of manufacturing processes and regulatory codes, such as ISO 22716, to Cosmetics and Personal Care manufacturers. We have a range of solutions for all production areas and cleanroom classes.

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Particle counter for fuel

courtesy of Pamas 

fuelFuel is less viscous than oil. In low viscous fluids, the particles settle in the liquid and form a sediment at the bottom of the bottle (sedimentation). Individual particles might also stick together during storage and become agglomerated. Before a sample can be analysed with a laboratory measurement instruments, it needs to be prepared  to redisperse the particles in the liquid.

Before undertaking laboratory particle analyses, the sample should be adequately prepared for measurement. In case of online measurement, sample preparation is not possible, as the liquid is directly taken in its original physical state during operation. To avoid phenomena of sedimentation and agglomeration during measurement, particle counters for fuel analysis are equipped with special features, adapting them for the specific requirements of fuel condition monitoring.

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How zeta potential measurements can help to clean your clothes

Surfactant Adsorption Scourtesy of DataPhysics

Most surfaces develop a surface charge when they come into contact with liquids. In front of the surface the so called electrical double layer forms which consists of an immobile and a diffuse layer. The potential inside the immobile layer is experimentally inaccessible but is also not relevant for practical applications. The potential at the transition between immobile and diffuse layer on the other hand can be measured. By moving the liquid and the surface relative to each other the ions inside the diffuse layer can be sheared of. The electrical potential at this shear plane is called zeta potential (ζ potential).

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Dynamic Vapour Sorbtion - Porosity and Surface Area

porescourtesy of Surface Measurement Systems

Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) instruments and Inverse Gas Chromatography Surface Energy Analyzer (iGC-SEA) can be used for the determination of BET surface areas. Both instruments can carry out experiments at room temperature and need very small sample amounts (typically a few milligrams for the DVS). This compares to the traditional nitrogen BET method, which requires very low experimental temperatures and sample sizes of typically one gram. Some samples may change their morphology at low temperatures. While this is an issue for traditional BET methods, this is no problem using iGC or DVS because they test at room temperature.

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Particle Measuring Systems Expands Line of Microbial Sampling Single-Use Products to Include 100 LPM Applications

courtesy of Particle Measuring Systems

The BioCapt Single-Use (BCSU) microbial impactors from Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) are now available for use with applications at 100 Liters Per Minute (LPM), expanding the range of uses the active air microbial impaction plates can be used for. The BCSU 100 is a ready-to-use, lightweight, and integrated microbial impaction plate designed for both portable and fixed monitoring systems in remote sampling settings.

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Particle counter for emulsions and dark fluids

FastPatch 2courtesy of Pamas

Some fluids cannot be analysed through Automatic Particle Counters.

Amongst these are two phase liquids, emulsions, and highly contaminated liquids whose extraordinary high content of contaminants per millilitre greatly exceeds the maximum particle concentration of an Automatic Particle Counter. In order for PAMAS to continue to support customers, existing and new, when analysing such fluids, PAMAS offers its own automatic microscope system for the analysis of filter membranes.

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Risk Analysis Consultants

Get a professional Risk Analysis Consultant to review your Environmental Monitoring Program.
Define and review the monitoring sampling points in your clean environment from both design and process
standpoints using a scientific, risk-based approach. This will allow you to measure and mitigate contamination events

.Learn More

Dynamic Vapour Sorbtion - Drying and Dehydration

in this 2nd artice we look at the application for drying and dehydration in several industries like pharmaceuticals,fuel cells and cement and building materials.

Other applications are in food,  personal care, catalysts and MOF's.

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Zeta Potential Analyzer ZPA 20 wins Best of Industry Award

courtesy of DataPhysics

Filderstadt, 3 April 2023. The innovative Zeta Potential Analyzer ZPA 20 has won the Best of Industry Award in the category Laboratory & Analytical Technology.

The Zeta Potential Analyzer ZPA 20 enables the precise characterisation of the charge situation as well as the determination of the isoelectric point of solid surfaces, particles, and fibre bundles. Investigations of the zeta potential are of interest in a variety of applications, such as the analysis of glass fibre bundleswafers, fuel cell membranes, fouling processes of filters, or bacterial growth on food packaging.

This year, the device, developed by the laboratory instruments manufacturer DataPhysics Instruments GmbH, has been awarded the Best of Industry Award in the category Laboratory & Analytical Technology

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Dynamic Vapour Sorbtion - Diffusion and Permeability

Sometimes it is hard to understand the practical application for a research technique like Dynamic Vapour Sorbtion. Over the next couple of months I would like to share some practical examples. We start with Diffusion and Permeability. These aspects is of use in a wide range of application like pharmaceuticals,food, packaging to just name a couple of examples.

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Quantifying the Long-Term Stability of Food Formulations

Food Marketing Technology 522 Scourtesy of DataPhysics

Foodstuffs are often mixtures of different ingredients and are therefore liable to separate. It is important to quantify these separation processes to optimise food product formulations. The MultiScan MS 20 dispersion stability analysis system, developed by DataPhysics Instruments, can reliably and efficiently analyse food dispersions regarding their destabilisation and aging. The following use case evaluates five milk substitutes and compares the occurring destabilisation mechanisms.

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New look for Particle Measuring Systems

by Albrecht Truter

Particle Measuring Systems updated their website with a new look and easier acess to their vast educational content. Visit the new website at www.pmeasuring .com

new_webiste.jpg

Particle counter for water based hydraulic fluids

courtesy of Pamas

S4031 GO WGHydraulic systems in the offshore Oil&Gas industry are operated with biodegradable hydraulic liquids for for safety and ecologic reasons . These water-glycols cause less harm than oil based hydraulic fluids if they accidentally flow into sea water. Water based fluids are also preferred because of their stable viscosity regardless of  oscillating temperatures. Furthermore, they are fire resisting and hardly inflammable. Water based hydraulic fluids are used in the following offshore applications: Subsea Christmas Trees and Wellhead Assemblies, Hydraulic Power Units, Hydraulic Accumulators, Subsea Umbilicals, Hydraulic Valves and Control Systems.

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Milestones of the measuring instrument manufacturer DataPhysics Instruments

courtesy of DataPhysics

DataPhysics Instruments celebrates 25th anniversary

Since August 1997, DataPhysics Instruments has been developing, manufacturing, and distributing laboratory measuring devices for the characterisation of interfaces and surfaces. From the beginning, the focus has been on the development of innovative and modular measuring instruments as well as user-friendly software. This product philosophy will remain at the core of the company. The laboratory measuring device manufacturer DataPhysics Instruments turns 25. Nils Langer, managing director, says: “. Over the past 25 years, we have expanded our product portfolio steadily. In our anniversary year 2022, we have customers in over 80 countries and 45 employees. We are very well established in the worldwide market for measuring devices that characterise interfaces and surfaces. Now, it is our task to continue the company's successful path.”

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Particle counter for industrial cleaning solvents

PAMAS SBSSby Pamas

The cleanliness control of components and of packing materials can also be monitored with the aid of an automatic particle counter. For such applications, the surface cleanliness is analysed indirectly, i.e. the particles are at first extracted from the surface (e.g. through flushing, hosing, flooding or through removal in the ultrasonic bath); afterwards the rinsing fluid is analysed with the aid of the automatic particle counter.

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Contamination Control Video's

Lasair Pro 400x298by Albrecht Truter

Particle Measuring Systems recently created a handy list of "How To Video's" specifically for their new Lasair PRO flagship particle counter.

Learn more about contamination control, cleanroom monitoring, particle counting, regulatory requirements, particle counting applications and more…

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Quantifying the Long-Term Stability of Food Formulations

courtesy of DataPhysics

Foodstuffs are often mixtures of different ingredients and are therefore liable to separate. It is important to quantify these separation processes to optimise food product formulations. The MultiScan MS 20 dispersion stability analysis system, developed by DataPhysics Instruments, can reliably and efficiently analyse food dispersions regarding their destabilisation and aging. The following use case evaluates five milk substitutes and compares the occurring destabilisation mechanisms.

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Exciting Research: How flower power protects steel

courtesy of DataPhysicsRegina Fuchs-Godec

Corrosion is a common phenomenon that limits the lifetime and integrity of many materials over time. Protective coatings, paints, and films are common methods to slow down or avoid corrosion. The growing field of research for greener solutions is directed towards finding coatings made from non-hazardous substances

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Contamination Monitoring Podcasts

Wettability Studies for 3D-Printed Tablets

Tablets Production Scourtesy of DataPhysics

The pharmaceutical industry steps into the future: DFE Pharma, a company developing excipient blends
for the formulation of pharmaceutical drugs, is researching 3D printing as a innovative way to produce tablets.

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Environmental Monitoring Handbook for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

courtesy of Particle Measuring Systems

Covering everything from the technology of particle counting to the regulatory standards that apply to the pharmaceutical
manufacturing industry to the instrumentation and techniques needed to meet them, this premier handbook helps readers
understand the topic of environmental monitoring more holistically and more extensively. With the release of the much
anticipated EU GMP Annex 1 2022 standard, the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is entering a new era of regulatory
requirements. Discover how the new Annex 1 standards and the adoption of a CCS fit into the larger picture of the industry by
downloading the handbook now!