What Test Measures Particle Size?

Saturday July-12 2025  12:41:27

In industrial production and scientific research, Particle Size Testing directly affects material performance and application effectiveness. From the dissolution rate of pharmaceuticals in the medical field to the battery capacity of new energy materials, precise control of particle size is a core link. Therefore, particle size testing has become a key technology to ensure product quality, optimize production processes, and provide reliable data support for production and research by selecting appropriate testing methods based on different particle size ranges and material characteristics, thereby promoting standardized and efficient production in various industries.

 

What testing methods are used to measure particle size?

Among common particle size testing methods, test sieve equipment is a classic and practical choice, mainly including three types:
 
Ultrasonic Test Sieve: Equipped with an ultrasonic generator (20-40kHz), it uses high-frequency vibration to prevent clogging of sieve meshes by fine particles (≤50μm). Suitable for testing ultra-fine particles (5μm-500μm) such as nanomaterials and pharmaceutical APIs, it improves screening efficiency by 30%-50% compared to traditional equipment.
 
Electromagnetic Test Sieve: Driven by electromagnetic vibration, it features adjustable amplitude (0-2mm) and frequency (50-300Hz) for precise control of screening intensity. Ideal for high-precision testing of medium-fine particles (50μm-2mm) such as metal powders and ceramic granules, it offers repeatability errors of ≤2%.
 
Electric Test Sieve: Driven by a motor to generate circular or linear vibration, it is equipped with multi-layer sieves (20-500 mesh). Suitable for testing medium-coarse materials (100μm-5mm) such as ores and food particles, it supports batch testing with a single batch capacity of 100g-5kg.

 
What are the advantages of particle size testing?

Particle size testing brings multi-dimensional value to production and research: from optimizing product performance and improving production efficiency to assisting in new material development and ensuring drug safety and effectiveness, particle size data is a key indicator for precise quality control in various fields.
 
Ensuring quality stability: By controlling particle distribution, it ensures key indicators such as uniform drug dissolution and consistent coating color. For example, controlling the particle size deviation of lithium battery materials within ±5% increases cycle life by 20%.
 
Optimizing production efficiency: Early screening of unqualified particles reduces equipment clogging and raw material waste. A chemical enterprise reduced sieve replacement frequency by 40% after application.
 
Meeting compliance requirements: It complies with standards such as FDA and ASTM, providing traceable testing data for industries like pharmaceuticals and food, and avoiding compliance risks.
 

What scenarios is particle size testing applicable to?

Particle size testing is widely used in core links across multiple industries:
 
Pharmaceutical industry: Testing the particle size of APIs (e.g., antibiotic powders ≤50μm) to ensure tablet disintegration, and screening Chinese medicine extract powders to control the release rate of active ingredients.
 
New energy sector: Analyzing the particle size distribution of lithium battery cathode and anode materials (e.g., lithium iron phosphate 2-5μm), which directly affects battery energy density and charge-discharge efficiency.
 
Food industry: Controlling the particle size of flour (100-200 mesh) and spice powders to ensure delicate taste and uniform flavor, avoiding quality issues caused by agglomeration.
 
New material research and development: Particle size testing of nanomaterials (e.g., graphene with a sheet diameter of 5-10μm) supports performance optimization in fields such as catalysts and conductive films.
 
Particle size testing is the "bridge" connecting material properties and end-use performance. From ultra-fine particle analysis with ultrasonic test sieves to medium-coarse particle classification with electric test sieves, each method has its applicable scenarios. By understanding the advantages, application scenarios, and influencing factors of testing, enterprises can select precise solutions to ensure product quality while reducing production costs. In the future, with the popularization of intelligent equipment, particle testing will evolve toward real-time online monitoring, providing more efficient technical support for intelligent manufacturing.