Slurry monitor coupling bulk size distribution and single particle detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428617-B2
Application number	US-202017136682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2020
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

Provided herein are particle detection systems, and related methods configured to characterize a liquid sample, comprising: a first probe configured to determine a first parameter set of a plurality of first particles in a liquid sample, the first particles characterized by a size characteristic selected from a first size range; wherein the first parameter set comprises a first size distribution and a first concentration; and a second probe configured to determine a second parameter set of one or more second particles in the liquid sample, the second particles being characterized by a size characteristic selected from a second size range; wherein the second parameter set comprises a second size distribution and a second concentration.

First claim

We claim:

1. A particle detection system configured to characterize a liquid sample, said particle detection system comprising:
a first probe configured to determine a first parameter set of a plurality of first small particles in said liquid sample, said first small particles being characterized by a size characteristic selected from a first size range;
wherein said first parameter set comprises a first size distribution and a first concentration; and

a second probe configured to determine a second parameter set of one or more second large particles in said liquid sample, said second large particles being characterized by a size characteristic selected from a second size range;
wherein said second parameter set comprises a second size distribution and a second concentration;

wherein said first size distribution has an average first size diameter down to 1 nm and said second size distribution has an average second size diameter up to 200 μm, and said average first size diameter is less than said average second size diameter, with an overlap of particle size between the first size range of said first particles and the second size range of said second particles that is less than or equal to 50%, and said first concentration is greater than said second concentration.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first size range does not overlap with the second size range.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first size range is characterized by the average first size diameter that is less than or equal to 200 nm.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second size-range is characterized by the average second size diameter that is greater than 200 nm.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of said first probe and said second probe is independently selected from the group consisting of a light scattering probe, a light side scattering probe, a highly parallel light scattering probe, a near forward light scattering probe, a dynamic light scattering probe, a light diffraction probe, a laser diffraction probe, a laser scattering probe, an electroresistance probe, an electrostatic probe, a magnetic probe, a magnetoresistance probe, a pressure probe, flowrate probe, an acoustic probe, an ultrasonic probe, a pulsed Doppler acoustic probe, a structured laser beam probe, a light obscuration probe, an interferometry probe, an aerosolized condensation particle counter, a Coulter counter, an electrophoresis-based particle counter, a photoacoustic probe, a laser induced breakdown detection probe, an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) probe, and any combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said first probe and said second probe are different.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first size range is characterized by the average first size diameter that is selected from the range of 2 nm to 100 nm and wherein said second size range is characterized by the average second size diameter that is greater than 500 nm.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first concentration range is selected from the range of 10 3 particles/m L to 10 15 particles/m L.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said second concentration range is selected from the range of 0.01 particle/mL to 10 5 particles/m L.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system further comprises a sample chamber configured to receive said liquid sample continuously to continuously monitor said first parameter set and said second parameter set.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein a flow rate of said liquid sample in said system is changeable.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of said first probe and said second probe are independently characterized by a measurement time selected from the range of 1 microsecond to 60 minutes.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first probe is configured to measure said first parameter set in a first liquid fraction of said liquid sample, said first liquid fraction having a volume less than a volume of said liquid sample; and wherein said second probe is configured to measure said second parameter set in a second liquid fraction of said liquid sample, said second liquid fraction having a volume less than a volume of said liquid sample, wherein a flow rate of said second liquid fraction is greater than a flow rate of said first liquid fraction; the system further comprising a first sample chamber having said first liquid fraction and a second sample chamber having said second liquid fraction.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said liquid sample has a volume selected from the range of 1 μL to 1 L and a flow rate selected from the range of 0.1 to 1000 mL/min.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein said liquid sample is a slurry.

16. A method for characterizing a liquid sample, said method comprising steps of:
feeding said liquid sample into a particle detection system comprising a first probe and a second probe;
measuring a first parameter set in said liquid sample with said first probe;
wherein said first parameter set comprises a first size distribution and a first concentration of a plurality of first small particles, said first small particles are characterized by a size characteristic selected from a first size range;

measuring a second parameter set in said liquid sample with said second probe;
wherein said second parameter set comprises a second size distribution and a second concentration of one or more second large particles, said second large particles are characterized by a size characteristic selected from a second size range;

wherein said first small particles have an average first size diameter down to 1 nm and said second large particles have an average second size diameter up to 200 μm, and said average first size diameter is less than said average second size diameter, with an overlap of particle size between the first size range of said first particles and the second size range of said second particles that is less than or equal to 50%, and said first concentration is greater than said second concentration.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first size range does not overlap with the second size range.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first size range is characterized by the average first size diameter that is less than or equal to 200 nm and the second size-range is characterized by the average second size diameter that is greater than 200 nm.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein said first probe and said second probe are different.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein said first concentration is selected from the range of 10 3 particles/mL to 10 15 particles/mL and said first probe is configured to have a concentration detection range selected from the range of 10 3 particles/mL to 10 15 particles/m L.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein said second concentration is selected from the range of 0.01 particles/m L to 10 5 particles/m L and said second probe is configured to have a concentration detection range selected from the range of 0.01 particle/m L to 10 5 particles/m L.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein said step of feeding is performed continuously or discretely and said steps of measuring are performed continuously or discretely.

23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising changing a flow rate of said liquid sample in a sample chamber of said system.

24. The method of claim 16 , wherein each of said steps of measuring is independently characterized by a measurement time selec

Assignees

• Particle Measuring Syst

Inventors

• Knollenberg Brian A
• Rodier Daniel

Classifications

• G01N15/06

  Investigating concentration of particle suspensions (by weighing G01N5/00; investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions G01N15/04; investigating individual particles G01N15/10) · CPC title

• G01N15/0211 Primary

  Investigating a scatter or diffraction pattern · CPC title

• G01N2015/0222

  from dynamic light scattering, e.g. photon correlation spectroscopy · CPC title

• G01N2015/0053

  in liquids, e.g. trouble · CPC title

• G01N2015/0283

  using control of suspension concentration · CPC title