Density and Particle Size of Colloidal Materials Measured by Carrier Density Variations in Sedimentation of Field-Flow Fractionation

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Abstract
A new approach has been developed to yield both the particle density and particle mass (or size) of colloidal materials using a sedimentation field-flow fractionation system. The method involves varying the density of the carrier fluid, in the present case using aqueous sucrose solutions. Five polystyrene latex bead samples with different diameters were subjected to the procedure. These provided experimental density values all within 0.4% of the manufacturer's value. Particle sizes determined experimentally agreed quite well both with manufacturer's values and with diameters obtained from previous FFF experiments using a carrier of constant density. The method has considerable promise for characterizing particle mass (size) and density parameters in complex colloidal materials.