SBIR Phase II: Characterization of Ceramic Particles Based on Elliptically Polarized Light

这个小企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在开发和展示一个创新的信息丰富和实时的颗粒表征系统。 受第一阶段研究结果的鼓舞，第一阶段研究确定了使用偏振光散射表征微米、亚微米和纳米级陶瓷颗粒的可行性，Synergetic Technologies提出开发一种准确可靠的在线仪器。 阶段I说明了可实现的高精度、检测和量化纳米尺寸颗粒的能力以及确定高纵横比晶须和不规则形状颗粒的尺寸分布的能力。 项目任务包括：系统设计、建造、校准和测试;更精确的形状确定和自动化系统使用的软件开发;不同激光器的研究;以及在三个潜在客户现场（一所主要的陶瓷研究大学、一个大型工业研究实验室和一家处于纳米材料生产前沿的小公司）进行测试和演示。肯塔基州大学的工作人员和学生将协助这个项目。在线测量细颗粒尺寸和形状的能力对于控制许多高科技产品的质量是必要的，例如先进的陶瓷和药品。 此外，监测和控制粒度是许多消费品、医疗产品、食品加工和环境监测的基础。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is aimed at developing and demonstrating an innovative information-rich and real-time system for particle characterization. Encouraged by results from Phase I which established the feasibility of using polarized light scattering for characterization of micron, sub-micron and nano-sized ceramic particles, Synergetic Technologies proposes to develop an accurate and reliable on-line instrument. Phase I illustrated the high accuracy achievable, the ability to detect and quantify nano-size particles, and the capability of determining the size distribution of high aspect ratio whiskers and irregularly shaped particles. Project tasks include: system design, construction, calibration and testing; software development for more accurate shape determination and automized system use; study of different lasers; and testing and demonstration at three potential customer sites (a major ceramic research university, a large industrial research laboratory, and a small company at the leading edge of nanomaterials production). The University of Kentucky staff and students will assist in this project. The ability to measure fine particle sizes and shapes on-line is necessary for controlling the quality of many high technology products, such as advanced ceramics and pharmaceuticals. In addition, monitoring and controlling particle size is fundamental to the manufacture of many consumer products, medical products, food processing and environmental monitoring.