Malvern Instruments - Multisizer APA2000 Particle Counter

Applications & Use Cases

• Particle counters are typically used in pharmaceutical manufacturing for quality control of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients.
• They are commonly employed in biotechnology for cell counting and analysis in research and production.
• Environmental monitoring uses these systems to assess air and water quality by quantifying particulate matter.
• In material science, they assist in characterising powders, emulsions, and suspensions for product development.
• Food and beverage industries utilise particle counters for ensuring product consistency and detecting contaminants.

Typical Specifications

Typical particle size range

For this class of equipment, a typical particle size range might span from sub-micron to several hundred microns.

Measurement principle

Units of this type commonly employ the electrical sensing zone (Coulter principle) for particle counting and sizing.

Sample volume

Typically, sample volumes for analysis can range from microlitres to several millilitres, depending on the application.

Throughput

Commonly, these systems offer analysis times from seconds to a few minutes per sample, impacting overall throughput.

Power supply

Units of this type commonly require a standard single-phase electrical supply, typically 230V, 50Hz for the UK market.

Data output

Most units provide digital data output via USB or Ethernet for integration with laboratory information management systems (LIMS).

Maintenance requirements

Routine maintenance typically involves cleaning the aperture tube and replacing electrolytes or sheath fluids.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the typical accuracy of a particle counter like the APA2000?

  The accuracy for this class of equipment is generally high, with typical sizing accuracies of ±2% and count accuracies often better than ±1% when properly calibrated and operated.

• Can this unit handle both aqueous and non-aqueous samples?

• What kind of calibration is required for a particle counter?

• Is specialist training required to operate this equipment?

• What consumables are typically needed for ongoing operation?