Researchers at TopChim, a developer of materials and
technology solutions for the paper industry, have integrated the
Zetasizer Nano particle characterization system from Malvern Instruments into the
company’s nanoscience development program. Following five
years intensive R&D, one of the first nanoparticle technologies
to result from the program was made available commercially last year.
The patented NanoTope technology is used in paper production surface
treatment and is designed to improve properties without the need for a
coating.
NanoTope products are stable aqueous dispersions of plastic
pigments with particle sizes as small as 30 nm. They can be used alone
or in combination with a carrier inorganic pigment such as kaoline and
calcium carbonate for porous surfaces. The low particle size means that
only small amounts of material are required to cover the entire surface.
During the paper production process the NanoTope particles do
not film-form. It is this characteristic that is responsible for a
number of improvements in the final properties of the paper. For
example, ink applied to paper treated with NanoTope dries more quickly
as it is drawn into the capillary-like spaces between adjacent
particles. Hence image sharpness and depth of colour are improved.
The Zetasizer Nano’s role in the development and
manufacture of NanoTope has been two-fold: first in supporting the
creation of a stable monodisperse suspension of nanoparticles of
defined size; and second in quality control, to ensure the production
of consistent materials. This has resulted in good understanding and
control of those parameters affecting product performance, shifting
quality assurance away from simple reliance on end product testing.
President and R&D manager Henk Van den Abbeele of
TopChim said: “The Zetasizer Nano has been crucial to our
development of new technologies. We use it to monitor a number of
aspects of the products, the most important of which is stability as
this is a vital measure of product quality. The impressive
repeatability of the system gives us complete confidence in our
results.”
Malvern’s market leading Zetasizer Nano measures two
of the most significant parameters for analyzing nanoparticle
dispersions – particle size and zeta potential. It enables
non-invasive particle size characterization at high concentration with
minimal dilution, and is therefore especially useful for studying
aggregates or agglomerates, which are at risk of breakdown when any
sample preparation is required. The most popular light scattering
system available for nanoparticle characterization, it offers the
highest sensitivity combined with real ease of use, measuring particles
at the scale of 1 nanometre and below, with minimal training.