Determination of Particle Size in Powders by Scatter Correction in Diffuse Near-Infrared Reflectance

Abstract

Diffuse near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy has traditionally been an analytical technique for determining chemical compositions in a sample. We will, in this paper, focus on light scattering effects and their ability to determine the mean particle sizes of powders. The reflectance data of NaCl, broken glass, and sorbitol powders are linearized and submitted to the Multiplicative Scatter Correction (MSC), and the ensuing parameters are used in subsequent multivariate calibrations. The results indicate that particle size can, to a large degree, be determined from NIR reflectance data for a given type of powder. Up to 99% of the partical size variance was explained by the regression.