BASF Agro Research, which develops chemicals for use in agriculture, has purchased a NanoBrook ZetaPALS from Brookhaven Instruments, based on Phase Analysis Light Scattering (PALS), for the determination of zeta potential of colloidal suspensions. Zeta potential is useful indicator of a formulation’s stability. The new instrument has a particle sizing option based on dynamic light scattering (DLS, also known as QELS, quasi elastic light scattering). BASF Agro Research continues to use successfully Brookhaven’s BI-200SM, also based on DLS, for particle sizing.
Dr. Patrick Mowery, Associate Research Fellow in the company’ analytical research section, explained that his main reason for choosing Brookhaven Instruments again was the superior quality of its instruments over competitors. “I have looked at or used most other similar systems available but find them inferior to Brookhaven’s instruments for research-grade work,” he said.
The ZetaPALS is used almost exclusively by Dr. Mowery. He explained: “We supply analytical support for agricultural chemicals research and development – for product development and re-registration, formulations development, problem solving and discovery. The instrument has made significant contributions to our understanding of formulation stabilization and, for my research in particular, I have found the DLS and ZetaPlus features to be the most useful.”
The ZetaPALS is used in all dilute suspensions including under high salt conditions and in solvents. In addition, every ZetaPALS can operate in the ELS (electrophoretic light scattering) mode, just like Brookhaven’s ZetaPlus. The ELS mode is useful in low to moderate salt conditions in aqueous samples, the type used most often, but not exclusively, in Dr. Mowery’s research.
Instruments: