New ISO/USP Compliant Particle Size Standard

Invitation to Participate

As a result of several queries from members of the ISO Committee, Whitehouse Scientific has produced a batch of over 500kg of silver coated glass microspheres in the size range 15–150 microns. It is hoped that this new opaque particle size standard will have a universal application to most particle sizing methods (both wet and dry) and be compliant to the latest ISO and USP standards.

Since the technical presentation at the last ISO meeting in Stratford on Avon, UK, we have secured the assistance of LGC Standards in the statistical analysis of the particle size data. LGC Standards have an international reputation in the field of proficiency testing and have run many schemes including particle size analysis for several years.

The involvement of LGC Standards is important, not only because of their experience in the field but also because they can maintain the anonymity of the data and provide a statistically robust set of final certified values. It is therefore hoped that the certificated data will be recognised as being as independent as possible.

We are now in a position to send out samples for testing by the leading particle size analyser producers and propose sending sets of 10 single shot bottles for analysis. The results are to be returned directly to LGC Standards. Our preferred weights are 0.1, 0.25, 1 and 2.5g, but if your instrument requires a different weight, we will do our best to accommodate.

If you feel that you qualify to partake in this round robin exercise please contact Whitehouse Scientific as soon as possible, or by the end of the month at the latest, if you are interested so that we can discuss the programme and measurement protocol in more detail prior to sending you the necessary samples.