SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1999
STP42334S

Direct-Reading Measurement of Fiber Length/Diameter Distributions

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A new technique for classifying fibers according to length has opened up opportunities for improving fiber measurement technology. The classification principle is dielectrophoresis, which moves conductive fibers at a velocity proportional to the square of their length. Even non-conductive fibers can be made sufficiently conductive by increasing the humidity in the classifier. A device based on this principle has been constructed. It can classify fibers from a broad distribution into length distributions with CVs in the range of 0.2–0.3 and with mean lengths selectable from about 4 μm to >50 μm. To complement this device, diameter classification readily can be achieved by gravitational or inertial techniques in combination with length classification. An inertial classifier was used to produce relatively monodisperse diameter fibers in the aerodynamic diameter range of 3 – 7 μm. This device was used to calibrate the response of the Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) so that real-time diameter distributions were obtained for each length distribution from the dielectrophoretic length classifier. By varying the voltage on the length classifier, a length/diameter distribution can be produced in a matter of minutes

Author Information

Baron, Paul, A.
US Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
Deye, Gregory, J.
US Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
Fernback, Joseph, E.
US Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
Jones, William, G.
US Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV
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Details
Developed by Committee: D22
Pages: 147–155
DOI: 10.1520/STP42334S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-6210-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-2616-9