초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for measuring particle agglomeration or dispersion in fluid mixtures, such as polymer melts, resides in a piezoelectric transducer, a spherical fused quartz lens, and a fluid housing. A repetitive, broadband, ultrasonic wave is produced by the transducer and is sent into the

An apparatus and method for measuring particle agglomeration or dispersion in fluid mixtures, such as polymer melts, resides in a piezoelectric transducer, a spherical fused quartz lens, and a fluid housing. A repetitive, broadband, ultrasonic wave is produced by the transducer and is sent into the lens, which also serves to isolate the transducer from the mixture. The ultrasonic wave meets a spherical dimple at the end of the lens which focuses a portion of it into a diffraction limited spot or “interrogation zone”. Since the intensity of the wave is large in the interrogation zone, small changes in the impedance of the fluid in this zone, caused by passing agglomerates, will cause large fluctuations in the intensity of the back scattered wave, which is monitored by the transducer between pulses and displayed by associated electronic elements.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for determining the degree of mixing of components in a fluid mixture, the apparatus comprising: (a) a housing having a passageway through which the fluid mixture to be analyzed passes; (b) a source of wave energy; (c) a focusing surface coupled to the source of wave energy transmitting

An apparatus for determining the degree of mixing of components in a fluid mixture, the apparatus comprising: (a) a housing having a passageway through which the fluid mixture to be analyzed passes; (b) a source of wave energy; (c) a focusing surface coupled to the source of wave energy transmitting the wave energy into the fluid mixture and focusing the wave energy in the passageway in an interrogation zone within the passageway such that changes in the impedance of the fluid mixture caused by unmixed components within the zone will cause fluctuations in the intensity of backscattered wave energy; and (d) a detector means also coupled to the fluid mixture within the passageway for detecting a portion of the focused wave energy back scattered by the components and thereby determining the dispersion of components in the fluid mixture by measuring fluctuations in the intensity of the backscattered portion of the wave energy.