U6. Biomaterial Processing and Nanostructuring Unit – Equipment

U6-E12. Autotap instrument for packed density measurements of powders

Autotap instrument for packed density measurements of powders.

Descripción: Bulk density and powder packing tests

Each particle of a solid material has effectively the same true density regardless of size or shape, but more or less geometric space is occupied by the material according to the relative particle-particle cohesion and mechanical interference. That is, the apparent bulk densities of powdered, granular or flaked materials are highly dependent on the manner in which the particles are packed together. Furthermore, handling or vibration of particulate material causes the smaller particles to work their way into the spaces between the larger particles. The geometric space occupied by the powder decreases and its density increases; ultimately no further natural particle packing takes place without the addition of pressure and maximum particle packing is achieved. Under controlled conditions of tapping rate, tap force drop and cylinder diameter, this condition of maximum packing efficiency is highly reproducible. Tap density measurement is formalized in a number of international standards to which Autotap conform.

U6-E13. Ultrapyc 1200e helium pycnometer. Quantachrome

Equipment Ultrapyc 1200e Helium Pycnometer; Quantachrome Instruments

Descripción: Volume and density measurement of porous solids and powders

Especificaciones técnicas:

More info: http://www.quantachrome.com/density/auto_pycnometer.html

 Aplicaciones:

Fully automated gas pycnometer, for the measurement of volume and density of powders, granular materials, and solid objects. Typical applications include: porous materials such as catalysts and activated carbons, pharmaceuticals and excipients , foods (raw, refined and end products), ceramics and refractory materials, geological samples (soils, rocks, sediments), building materials (concrete, cement), polymers and composites.

U6-E04. Pulse-free microfluidic system.

Pulse-free microfluidic system.

Description: Pulse-free miniaturized platform designed to manipulate and control small volumes of fluids at the microscale, ranging from millilitres to microliters. The compact size, reduced sample consumption, faster reaction times, and potential for automation make microfluidic devices advantageous for a wide range of scientific and biomedical purposes. The device offers precise handling of fluids within microchannels or microstructures, enabling various applications such as chemical analysis, biological assays, drug delivery, and point-of-care diagnostics.

 Technical specifications: 

• Fast settling time (down to 40 ms).
• High stability and pulseless flow.
• Possibility to handle from picoliters fluid volumes of several liters.
• Enable both flow and pressure control when used with a flow meter.

Applications: 

• Nanoparticle Synthesis: Enable the production of nanoparticles such as lipid nanoparticles, vesicles, quantum dots, gold nanoparticles, and magnetic nanoparticles with controlled properties. 

• Drug Delivery Systems: Utilized to develop drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles, allowing for controlled release and targeted delivery of therapeutics to specific tissues or cells.

• Cell Culture and Analysis: Provide microscale environments for culturing cells, allowing researchers to mimic physiological conditions and study cell behavior, proliferation, and differentiation.

• Organ-on-a-Chip: Microfluidic platforms replicate the structure and function of human organs, facilitating the study of organ-level physiology, disease modelling, and drug screening in a more physiologically relevant context.

U6-E09. Nanosight LM -20 for Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis

Nanosight LM -20 for Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis.

Description: Particle size distribution (from 10 to 1000nm) and particle concentration by real-time visualization of nanoparticles in a liquid

Technical Specifications:

Nanoparticle analysis range: typically 10 nm – 1000 nm, dependent on particle material

Particle type: any

Solvent: any non-corrosive solvent and water. A range of solvent-resistant seals are available.

Sample volume requirements: 0.3 ml

Applications: Particle size distribution and particle concentration by real-time visualization of nanoparticles in a liquid. In addition to biological samples also paints, pigments, sun creams, inks, metals, metal oxides or fuel additives in any non-corrosive solvent and water can be examined with virtually no sample preparation.

U6-E06. Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS particle size analyzer

Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS particle size analyzer.

Description: The Zetasizer Nano ZS is a molecular and particle size, surface charge, and molecular weight measurement system based on static light scattering (SLS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and electrophoretic light scattering (ELS). ). These are rapid, accurate and repeatable measurement methods that do not require large sample volumes and are non-destructive.
SLS determines the molecular weight from different concentrations of a sample by applying the Rayleigh equation.
DLS uses the Brownian motion of particles, which move randomly in a liquid. Through established theories, the speed of diffusion is related to size.
ELS combines light scattering with electrophoresis, converting electrophoretic mobility into a measure of zeta potential.

Technical specifications:

• Particle size:

• Measurement angles: 90º
• Measurement range: 0.3 nm – 10 µm
• Max. concentration: 40 w/v
• Buckets: polystyrene, glass, quartz
  • Zeta potential:
• Size range: 3.8 nm – 100 µm
• Max. concentration: 40 w/v
• Max. conductivity: 260 mS/cm
• Buckets: polystyrene
  • Molecular weight:
• PM range: 300 Da – 20 mDa
• Cuvette: quartz
  • System:
• Detector: Avalanche photodiode
• Laser: He-Ne (633 nm)
• Temperature control range: 0º to 90º C

Applications:

• Molecular and particle size distribution analysis.
• Analysis of the stability or tendency of molecules or particles to aggregate, using zeta potential.
• Measurement of molecular weight.

U6-E02. High-pressure phase analyzer for studying the thermodynamic behaviour of materials

High-pressure phase analyzer for studying the thermodynamic behaviour of materials

Description: Stainless steel vessel equipped with a sapphire windows for visual observation inside the vessel.

The equipment allows for a wide range of phase analysis, such as solubility and miscibility studies, with solids, liquids and gases at different range of pressures, up to 150 bar.

The vessel is equipped with a moving piston, driven by nitrogen at high pressure. The moving piston allows for a change in the effective volume of the vessel, allowing you to increase or decrease the amount of material inside the chamber during the phase analysis while maintaining isobaric conditions.

Technical Specifications:

• Capacity: 29 to 55 mL
• work pressure: 150 bar
• work temperature: 50º C
• Material: 316 Stainless steel
• Gas: Nitrogen

Aplications:

• Analysis of phases
• Studies of solubility and miscibility

U6-E01. High-pressure laboratory-scale plant with 50, 100 and 300 ml reactors for the processing of biomaterials

Description: The lab-scale high pressure equipment used to process materials with compressed fluids (i.e. CO2, ferons)

Technical Specifications: Lab-scale high pressure systems, based on a 50mL, 100 and a 300mL stirred high pressure autoclaves equipped with pumps for the supply of compressed fluids and liquid solutions, respectively. Both plants could also optionally be equipped with several filters, manometers, thermocouples and back pressure regulators. The maximum operative pressure is 23MPa and the maximum operative temperature is 200ºC.

The 300mL system is also equipped with a mass flow meter, and a data acquisition system.

The plants have been designed for micro- and nanostructuring molecular and soft materials.

Applications: Micro- and nanoparticulate single compounds with high supramolecular homogeneity (i.e. pure polymorphic phases, materials with single polymer folding, etc..)

Particulate polymeric matrix uniformly loaded with active compounds (therapeutics, cosmetic ingredients, catalyst, pigments and dyes, etc..)

Dispersed systems (suspensions, liposomes, emulsions, vesicles,) with narrow particle size distribution and high morphological homogeneity.

Porous materials, either crystalline or amorphous, with defined porosity and porous size.

U6-E10. Nanosight NS-300 for Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis by fluorescence mode

Nanosight NS300; Malvern Instruments

Descripción: Automated analysis of the size distribution and concentration

The Malvern NanoSight NS300 uses the technology of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). This unique technology utilizes the properties of both light scattering and Brownian motion in order to obtain the size distribution and concentration measurement of particles in liquid suspension. A laser beam is passed through the sample chamber, and the particles in suspension in the path of this beam scatter light in such a manner that they can easily be visualized via 20x magnification microscope onto which is mounted a camera. The camera operates at 30 frames per second (fps), capturing a video file of the particles moving under Brownian motion. The software tracks many particles individually and using the Stokes-Einstein equation calculates their hydrodynamic diameters.

More info:  http://www.malvern.com/en/products/product-range/nanosight-range/nanosight-ns300/default.aspx

Technical Specifications:

Wavelength: 405nm (violet), 488nm (blue), 532nm (green) or 642nm (red).

Temperature control range: 5°C below ambient to 55°C.

Stage: Fixed stage.

Focus: Computer controlled motorized focus.

Camera:

Fluorescence: Motorized 6 place filter wheel with choice of filters.

Particle size: 10nm to 2000nm.

Concentration range: 106to 109 particles per mL.