Why results of particle size measurements do not always agree when testing in different laboratories

An interlaboratory comparison study coordinated by the JRC confirms that the term 'particle size' is not sufficient to specify the exact quantity measured by different particle size analysis methods.

Already in 2014, the JRC released a certified reference material (ERM-FD102) for the quality control of nanoparticle size analysis methods. This CRM consists of a mixture of two aqueous suspensions of silica nanoparticles with distinct particle sizes. In order to elaborate the main metrological challenges encountered during the characterisation of this CRM, scientists from the JRC and other Measurement Institutions from Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, and the United Kingdom studied in-depth the average particle diameters of the main particle populations (one around 20 nm and one around 80 nm in diameter) that were obtained through an inter-laboratory comparison study (ILC).

Further information: Why results of particle size measurements do not always agree when testing in different laboratories