*** 9761330 Reynolds This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a self-calibrating optical sensor based on principles of photon migration for on-line measurements of particle or droplet size distributions and volume fraction for particulate and dispersed phase processes. It proposes to build a prototype instrument for use in an industrial setting. The novel approach consists of monitoring the time-dependent propagation characteristics of light as it multiply scatters through a process stream of high solids. The technique does not require external calibration or empirically derived calibration factors. Feasibility of this technology has been demonstrated. While particulate processes comprise seventy to eighty percent of the US. chemical-based industry, no on-line measurements are available for the critical process parameters of particle size and volume fraction in concentrated process streams to enable control and effective optimization. The photon migration technique has immediate industrial applications in emulsion processing (including polymerization), crystallization, ceramic processing, and biotechnology. ***
