Different colloidal particle characterization methods are examined for their suitability to determine the particle size distribution of particles extracted from steels. Microalloyed steels are dissolved to extract niobium and titanium carbonitride particles that are important for the mechanical properties of these steels. Such particles have sizes ranging from several nanometers to hundreds of nanometers depending on the precipitation stage during the thermomechanically controlled rolling process. The size distribution of the particles is analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), and hollow fiber flow field-flow fractionation (HF5) and compared to data obtained for reference particles as well as data from electron microscopy, the standard sizing technique used in metallurgy today. AUC and HF5 provide high-quality size distributions, average over large particle numbers that enables statistical analysis, and yield useful insights for alloy design; however, DLS fails due to a lack of resolution. Important aspects in the conversion and comparison of size distributions obtained for broadly distributed particle systems with different measurement principles and the role of surfactants used in sample preparation are discussed.

中文翻译：

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从微合金钢中提取的颗粒的胶体分析

检查了不同的胶体颗粒表征方法是否适用于确定从钢中提取的颗粒的粒径分布。溶解微合金钢以提取对这些钢的机械性能很重要的铌和碳氮化钛颗粒。根据热机械控制轧制过程中的沉淀阶段，这种颗粒的尺寸从几纳米到几百纳米不等。通过动态光散射 (DLS)、分析超速离心 (AUC) 和中空纤维流场流动分级 (HF5) 分析颗粒的尺寸分布，并与参考颗粒获得的数据以及电子显微镜数据进行比较，当今冶金中使用的标准尺寸测量技术。AUC 和 HF5 提供高质量的粒度分布、大颗粒数的平均值，可实现统计分析，并为合金设计提供有用的见解；但是，由于缺乏分辨率，DLS 失败。讨论了具有不同测量原理的广泛分布的颗粒系统获得的尺寸分布的转换和比较的重要方面，以及用于样品制备的表面活性剂的作用。