Wei Yongjie1，2， Zhang Haoran1， Zhao Peiyi1， Qiao Guochao1
1.School of Mechanical Engineering， Hebei University of Technology， Tianjin 300401， China； 2.Professional Committee of Particle Measurement， Chinese Society of Particuology， Beijing 100190， China
Abstract
Significance Particle properties are diverse， and the interactions among particles are complex. The interactions give rise to various properties that characterize particle behavior in many fields. It is important to study particle characteristics and the interactions in industrial processes and daily life. Research on particles and their properties has developed into a major discipline known as particuology. The particle size distribution （PSD） is one of the parameters for characterizing particles， which is widely measured and applied in many fields. Accurate PSD measurement is essential for optimizing the production process， improving the product performance， conserving energy， and reducing consumption. Particle-related production processes are prevalent in various fields， such as engine combustion sprays， water mist fire suppression， chemical processing， petroleum extraction， food processing， industrial emissions， and bubble generation or removal. With the ongoing development of these production technologies， there are increasing demands for good particle size uniformity and for complex particle size distribution （PSD） of multi-component mixtures. Consequently， particle sizing instruments are required to accurately measure precise uniformity of particle size， cover increasingly broad PSD range， and resolve multi-modal distributions of all components in the mixture. At the same time， the demand for online particle size measurement in automated production lines is becoming more urgent. Therefore， the performance indicators of particle size measurement instruments are primarily reflected in the measurable lower and upper size limits， the ability to measure particles of various physical states， under different dispersion media conditions， and online measurement capability.
Progress There are many methods for measuring PSD， among which the light scattering method is non-contact， real-time， and non-destructive to particle field. Moreover， it can easily measure PSD during the production process using inline or online method. Consequently， devices based on light scattering have been widely adopted in many fields in recent years. A laser or several lasers are typically used as the light source to generate scattering of particles. Thus， the light scattering method is usually referred to laser particle size measurement technology. The widely applied scattering techniques include static light scattering （laser scattering）， dynamic light scattering， and angular scattering. The laser particle size measurement technology has been extensively developed and applied owing to the rapid advancement of laser technology， photoelectric detection， and computer technology. Additionally， it is widely researched and advanced worldwide. In the early 1980s， researchers in China began their research on laser particle size measurement methods， initially focusing on static light scattering. Several universities and research institutes conducted theoretical analysis and numerical calculation. Subsequently， breakthroughs were achieved in the development of key components including optical path structures and photoelectric detector arrays. Based on mathematical optimization methods， a variety of data inversion algorithms， such as the parameter-constrained and unconstrained methods， were implemented. These efforts led to the successful development of detection devices and instruments. The earlier instruments included laser particle size analyzers， dynamic laser particle size analyzers， particle counters. Through collaboration between research organizations and instrument companies， the above instrument series and other instruments were further developed and commercialized. Laser particle size measurements have been realized across a wide range of particle sizes from nanometer to millimeter and PSD， for broad distributions， multi-modal distributions， and various dispersion media in diverse fields. The key challenges of particle size measurements during many production processes have been effectively addressed. The research achievements continue to make significant contributions to our industrial production and technological progress.
Conclusions and Prospects Over the past five decades， researchers， designers， and engineers in China have made great efforts on laser particle size measurement technology and applied it to many fields. Significant progress has been made in laser particle size measurement technology. Key developments include instrumentation， data processing algorithms， expansion of application fields， and capability of online or inline measurement. The measurement instruments and application system are now robust and reliable. As artificial intelligence and digital technologies continue to advance， laser particle size measurement technologies are expected to become increasingly standardized and intelligent and to be further integrated into manufacturing processes， thereby offering more comprehensive solutions for product inspection and process optimization and control. The laser particle size measurement technology and the corresponding instruments have provided strong support for strategic emerging industries， including new energy， new materials， and biomedicine. Meanwhile， it significantly promotes the upgrading of traditional industries， such as building materials， metallurgy， chemical industry， and pigments. Moreover， it has contributed to safeguarding the national ecological environment and public safety in areas such as environmental monitoring and food safety.
Keywords: laser particle size measurement； particle size distribution； static light scattering； dynamic light scattering； inline measurement
Get Citation: Wei Yongjie， Zhang Haoran， Zhao Peiyi， et al. A review of development and application of laser particle size measurement technology and application［J］. China Powder Science and Technology， 2027， 33（1）： 1-13.
Received : 2026-06-30， Revised： 2026-08-12， Online： 2026-09-14。
Funding： The research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2024YFB3310901).
CLC No.: TH74；TB4
Type Code: A
Serial No.: 1008-5548（2027）01-0001-13
