A simple microcontroller-based sedimentation potential measurement for nanosuspension stability investigations

This paper report the development of a simple sedimentation potential measurement system to know the state of nanoparticles (NPs) dispersion stability. The state of nanoparticles dispersion stability is very important in applications of nanoparticles since the nature of NPs is easily agglomerate. The developed sedimentation potential consist of graphite electrodes, signal conditioning, microcontroller, and interface circuits provided with a data acquisition applications. The system was designed to obtained sedimentation potential in the range −200 to 200 mV with accuracy of 0.415 mV. From the measured sedimentation potential, the zeta potential can be determined. This system was applied to investigate stability of TiO2 NPS suspension in water media to obtain the performances of the system. Those zeta potentials were determined at various condition such as vary in surface charges by controlling the pH of the suspension, vary in suspension concentrations and sedimentation time. The results show that the higher concentration of the suspension, lower zeta potential of the suspension was obtained. The zeta potential was decreased by the sedimentation time indicated that the agglomeration of particles occurred. Controlling of surface charges by controlling pH also affect the values of obtained zeta potentials. It is concluded that the developed sedimentation potential measurement successfully applied for determination of zeta potential of the TiO2 NPs suspension to evaluate the stability NPs suspension.