Particle Technology Labs’ Particle Chemist III / Team Leader Elizabeth Fitzgerald just returned from the Netherlands where she was one of three presenters at The Center for Professional Advancement’s course entitled, Powders: Their Properties and Processing. The three-day event took place December 9th through December 11th, 2019, in Amsterdam.
The primary purpose of the course was to “review the various properties of powdered solids pertinent to the development and manufacture of the products of the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and allied industries.” While the course was designed for those in product development, the event was attended by scientists, suppliers and technologists.
During the three-day course, Ms. Fitzgerald presented on the following topics:
In her first session, Characterization of Powder Particle Size, Shape, Flowability and Density, Ms. Fitzgerald discussed particle size basics, particle sizing techniques, powder flowability and powder densities.
In her second session, Fine Particle Characterization: Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) and Zeta Potential, she discussed fine particles, Brownian Motion, and the latest techniques for fine particle characterization.
In her third and final session, Characterization of a Particle’s Surface and Pores, she discussed surface area determination, pore size and distribution measurement, and surface texture measurement.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald joined PTL as a Particle Characterization Chemist I in 2014, before eventually advancing to her current position as Particle Characterization Chemist III, and Team Leader in the Laser Diffraction department. Ms. Fitzgerald works closely with PTL clients and chemists to ensure the highest degree of analytical integrity, with a specific focus on laser diffraction techniques and instrumentation. Her current responsibilities include test method development and instrument qualifications. She is also actively engaged in laboratory training, assisting with the implementation of safety programs and procedures.
The Center for Professional Advancement – CfPA is the largest accredited technical training organization in the world offering technical training and continuing professional education courses to those in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, chemical engineering and cosmetics industries.
