A new particle size analyzer, which is useful in many scientific disciplines, has been acquired by the U of A System Division of Agriculture through a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Equipment Grant Program grant.

A publicly available training session on the Mastersizer 3000+ Ultra particle size analyzer will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon on March 19 at the Food Science Building, classroom D1/D2, to assist public industries and university researchers.

The Food Science Building is located at 2650 N. Young Ave. in Fayetteville. Two engineers from the machine's manufacturer, Malvern Panalytical, will conduct the training and provide an instrument overview, theory and best practices.

"In food science research, particle size dictates functionality, solubility, flowability, texture, reactivity, flavor, color, mouthfeel and bioavailability, and in turn, affects the formulation, processing and quality of food products," said Ali Ubeyitogullari, assistant professor of food engineering for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture.

In agriculture, particle size plays a critical role in soil texture, water management, and fertilizer and pesticide applications, he added. Particle size is also important in environmental sciences related to air quality for humans and livestock, water quality and soil contamination.

"For example, you look at particles in water, and these days, we talk a lot about microplastics, so this could measure those," Ubeyitogullari said. "It also relates to soil health and texture and could be used to measure fertilizers to see how they will dissolve in soil. There are a lot of applications for this equipment."

Ubeyitogullari said an attachment was also purchased for the equipment to measure particle shape, a unique parameter expanding research capabilities.

The Mastersizer 3000+ Ultra is Malvern Panalytical's most advanced system for particle size and size distribution, the company states. This model measures the widest size range — 0.01 to 3,500 microns. The machine was purchased with a $206,830 grant from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

Ubeyitogullari is collaborating on this project with U of A System faculty Mahfuzur Rahman, Ranil Wickramasinghe, Ya-Jane Wang, Jun Zhu and Ryan Tian.

As a food engineer, Ubeyitogullari conducts research in the Department of Food Science and the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering through the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and directs the Food Engineering for Health Lab.

To register for the March 19 training session, please email Ubeyitogullari at uali@uark.edu.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation's historic land grant education system. The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.