Method and apparatus for determining the quality of a colloidal suspension
RELATED APPLICATION 
     Related U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,891 issued on Mar. 15, 1994 discloses a method and apparatus for determining the quality of a colloidal suspension which measures the peak-to-peak magnitude of an output current difference and phase difference between a test and reference cell. The entire teaching and disclosure of that patent is incorporated hereinto by reference. 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to colloidal suspensions and more specifically to a method and apparatus for determining the quality of a colloidal suspension. 
     2. Background Art 
     Colloidal suspensions, such as paints, blood plasma, and certain foods, typically comprise a plurality of colloidal particles dispersed throughout a continuous liquid or gaseous medium. A particular type of colloidal suspension which has found important application in recent years is that of liquid toner used in electrostatic and electrographic plotters and printers. Liquid toner is typically composed of a liquid solvent, a charge control agent, and a plurality of toner particles dispersed throughout the solvent. The charge control agent is included in the suspension for the purpose of imparting to the toner particles the charge needed by the particles to deposit onto a charged surface such as a statically charged piece of paper. As the liquid toner is used for printing purposes, the toner particles are progressively depleted, leaving behind only the charge control agent and the solvent. Once the concentration of toner particles falls below a certain level, the liquid toner becomes ineffective and must either be replaced or be replenished with additional toner particles. From this discussion, it is clear that the effectiveness and, hence, the quality of the liquid toner is based upon the concentration of the toner particles. For best results, an optimal ratio should be maintained between the concentration of the toner particles and the molecular concentration of the suspension agent including the solvent and the charge control agent. 
     Since the quality of a liquid toner is mainly a function of the toner particle concentration, an effective method and apparatus for testing the quality of the toner should provide a clear indication of the toner concentration. The prior art, however, fails to provide a method or a means for satisfactorily determining the quality of a liquid toner or a colloidal suspension in general. The prior art teaches a method for measuring the electro-kinetic properties of a colloidal suspension (U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,208), a method for measuring the potential of colloidal particles in a colloidal suspension (U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,019), and a method for measuring the electrical conductivity of a colloidal suspension (U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,453). The measurements of electro-kinetic properties, potentials, and conductivity, however, do not provide a good indication of the toner particle concentration, and hence, fail to give an accurate indication of the quality of a liquid toner. Hence, a need exists for an effective method and apparatus for determining the quality of a liquid toner and a colloidal suspension in general. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for determining the quality of a colloidal suspension, wherein an oscillating input electrical signal, preferably having a frequency between about 1 Hz about 10 Hz, is applied to the colloidal suspension to be tested, and a first output current and its peak value is extracted from the colloidal suspension. At the same time, the input signal is also applied to a resistor which is substantially identical to the input test probe impedance, and a second output current is extracted from the resistor. Thereafter, a differential output current is derived by subtracting the second output current from the first. Once this differential output current is obtained, its average value is measured, and it is compared to that of the peak value of the colloidal suspension current. Based on the ratio between the peak value of the colloidal solution and the differential average current, the concentration of the toner particles and, thus, the quality of the colloidal suspension is determined. 
     The present invention also provides an apparatus for implementing the aforementioned method. The apparatus comprises an oscillating signal source, a test cell, a resistor, a differential amplifier, a peak detector and a magnitude detector. The signal source generates an oscillating input electrical signal which is applied simultaneously to both the test cell and the fixed value resistor matching the impedance of the test cell. The test cell houses the colloidal suspension to be tested and has an input electrode for receiving the input signal, and an output electrode for providing a first output current. The differential amplifier receives the first and second output currents as inputs and provides as output a differential output current which represents the difference between the first and second output currents. The magnitude detector measures the magnitude or average value of the differential output current, and the peak detector detects peak value of the colloidal system. The apparatus of the present invention thus provides the magnitude and the peak value of the colloidal system which is necessary to calculate the ratio between the peak value of the colloidal system and the average value of the differential current needed to determine the quality of the colloidal suspension. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of the method of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a reference resistor in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a test cell in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a reference resistor in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a test cell in accordance with another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before proceeding to describe the method and apparatus of the present invention, the theoretical considerations underlying the invention will first be discussed. For the sake of illustration, the following discussion is directed at liquid toner suspensions, but it should be noted that the discussion applies to other colloidal suspensions as well. 
     A liquid toner typically consists of a liquid solvent, a charge control agent, and a plurality of toner particles dispersed throughout the solvent. By definition, suspended particles within a colloidal suspension have a charge with respect to the suspension medium; thus, the toner particles have a charge with respect to the solvent. Consequently, when liquid toner is excited by an oscillating electrical signal, the toner particles move through the solvent, thereby, creating an oscillating electrical current. The application of an electrical signal causes more than just the toner particles to move, however, because the charge control agent molecules also have a charge and, hence, will also move in response to the excitation signal. Consequently, the current which results from the application of an electrical signal has both a toner particle component and a charge control agent component. The resultant current (i) is expressed by the following equation: 
     
         i=n.sub.1 q.sub.1 u.sub.1 Sin w.sub.1 t+n.sub.2 q.sub.2 u.sub.2 Sin w.sub.2 t 
    
     where 
     n 1  =the number of toner particles; 
     q 1  =the charge on the toner particles; 
     u 1  =the velocity of the toner particles; and 
     w 1  =the resultant phase shift in the toner particle current due to drag on the particles; and 
     where 
     n 2  =the number of charge control agent molecules; 
     q 2  =the charge on the charge control agent molecules; 
     u 2  =the velocity of the charge control agent molecules; and 
     w 2  =the resultant phase shift in the charge control molecule current due to drag on the molecules. 
     From the above equation, it is clear that the resultant current (i) has as a component the current due to the movement of the charge control agent molecules. The present invention has determined that the concentration of the charge control agent is directly proportional to the width of the peak of the toner current at frequencies below about 10 Hz and that the average or root-mean-square (RMS) value of the toner current is proportional to sum of the charge control agent plus the concentration of the particles. As used herein, the average value refers to both the arithmetic mean and the RMS value. For the purpose of determining the quality of a liquid toner, the relation between the toner particle current and the charge control current are of interest. 
     Once isolated, the toner particle current provides useful information as to the quality of the liquid toner. First, the magnitude or the average value of the current provides an indication of the conductivity of the toner due to both the toner particles and the control agent molecules. If the average value exceeds a certain level, then it is known that the concentration of either the toner particles or the control agent molecules is too high for the liquid toner to be usable. Likewise, if the average value falls below a certain level, the concentration of either the toner particles or the control agent molecules is too low for the liquid toner to be effective. Thus, the average value gives an indication of the relative concentrations of the toner particles and the control agent molecules. 
     At the frequency of about 10 Hz and below, the present invention has also determined that the width of the peak of the current is directly proportional to the charge control agent or concentration of any other solubles present in the toner. 
     The peak value and the average current value define the quality of the liquid toner. Where both quantities are within proper operating limits, the liquid toner quality is good and the toner may be used for printing purposes. Where either quantity is beyond the proper operating range, the liquid toner must either be replaced or refreshed. 
     With these theoretical considerations in mind, the method and apparatus of the present invention will now be described. With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a flow diagram of the method of the present invention, wherein the first step of the method is to prepare 10 a test sample and select a resistor equal to impedance of the test cell which includes any cable or electrical connections thereto, etc. The test sample is prepared simply by taking a sample from the liquid toner to be tested. The resistor is selected to approximately match the impedance of test cell by balancing the average current to zero when the test cell is effectively isolated by placing in air, by balancing the test cell prior to the insertion of the test sample, or by other conventional means for matching impedances. 
     Once the test sample and a resistor have been prepared, an oscillating input electrical signal, preferably having a frequency between about 1 Hz and about 10 Hz, is applied 12 to the test cell and the selected resistor. Because the test sample has toner particles and charge control agent molecules, the application of the input signal causes the particles and molecules to move with the varying electric field created by the input signal, thereby, giving rise to an oscillating electric current. This test current is extracted 14 from the test sample. Likewise, the application of the input signal 12 causes current to flow through the selected resistor which is equivalent to the impedance of the test cell. 
     The test current from the test sample has three components: a toner particle component, a charge control agent component, and the component due to the impedance of the test cell. As discussed above, it is necessary to isolate the toner particle component and the charge control agent component if the quality of the test sample is to be determined. Thus, component due to the impedance of the test cell needs to be subtracted from the total test current. This may be achieved by subtracting 16 the reference current from the test current. Recall that the reference current is approximately matched to the impedance of the test cell. By subtracting 16 the reference current from the test current, the charge control agent current and toner particle concentration components are measured. The resulting current, referred to herein as the differential output current, is used to determine the quality of the test sample. Once the differential output current is derived, the magnitude or average value of the differential output current is measured 18. 
     In addition, the peak value of the test current is measured. As mentioned earlier, the present invention has determined that the peak width is affected by the charge control agent concentration. As the concentration of the charge control agent increases, the width of the peak increases and affects the average value of the differential output current. The peak value of the test current and the average value of the differential output current are then analyzed 22 to determine if they are both within their proper operating ranges. If they are, then the toner is still effective and may continue to be used. The proper operating ranges are determined without undue experimentation by those skilled in the art. Based on the ratio between the peak value of the test current and the average value of the differential output current, the concentration of the toner particles and, thus, the quality of the colloidal suspension is determined. The proper operating ranges usually vary from suspension to suspension. Regardless of the colloidal suspension, however, the method of the present invention will provide a clear indication of the quality of the toner, in contrast to the methods of the prior art. 
     With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown a functional block diagram of an apparatus for implementing the method of the present invention, wherein the apparatus 24 comprises a signal generator 26, a test cell 28 for housing a sample of the liquid toner to be tested, a reference resistor 30 equivalent to the test cell impedance, a differential amplifier 32, a magnitude detector 34, and a peak detector 36. The signal generator 26, differential amplifier 32, magnitude detector 34, and peak detector 36 are all of standard construction and are commercially available; thus, only their function and not their construction will be described herein. 
     The signal generator 26 generates an oscillating input electrical signal 38 which is applied to test cell 28 through input electrode 40, and to reference resistor 30 through input electrode 42. Preferably, signal 38 is a low frequency signal having a frequency between about 1 Hz and 10 Hz. In response to the oscillating input signal 38, the toner particles and charge control agent molecules in the liquid toner housed within the test cell 28 move with the varying electric field induced by the input signal 38. Hence, an oscillating electric current, referred to herein as the test current, is induced in the test cell 28, and this test current 45 is extracted from the test cell 28 through output electrode 44. Similarly, the current flows through reference resistor 30 move in response to the input signal 38, thus, giving rise to a reference current The reference current 47 is extracted from the reference resistor through output electrode 46. 
     The differential amplifier 32 receives as inputs the test current 45 and the reference current 47. Amplifier 32 provides as output a differential output current 48 which represents the difference between the two input currents 45, 47. In effect, amplifier 32 subtracts the reference current 47 from the test current 45 to isolate the toner particle and charge control components of the test current 45. Thereafter, differential output current 48 is sent to the input of magnitude detector 34 and, in response, detector 34 provides an output 50 which is indicative of the magnitude or average value of the differential output current 48. 
     The test current 45 through output electrode 44 is also sent to the input of the peak detector 36. Detector 36 measures the peak value of the test current 45 and provides an output 52 which gives the peak height of the test current value 45 but not the width of the peak. The two quantities, the average differential output current and the peak value of the test current, needed to determine the quality of the test toner are thus provided by the apparatus 24. 
     The test cell 28 and reference resistor 30 of apparatus 24 will now be described in greater detail. Preferably, the reference resistor 30 is a conventional resistor having the selected value to approximately match the impedance of the test cell. Any conventional resistor, such as a thin film resistor, is suitable for use in the present invention. 
     In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the apparatus 24 of the present invention, reference resistor 30 takes the form of a cell as shown in FIG. 3 having the appropriate selected value and test cell 28 takes the form shown in FIG. 4. With reference to FIG. 3, a cross-sectional view of the reference resistor 30 is provided, wherein the reference resistor 30 comprises a cylindrical casing 54 having two open ends. Casing 54 preferably is constructed of a suitable grade of stainless steel such that it is chemically inert and behaves as an electrical shield to reduce noise in the overall apparatus. Welded to casing 54 is wire 56 which connects the casing to ground. Each end of the casing 54 is closed off by a plastic end cap 58 to hold a reference solution 60 within the casing 54. 
     The reference solution preferably contains only the solvent and charge control agent. The reference solution, therefore, is substantially identical to the liquid toner except that the toner particles are removed. 
     Reference resistor 30 also comprises a first active electrode 62 which preferably takes the form of a stainless steel cylindrical pipe. Electrode 62 is attached to the casing 54 by Nylon set screws 64 such that electrode 62 is concentric with the casing 54. Preferably, electrode 62 does not contact either of the end caps 58 to prevent the introduction of electrical noise by the end caps 58. Welded to electrode 62 is wire 40 which receives the input signal from the signal generator. Thus, electrode 62 functions as the input electrode. 
     Reference resistor 30 further comprises electrode 68 which preferably takes the from of a stainless steel bar. Electrode 68 is attached at each end to one of the end caps 58 by way of conductive support 70, and is preferably positioned such that it is concentric with the input electrode 62 and the casing 54. Wire 44, which is used as the output wire, is welded to electrode 68 so that electrode 68 serves as the output electrode. 
     With reference to FIG. 4, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the test cell 28 of another preferred embodiment. Test cell 28 comprises a stainless steel cylindrical casing 72 having two open ends and a plurality of holes 74 bored through the side of the casing 72. Casing 72 preferably is constructed of the same material and has the same diameter and length as the casing 54 in the reference resistor in FIG. 3. One end of the casing 72 is left open while the other end is closed off by a plastic end cap 76 having a long, hollow extension 78 for accommodating a plurality of wires. The casing 72 is securely fastened to the end cap 76 by Nylon set screws 80. Grounding wire 82 is welded to casing 72 to connect the casing to ground. 
     Test cell 28 also comprises a stainless steel cylindrical pipe electrode 84 which is attached to the casing 72 by way of Nylon set screws 86 in such a manner that the electrode 84 is concentric with the casing 72. Preferably, electrode 84 is made of the same material and has the same dimensions as the electrode 62 in the reference resistor of FIG. 3. Electrode 84 preferably does not contact the end cap 76 to prevent the introduction of any electrical noise. Wire 42, which receives the input signal, is welded to electrode 84, thereby, making electrode 84 the input electrode. 
     Test cell 28 further comprises a stainless steel bar electrode 90 having one end attached to end cap 76 by way of conductive support 92. Electrode 90 is preferably positioned such that it is concentric with electrode 84 and casing 72. Again, it is preferable that electrode 90 be made of the same material and have the same dimensions as electrode 68 in the reference resistor 30 of FIG. 3. Welded to conductive support 92 is output wire 46 which allows electrode to function as the output electrode. 
     The impedance of the test cell 28 is preferably measured before it is placed within a reservoir 96 or otherwise in contact with the test sample. The test cell 28 is then used by inserting into the reservoir 96 containing the liquid toner to be tested, and submerged until the level of the toner is above the holes 74 in the casing. This fills the test cell 28 with the liquid toner and allows the toner to be tested by the test cell. When the reference resistor 30 and test cell 28 are used in the apparatus of FIG. 2, the apparatus 24 is said to operate in the static or stand-alone mode. 
     In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the apparatus 24 of the present invention, reference resistor 30 takes the form of the cell shown in FIG. 5 and test cell 28 takes the form shown in FIG. 6. When these cells are used in the apparatus of FIG. 2, the apparatus is said to operate in the dynamic mode. 
     With reference to FIG. 5, which provides a cross-sectional view of the reference resistor of yet another preferred embodiment, the reference resistor 30 comprises a stainless steel cylindrical casing 100 having two open ends, each end being closed off with a plastic end cap 102a, 102b to hold the reference solution within the casing 100. Reference resistor 30 also comprises a first stainless steel cylindrical pipe electrode 104 having one end glued to end cap 102b. Preferably, electrode 104 is positioned such that it is concentric with the casing 100, and such that it does not come into contact with the opposite end cap 102a. Also, electrode 104 preferably has a hole 106 bored into its side to allow the reference solution to flow freely within the cell. Reference resistor 30 further comprises a second stainless steel cylindrical pipe electrode 108 having one end glued to end cap 102a. Electrode 108 is positioned concentrically with respect to both electrode 104 and casing 100. As with the first electrode 104, electrode 108 preferably does not contact the opposite end cap 102b, and preferably has a hole 110 bored into its side to allow the reference solution to flow freely. Ground wire 112, input wire 40, and output wire 44 are welded to casing 100, electrode 104, and electrode 108, respectively. Thus, electrode 104 functions as the input electrode and electrode 108 serves as the output electrode. 
     With reference to FIG. 6, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the test cell of yet another preferred embodiment. In almost all respects, the test cell 28 is identical to the reference resistor shown in FIG. 5. Like reference resistor 30, test cell 28 comprises a stainless steel cylindrical casing 120, a first stainless steel cylindrical pipe electrode 122 having one end glued to an end cap 126b, and a second stainless steel cylindrical pipe electrode 130 having one end glued to the other end cap 126a. Preferably, casing 120 and electrodes 122 and 128 are constructed of the same material and have the same dimensions as the corresponding elements in the reference resistor 30 of FIG. 5. Electrodes 124 and 130 each has a hole bored into its side to allow the test toner to flow freely through the cell. Casing 120, electrode 122, and electrode 128 are welded to ground wire 130, input wire 42, and output wire 46, respectively, just as in the reference resistor 30 of FIG. 5. The only difference between the test cell 28 and reference resistor 30 in FIGS. 5 and 6 is that the test cell 28 is only partially covered by the end covers 126a, 126b. Each of the end covers 126a, 126b in the test cell 28 has a hollow extended portion 132 which extends away from the cell. These hollow extensions 132 allow the test cell 28 to be connected to the plumbing system (not shown) of a printer or plotter which uses liquid toner. Thus, liquid toner flows through the test cell 24 as the toner is being used by the printer or plotter. Consequently, test cell 28 can be used to test the quality of liquid toner as the toner is being used. For this reason, when the reference resistor and test cell shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively, are used in the apparatus of FIG. 2, the apparatus 24 is said to be operating in the dynamic mode.