Our department’s response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
See Australia.gov.au for whole of Australian Government COVID-19 advice.
- Policies and initiatives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Artificial intelligence
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian Space Agency
- Boosting innovation and science
- Co-hosting the Square Kilometre Array
- Increasing international collaboration
- Industry growth centres
- Industry Innovation and Science Australia
- National Measurement Institute
- Optical astronomy in Australia
- Participating in the digital economy
- Promoting innovation precincts
- Science in our department
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
Energy
Resources
Northern Australia
Trade
Business support
Measurement services
Government to government services
- Regulations and standards
Emissions reduction
Energy
Resources
- Applying to export rough diamonds
- Applying to export uranium and controlled ores
- Offshore mineral exploration and mining
- Offshore oil and gas exploration and development
- Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release process
- Regulating offshore oil and gas in Australian Commonwealth waters
- Regulating the Ranger Uranium Mine
- Taxes and royalties on minerals and petroleum
Measurement
Trade
Space industry
Building industry
Business support
- Funding and incentives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Australian Square Kilometre Array Fellowships Programme
- Business Research and Innovation Initiative
- Business-research collaboration
- Collaborating with Asia-Pacific on science, research and innovation
- Collaborating with China on science and research
- Collaborating with India on science and research
- Cooperative research centres
- Enabling international space investment
- Industry 4.0
- Inspiring Australia: Science engagement in Australia
- International research collaboration
- Moon to Mars: opportunities for Australian businesses
- Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
- Research and Development Tax Incentive
- Supporting advanced manufacturing
- Supporting business and innovation
- Supporting space infrastructure growth
- Transitioning Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry
- Venture capital
Resources
- About us
COVID-19
Jobs
Who we are
- Our Ministers
- Our Executive team
- Organisation chart
- Our portfolio agencies
- Overseas engagement
- Anti-Dumping Commission
- Anti-Dumping Review Panel
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian SKA Office
- Australian Space Agency
- Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
- National Measurement Institute
- Office of Innovation and Science Australia
- Office of Northern Australia
- Office of the Chief Economist
- Office of the Chief Scientist
Who we work with
Reporting and accountability
- Annual report
- Assurance and Audit Committee
- Budget statements
- Campaign Certification Statements
- Continuing Order of the Senate
- Corporate plan
- Deregulation agenda
- Freedom of information
- Gifts and benefits register
- Grants reporting
- Information Publication Scheme
- Our contracts
- Privacy impact assessments
- Public interest disclosure
- Senate Order 15: portfolio appointments and vacancies
Our online presence
Contact
- Publications
- News
- Policies and initiatives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Artificial intelligence
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian Space Agency
- Boosting innovation and science
- Co-hosting the Square Kilometre Array
- Increasing international collaboration
- Industry growth centres
- Industry Innovation and Science Australia
- National Measurement Institute
- Optical astronomy in Australia
- Participating in the digital economy
- Promoting innovation precincts
- Science in our department
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
Energy
Resources
Northern Australia
Trade
Business support
Measurement services
Government to government services
- Regulations and standards
Emissions reduction
Energy
Resources
- Applying to export rough diamonds
- Applying to export uranium and controlled ores
- Offshore mineral exploration and mining
- Offshore oil and gas exploration and development
- Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release process
- Regulating offshore oil and gas in Australian Commonwealth waters
- Regulating the Ranger Uranium Mine
- Taxes and royalties on minerals and petroleum
Measurement
Trade
Space industry
Building industry
Business support
- Funding and incentives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Australian Square Kilometre Array Fellowships Programme
- Business Research and Innovation Initiative
- Business-research collaboration
- Collaborating with Asia-Pacific on science, research and innovation
- Collaborating with China on science and research
- Collaborating with India on science and research
- Cooperative research centres
- Enabling international space investment
- Industry 4.0
- Inspiring Australia: Science engagement in Australia
- International research collaboration
- Moon to Mars: opportunities for Australian businesses
- Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
- Research and Development Tax Incentive
- Supporting advanced manufacturing
- Supporting business and innovation
- Supporting space infrastructure growth
- Transitioning Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry
- Venture capital
Resources
- About us
COVID-19
Jobs
Who we are
- Our Ministers
- Our Executive team
- Organisation chart
- Our portfolio agencies
- Overseas engagement
- Anti-Dumping Commission
- Anti-Dumping Review Panel
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian SKA Office
- Australian Space Agency
- Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
- National Measurement Institute
- Office of Innovation and Science Australia
- Office of Northern Australia
- Office of the Chief Economist
- Office of the Chief Scientist
Who we work with
Reporting and accountability
- Annual report
- Assurance and Audit Committee
- Budget statements
- Campaign Certification Statements
- Continuing Order of the Senate
- Corporate plan
- Deregulation agenda
- Freedom of information
- Gifts and benefits register
- Grants reporting
- Information Publication Scheme
- Our contracts
- Privacy impact assessments
- Public interest disclosure
- Senate Order 15: portfolio appointments and vacancies
Our online presence
Contact
- Publications
- News
- Home
- Policies and initiatives
- Measurement services
- Physical measurement services
- Nanometrology equipment
On this page
Nanometrology equipment

The National Measurement Institute’s (NMI’s) nanometrology measurement services are accurate, reliable and accepted internationally. Our nanometrology laboratory conducts specific nanoscale tests and instruments using the following nanometrology equipment.
Microscopes
The NMI uses three types of microscope:
Atomic force microscope
- Measured properties: nanometre and micron scale physical dimensions
- Measurement principle: image of sample topography created by mapp
- Instrument: Asylum Research MFP-3D
- Accessories available: liquid cell
Optical microscope
- Instrument: Leica DM6000, fitted with a Leica DFC490 digital camera.
- Features: fully automated stage with ability for multistep (large area scans in x and y) and montage (composite z imaging) capability, ability to capture movies, differential interference contrast imaging, polariser/analyser, reflected light bright and dark field imaging, transmitted light bright field imaging
Optical stereo microscope
- Instrument: Leica M125
- Features: Hitachi KP-D20BU CCD colour camera, 800 mm swing arm
Particle size analysis equipment
The NMI uses 10 types of particle size analysis equipment.
Laser diffraction
- Measured properties: particle size distribution in liquid suspensions
- Particle size range: 30 nm – 100 μm
- Measurement principle: angle dependent light scattering
- Instrument: Malvern Mastersizer 3000
- Accessories available: dispersion unit Hydro EV: capacity 400 to 1000 mL; dispersion unit Hydro SM small volume: capacity 50 to 120 mL; dry dispersion unit AeroS
Microchannel resonator
- Measured properties: single particle buoyant mass and derived quantities such as particle volume and diameter)
- in liquid suspensions, particle number concentration, particle density
- Particle size range: ~60 nm to 5 μm depending on density
- Measurement principle: particle mass changes mechanical resonance frequency of a microchannel oscillator
- Instrument: Affinity Biosensors Archimedes Particle Metrology System
Disk centrifuge
- Measured properties: particle size distribution in liquid suspensions
- Particle size range: 10 nm to 10 µm
- Measurement principle: centrifugal sedimentation with optical detection
- Instrument: CPS DC24000UHR
- Accessories available: automated gradient builder
Dynamic light scattering
- Measured properties: particle size distribution in liquid suspensions
- Particle size range: 1 nm to 5 µm
- Measurement principle: light scattering from particles undergoing Brownian motion
- Instrument: Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS
- Accessories available: research version software; titration unit
Nanoparticle tracking analysis
- Measured properties: particle size distribution in liquid suspensions, particle number concentration
- Particle size range: 20 nm to 1 µm
- Measurement principle: light scattering from individual particles undergoing Brownian motion
- Instrument: Nanosight LM10 (red laser (l = 633 nm), LM14 (temperature controlled; green laser (l = 432 nm) and blue laser (l = 405 nm))
- Accessories available: red, blue and red laser sources, standard and high resolution cameras
Tunable resistive pulse sensing
- Measured properties: particle size distribution in liquid suspensions; particle number concentration
- Particle size range: 80 nm to 1 μm
- Measurement principle: single particle detection by electrical sensing zone method (Coulter counter) based on a stretchable nanopore
- Instrument: IZON qNano
Asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation
- Measured properties: particle size distribution in liquid suspensions
- Particle size range: 1 nm to 5 µm
- Measurement principle: static and dynamic light scattering from particles in suspension following size classification
- Instrument: Wyatt Technologies AFFFF Eclipse 3+ and Dawn Helios 2 with MALS and QELS Detectors
- Accessories available: Agilent 1200 Series Quaternary Pump with degasser, Autosampler, Diode Array Detector, Fraction Collector, LC ChemStation software; COMET ultrasonic cleaning system
Sedimentation field-flow fractionation
- Measured properties: particle size distribution in liquid suspensions
- Particle size range: 10 nm to 50 µm
- Measurement principle: size separation based on centrifugal force and flow channel properties which can be modelled or calibrated to determine particle size; external measurement of particle size also possible by in-line or off-line measurement with other detectors
- Instrument: Postnova CF2000 Centrifugal Field Flow Fractionation system
- Accessories available: Agilent Diode Array Detector, Autosampler, Fraction Collector, connectivity to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for simultaneous chemical analysis, connectivity to external light scattering instrumentation for dynamic light scattering analysis
Dynamic image analysis
- Measured properties: particle size distribution, particle shape distribution; particle number concentration
- Particle size range: >100 nm to 3 mm, depending on density
- Measurement principle: optical imaging and/or laser obscuration of flowing particles (dry or in liquid)
- Instrument: AmbiValue Eyetech Combi
- Accessories available: mechanical stirrer cell, micro flow cell, dry powder free fall cell
Sedimentation analysis
- Measured properties: particle size distribution in liquid suspensions
- Particle size range: ~100 nm to 300 μm, depending on density
- Measurement principle: gravity-induced settling velocity with X-ray detection
- Instrument: Micromeritics Sedigraph 5120
Surface area analysis equipment
The NMI uses three types of surface area analysis equipment:
Particle surface area measurement (in suspension)
- Measured properties: particle surface area in concentrated liquid suspensions
- Particle size range: 10 nm to 5 µm
- Measurement principle: nuclear magnetic resonance
- Instrument: Xigo Tools Acorn Area
Gas adsorption system for surface area and micropore analysis
- Measured properties: particle surface area and pore size of dry powders
- Particle size range: 1 nm to 5 µm
- Measurement principle: isothermal gas adsorption
- Instrument: Quantachrome Autosorb iQ2
Gas pycnometer
- Measured properties: density of solids, slurries and dry powders
- Measurement principle: a gas displacement method for accurate volume measurements to facilitate apparent specific gravity determination
- Instrument: Micromeritics Accupyc 1340
- Accessories available: multi-volume kit (1, 100 and 350 cm3)
Zeta potential measurement
The NMI uses three types of zeta potential measurement equipment:
Charge titration unit
- Measured properties: particle surface charge
- Particle suspension concentration: 0.1 to 10%
- Measurement principle: streaming current potential
- Instrument: Particle Metrix Stabisizer
Electrophoretic zeta potential measuring system (laser doppler velocimetry)
- Measured properties: zeta potential
- Particle size range: 1 nm to 5 µm
- Measurement principle: electrophoretic mobility
- Instrument: Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS
- Accessories available: multi-purpose auto-titration unit, high concentration zetacell, research version software
Electrophoretic zeta potential measuring system (particle tracking)
- Measured properties: Zeta potential
- Particle size range: 60 nm to 1 µm
- Measurement principle: electrophoretic mobility
- Instrument: Particle Metrix ZetaView
Chemical characterisation
The NMI uses two types of chemical characterisation systems:
Thermo-gravimetric analysis system
- Measured properties: mass and heat flux as a function of temperature or time
- Instrument: Perkin-Elmer STA 6000 TGA/DSC
- Accessories available: TL-8000 heated transfer line for connection to the Frontier MIR FT-IR system
Fourier transform-infra red (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis system
- Measured properties: chemical fingerprinting
- Measurement principle: IR-active vibrations of the covalent bonds of molecules
- Instrument: Perkin-Elmer Frontier MIR FT-IR and Spectrum 10 system
- Accessories available: Frontier Universal Diamond/ZnSe ATR with single reflection top-plate and pressure arm; TL-8000 heated transfer line for connection to the TGA system
Sieves
The NMI uses two types of sieves:
Precision electroform sieves with electromagnetic actuation and ultrasonic processor
- Measured properties: particle classification by size
- Particle size range: 5 to 400 µm
- Measurement principle: wet or dry sieving
- Instrument: Topas GmbH Electromagnetic Sieve Vibrator EMS 755
- Accessories available: Topas Ultrasonic Disintegrator UDS 751, sieves with mesh sizes ranging from 5 µm, 10 µm, 15 µm, 20 µm, 25 µm, 30 µm, 35 µm, 40 µm, 45 µm, 50 µm, 100 µm, 200 µm to 400 µm
Sonic sifter separator stack
- Measured properties: particle classification by size Particle size range: 3 to 150 µm Measurement principle: Wet or dry sieving Instrument: Advantech
- Accessories available: Sieves with mesh sizes ranging from 3 µm, 5 µm, 10 µm, 15 µm, 20 µm, 25 µm, 30 µm, 35 µm, 40 µm, 45 µm, 50 µm, 55 µm, 60 µm, 70 µm, 80 µm, 90 µm, 100 µm, 125 µm to 150 μm
Other measurement equipment
The NMI also uses Vibro viscometers and a digital multi-wavelength refractometer:
Vibro viscometers
- Measured properties: viscosity
- Measurement principle: Tuning fork vibration, resonance frequency
- Instrument: A&D Vibro Viscometer
- Model number(s): SV-10 (minimum measurement volume 10 mL) and SV-A (minimum measurement volume 2 mL)
Digital multi-wavelength refractometer
Schmidt and Haensch
Materials processing equipment
- laboratory centrifuge with swinging buckets (SIGMA)
- bench top centrifuge (Eppendorf minispin)
- rotary sample divider (Fritsch)
- rotary micro riffler (Quantachrome)
- high-intensity ultrasonic processing system with a range of available probes and horns (Misonix S-4000 U)
- ultrasonic bath (Cole-Palmer)
- cytotoxic cabinet
- laminar flow bench
- fume hood
Reference materials
We use a selection of reference materials to qualify and calibrate our measurement instrumentation and methods:
- particle diameter standards (polystyrene latex particle suspensions, gold nanoparticle suspensions and silicon dioxide particle suspensions)
- zeta potential standard
- surface area standards
- step height standards
- pitch length standards
Read more
- Read more about the National Measurement Institute
- Find out more about Australia’s Measurement System
- Learn more about our physical measurement services
Connect with us
Contact us
- Email info@measurement.gov.au
- Phone 1800 020 076
- Write to us at: GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
See also
- Find a NATA certified laboratory to calibrate your instrument or conduct a precision measurement
- Learn about the international measurement standards from the International Bureau of Weights and Measures
- Learn about the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), which supports nanotechnology developments in the advanced manufacturing industry

- National Measurement Institute
Last updated: 8 December 2020
Content ID: 64600