Made to order

Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Dip-Probe DLS Nanoparticle Size Analyzer

With every system

Installation & training on-site setup and DIMENSIONS LS onboarding
Method + sample run a nanoparticle size measurement on your own sample

Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Microtrac Particle Characterization, Particle Size & Shape Analysis

Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Dip-Probe DLS Nanoparticle Size Analyzer

Nanoparticle size from 0.3 nm to 10 µm with a dip-in DLS probe — any vessel, from one drop, up to 40 % concentration, at line or in line.

Size, concentration and molecular weight in one measurement
FlowGuard for stirred and flowing liquids · no cuvettes
Installation and on-site training included · free test measurement
Configured to order · lead time from 4 weeks

Request a formal quotation →

Prices follow supplier cost and stock availability and are updated regularly. The price you see is today's price — once you order, it's held for 7 days.

Installation + training included Free test measurement

0.3 nm–10 µm measuring range

180° backscatter DLS

40% max concentration

~2 µL min sample

Built for nanoparticle R&D teams

What your nano lab actually checks

Dip-and-measure DLS

An external probe turns any vessel — down to one droplet — into a cell, with no cuvettes or consumables. Laser Amplified Detection and a Frequency Power Spectrum model size concentrated (up to 40%), multimodal and reacting samples with no a-priori assumptions and no dilution.

An applications engineer on the line

0.3 nm–10 µm

Measuring range

180°

Backscatter DLS

up to 40%

Concentration

~2 µL

Min sample

20×10⁶ Da

Max mol. weight

About this product

Price

Quoted to your configuration

The price depends on the accessories your measurements need — above all the FlowGuard for in-situ work in stirred or flowing liquids — and on whether you combine the FLEX with a STABINO ZETA for size and charge in the same sample. You receive a formal quotation on our letterhead with configuration, price, payment terms and lead time: the document your purchasing department asks for. Installation and on-site operator training are included in every quotation. Lead time from 4 weeks, depending on the configuration; the quotation gives the date.

What you configure

NANOTRAC FLEX base unit with fixed external probe — 180° backscatter, 780 nm, 3 mW laser
FlowGuard cap for measurements in stirred or flowing liquids, in reaction vessels or pipes
DIMENSIONS LS software — five workspaces, multi-user, extensive data export
Combination with the STABINO ZETA: the FLEX probe fits into its measuring cell
Installation and on-site operator training — included in every quotation

Next stepRequest a formal quotation

The test measurement of your sample is free: you get the size report and we go through it with you before you decide.

0.3 nm – 10 µmSize range by 180° backscatter DLS

One drop and upAny vessel is the sample cell — no cuvettes, no consumables

Up to 40 %Sample concentration, sample dependent

At line, in lineParticle growth followed during a reaction

What the NANOTRAC FLEX is

The NANOTRAC FLEX is a dynamic light scattering analyzer from Microtrac whose complete optical bench sits in an external probe. You bring the probe to the sample — a drop on its tip, a 1.5 mL Eppendorf tube, a beaker or a reaction vessel — so there are no cuvettes and no consumables. Laser light reflected at the probe’s sapphire window mixes with the light the particles scatter back at 180°. This Laser Amplified Detection gives up to 10⁶ times the signal-to-noise ratio of photon correlation spectroscopy, and a frequency power spectrum calculation returns narrow, broad, mono- and multimodal distributions without prior knowledge of the sample. Besides particle size it reports concentration and molecular weight.

Specifications

Method	backscattered laser-amplified scattering reference method
Calculation model	FFT power spectrum
Measurement angle	180°
Measuring range	0.3 nm – 10 µm
Sample cell	external probe (in situ)
Sample volume	one drop to any volume
Sample concentration	up to 40 % (sample dependent)
Concentration measurement	yes
Molecular weight range	<300 Da to 20 × 10⁶ Da
Zeta potential	no — in combination with the STABINO ZETA
At line / in line measurement	yes
Temperature range	+4 to +90 °C, accuracy ±0.1 °C
Reproducibility (size)	≤ 1 %
Carrier fluids	water, polar and non-polar organic solvents, acid and base
Laser	780 nm, 3 mW
Humidity	90 % non-condensing
Dimensions (W × H × D)	180 × 300 × 260 mm (7.1 × 11.8 × 10.2 in)
Installation and training	on site, included in every quotation
Lead time	from 4 weeks, depending on configuration

Download: NANOTRAC FLEX datasheet (PDF) · NANOTRAC series brochure (PDF)

What it tells you about a nanoparticle sample

One measurement at one angle, and several answers from it:

Size distribution	narrow, broad, mono- or multimodal — with no cumulants, NNLS or CONTIN to choose
Growth during a reaction	particle size followed at line or in line, with the FlowGuard in stirred or flowing liquid
Molecular weight	by Debye plot; the second virial coefficient shows whether molecules tend to aggregate
Concentration	measured together with size
Contaminated samples	Laser Amplified Detection is unaffected by signal aberrations from contaminants, so samples need not be filtered first

In a Microtrac application note the NANOTRAC FLEX measured dextran and polyethylene oxide at four concentrations and calculated molecular weights of 33,000 Da and 80,100 Da, with the mean diameter constant across the series.

In another, a FLEX probe inside a STABINO ZETA followed a CBD nanoemulsion from 330 nm down to 168 nm over five microfluidizer passes, then showed the size rising as the zeta potential reached zero during titration.

Three ways to measure

A single dropWhen sample is scarce, the probe measures one droplet on its tip. It is quick to clean between samples of any kind.

Dip into any vesselEppendorf tube, vial or beaker: the container you prepared or synthesized the sample in becomes the measurement cell. The opening has to be wider than 1 cm for the probe to go in.

In stirred or flowing liquidThe FlowGuard cap shields the measurement surface from turbulent flow while an orifice keeps the sample exchanging, so the size you measure represents the liquid outside the cap.

Where the NANOTRAC FLEX stops — and what to take instead

The NANOTRAC FLEX measures size, concentration and molecular weight — not zeta potential. For size and zeta potential in one benchtop instrument, take the NANOTRAC WAVE II; for charge titration, put the FLEX probe into a STABINO ZETA, which then measures size and charge in the same sample. In a stirred or flowing liquid you need the FlowGuard, because the motion of the liquid otherwise hides the Brownian motion DLS relies on. Above 10 µm, laser diffraction is the method — see the BLUEWAVE or the SYNC. To follow how a concentrated formulation separates over days, look at the TURBISCAN LAB.

In pictures

Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX dynamic light scattering nanoparticle size analyzer — The NANOTRAC FLEX — dip-and-measure DLS for nanoparticles from 0.3 nm to 10 µm.

NANOTRAC FLEX dynamic light scattering functional principle with external probe — DLS functional principle — 180° backscatter through the external probe.

NANOTRAC FLEX iterative particle size calculation from frequency power spectrum — Frequency Power Spectrum — iterative sizing, no a-priori assumptions.

NANOTRAC FLEX external DLS dip probe measures directly in any vessel — The fixed external probe — dip it into any vessel, from an Eppendorf tube to a reaction flask.

Availability, payment and delivery

Built to orderEach instrument is configured with the accessories for your samples and process. Lead time is from 4 weeks after a confirmed order, depending on the configuration; the quotation states the date in writing.

How you payAsk for a formal quotation on our letterhead and pay against an invoice. We are registered in SAM.gov as a small business, so federal and university purchasing works the usual way.

What arrivesThe NANOTRAC FLEX with its external probe, the accessories you ordered and DIMENSIONS LS software. Installation and on-site operator training are included in every quotation and carried out by Microtrac’s US service engineers.

Why buy it through Additive Plus

Authorized Microtrac resellerQuotation, order and delivery handled by one team in California

Installation and training includedSet up on site and your team trained on method development, size, concentration and molecular weight — part of every quotation

Free test measurementSend a sample and decide with the size report in hand

What usually stops people — and the honest answer

“Cuvettes and alignment cost us time.”There are none. The probe goes into the container you already use, so there is no transfer, no cuvette to break or clean and no alignment between measurements.

“Our samples are concentrated.”Up to 40 % concentration, depending on the sample. The 180° backscatter at the probe window keeps the light path short, so heavy dilution is usually not needed.

“We want to watch a synthesis, not a sample taken from it.”With the FlowGuard the probe measures in stirred or flowing liquid, at line or in line, and follows particle growth during the reaction.

“We also need zeta potential.”Combine the FLEX with a STABINO ZETA for size and charge in the same sample, or choose the NANOTRAC WAVE II, which measures both in one benchtop instrument.

Ready when you are

Request a formal quotation

Brand	Microtrac
Country of origin	USA
Measurement principle	Backscattered laser-amplified scattering reference method
Measuring range	0.3 nm - 10 µm
Calculation Model	FFT power spectrum
Measurement angle	180°
Sample cell	External probe (in situ)
Zeta potential analysis	no
Molecular weight measurement	yes
Molecular weight range	<300 Da -> 20 x 10^6 Da
Temperature range	+4°C - +90°C
Temperature accuracy	± 0.1°C
At line / in line measurement	yes
Reproducibility (size)	=< 1%
Sample volume size measurement	one drop – ∞
Concentration measurement	yes
Sample concentration	up to 40 % (sample dependent)
Carrier fluids	Water, polar and unpolar organic solvents, acid and base
Laser	780 nm, 3 mW
Humidity	90 % non-condensing
Dimensions (W x H x D)	7×11.8×10.2 in / 180×300×260 mm

Download Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Nanoparticle Size Analyzer brochure

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Download Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Nanoparticle Size Analyzer Application Note brochure

pdf · 392 KB

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Download Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Nanoparticle Size Analyzer Product Info brochure

pdf · 887 KB

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Product videos

What our customers say

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Common questions

Don't see yours? Email [email protected] — NDA on request, typical reply within 4 hours.

What size range does the NANOTRAC FLEX measure?

The NANOTRAC FLEX measures from 0.3 nm to 10 µm by 180° backscatter dynamic light scattering. Besides size it reports concentration and molecular weight (below 300 Da up to 20×10⁶ Da), and it handles monomodal and multimodal distributions without prior knowledge of the sample.

How does the dip probe work — do I need cuvettes?

No cuvettes and no consumables. The complete optical bench is in a fixed external probe that you dip into the sample, so any vessel becomes the measurement cell — a 1.5 mL Eppendorf tube, a beaker, or a single droplet on the probe tip. The vessel opening has to be wider than 1 cm for the probe to go in. The probe is quick to clean between samples.

Can it measure concentrated samples?

Yes, up to 40 % concentration, depending on the sample. The 180° backscatter geometry with Laser Amplified Detection makes that possible, which matters when dilution would change the particle interactions you want to characterize.

Can the NANOTRAC FLEX monitor a reaction in situ?

Yes. The probe can be used at line or in line to follow particle growth during a reaction. In a stirred or flowing dispersion the liquid motion would hide the Brownian motion DLS relies on, so the FlowGuard cap shields the measurement surface from turbulent flow while an orifice keeps the sample exchanging.

How is it different from Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (PCS)?

The NANOTRAC FLEX uses a frequency power spectrum (FPS) calculation instead of PCS. It needs no a priori information to fit narrow, broad, mono- or multimodal distributions, and Laser Amplified Detection gives up to 10⁶ times the signal-to-noise ratio of PCS. It is also unaffected by signal aberrations from contaminants, which PCS instruments handle by filtering the sample or building complicated methods.

Does the NANOTRAC FLEX measure zeta potential?

No. The NANOTRAC FLEX measures size, concentration and molecular weight. For zeta potential, the NANOTRAC WAVE II adds it to DLS sizing in one benchtop instrument, and the STABINO ZETA measures streaming-potential zeta with titration — with the FLEX probe placed in its measuring cell, you get size and charge in the same sample.

Which liquids can it measure in?

Water, polar and non-polar organic solvents, acids and bases. The probe is stainless steel, and Microtrac describes the FLEX as having universal solvent compatibility.

How much does a NANOTRAC FLEX cost?

The price depends on the configuration — accessories such as the FlowGuard and whether you combine it with a STABINO ZETA. Request a formal quotation and you receive configuration, price, payment terms and lead time on our letterhead. Installation and on-site operator training are included in every quotation.

Can I test my sample before buying?

Yes, and the test measurement is free. Send a representative sample; it is measured in Microtrac's US application lab and you receive the size report, which we go through with you before you decide.

What is the lead time, and what comes with the NANOTRAC FLEX?

The NANOTRAC FLEX is configured to order. Lead time is from 4 weeks after a confirmed order, depending on the configuration, and the formal quotation states the date. Installation and on-site operator training by Microtrac's US service engineers are included in every quotation.

Place your order, or talk to an engineer first

Order Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Dip-Probe DLS Nanoparticle Size Analyzer direct, or talk to materials engineer

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Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Dip-Probe DLS Nanoparticle Size Analyzer

What your nano lab actually checks

Dip-and-measure DLS

An applications engineer on the line

What the NANOTRAC FLEX is

Specifications

What it tells you about a nanoparticle sample

Three ways to measure

Where the NANOTRAC FLEX stops — and what to take instead

In pictures

Availability, payment and delivery

Why buy it through Additive Plus

What usually stops people — and the honest answer

Ready when you are

Download Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Nanoparticle Size Analyzer brochure

Download Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Nanoparticle Size Analyzer Application Note brochure

Download Microtrac NANOTRAC FLEX Nanoparticle Size Analyzer Product Info brochure

Product videos

We run this lab daily. Send a sample.

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What our customers say

Common questions

Place your order, or talk to an engineer first