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Particle Size Analysis

The document discusses particle size analysis and describes various methods for characterizing particles and particle size distributions. It defines common particle shapes and statistical diameters used for measurement. It also summarizes how particle size distributions can be expressed in terms of number, surface area, mass, or volume and how different distributions are related. Common methods for describing overall particle size populations like the mode, median, and various means are also outlined.

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Charlene Pelecio Subingsubing
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103 views31 pages

Particle Size Analysis

The document discusses particle size analysis and describes various methods for characterizing particles and particle size distributions. It defines common particle shapes and statistical diameters used for measurement. It also summarizes how particle size distributions can be expressed in terms of number, surface area, mass, or volume and how different distributions are related. Common methods for describing overall particle size populations like the mode, median, and various means are also outlined.

Uploaded by

Charlene Pelecio Subingsubing
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS

Engr. Vera Marie L. Lanaria

ChE Department, CIT University


DESCRIBING THE SIZE OF A SINGLE
PARTICLE
Regular-shaped particle can be described by giving the shape and
number of dimensions.
Sphere - radius
Cube - side length
Cylinder - radius and height
Cuboid - three side lengths
Cone - radius and height
Some common diameters used in microscope analysis are
statistical diameters.
Martin’s diameter – refers to the length of the line which bisects
the particle image.
Feret’s diameter – refers to the distance between two tangents
on opposite sides of the particle.
Shear diameter – refers to particle width obtained using an
image shearing device.
Equivalent circle diameter – is the projected area diameter
(area of circle with the same area as the projected area of the
particle resting in a stable position.)
• If sieving is used to measure the particle size, then an equivalent
sphere diameter (which is the diameter of a sphere passing
through the same sieve aperture).

• If sedimentation technique is used, then particle size is


expressed as a diameter of a sphere having the same
sedimentation velocity under the same conditions
• In practice it is important to use the method of size measurement which directly gives
the particle size which is relevant to the situation or process of interest.
DESCRIPTION OF POPULATIONS OF
PARTICLES

• A population of particles is described by a particle size


distribution.
• It can be expressed as frequency distribution curve or
cumulative curves.
• If the cumulative distribution is denoted by: F
Then the frequency distribution is: dF/dx
For simplicity, dF/dx is often written as (x)
• The distribution can be by: number, surface, mass or volume
(where particle density does not vary with size, the mass
distribution is the same as the volume distribution).
• Therefore: N(x) – is the frequency distribution by number
S(x) – is the frequency distribution by surface
FS – is the cumulative distribution by surface
FM – is the cumulative distribution by mass
CONVERSION BETWEEN DISTRIBUTIONS
• Relating size distributions by number, N(x), and by surface, S(x) for a
population of particles having the same geometric shape but different size:
• Fraction of particles in the size range: x to x + dx = N(x)dx
• Fraction of the total surface of particles in the size range:
x to x + dx = S(x)dx
If N is the total number of particles in the population, the number of
particles in the size range x to x + dx = NN(x)dx; the surface area of these
particles = (x2S)NN(x)dx, where S is the factor relating the linear
dimension of the particle to its surface area.
• The constants kS, kV, and km may be found by using the fact that:
∞
‫׬‬0 𝑓 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 1
• Thus, when converting between distributions it is necessary to
make assumptions about the constancy of shape and density
with size.
• Since these assumptions may not be valid, the conversions are
likely to be an error.
• So, conversions between distributions are to be avoided
wherever possible.
DESCRIBING THE POPULATION BY A
SINGLE NUMBER
Options to describe the particle size of a population:
• Mode
• Median
• Means
- arithmetic
- geometric
- quadratic
- harmonic
MODE

• Refers to the most frequently occurring size of the sample


• However, for the same sample, different modes would be
obtained for distributions by number, surface, and volume.
• It has no practical significance as a measure of central
tendency and so is rarely used in practice.
MEDIAN

• It is easily obtained from the cumulative distribution as the


50% size; the size which splits the distribution into two equal
parts.
• Since median is easily determined, it is often used.
• However, it has no special significance as a measure of
central tendency of particle size.
MEANS
• According to Svarovsky (1990), means have many different
meanings.
• However, they can all be described by:

g(x) = but = 1
1
thus, g(x) = ‫׬‬0 𝑔 𝑥 𝑑𝐹
where: x is the mean and g is the weighting function, which is
different for each mean definition
DEFINITIONS OF MEANS

g(x) Mean and Notation

x arithmetic mean, 𝑥𝑎

x2 quadratic mean, 𝑥𝑞

x3 cubic mean, 𝑥𝑐

Log x geometric mean, 𝑥𝑔

1/x Harmonic mean, 𝑥ℎ


• Each mean can be shown to conserve two properties of the
original population of particles.
• Like the arithmetic mean of the surface distribution conserves
the surface and volume of the original population. This mean is
commonly referred to as the surface-volume mean or the Sauter
mean.
• The arithmetic mean of the number distribution, 𝑥𝑎𝑁 conserves
the number and length of the original population and is known
as the number-length mean, 𝑥𝑁𝐿 .

number-length mean, = =
• The quadratic mean of the number distribution 𝑥𝑞𝑁
conserves the number and surface of the original population
and is known as the number-surface mean 𝑥𝑁𝑆 2.

number-surface mean, = =
EQUIVALENCE OF MEANS

• Means of different distributions can be equivalent.


• Example, the arithmetic mean of a surface distribution is
equivalent (numerically equal to) the harmonic mean of a volume
(or mass) distribution.

arithmetic mean of a surface distribution, =


harmonic mean 𝑥ℎ𝑉 of a volume distribution is defined as:

From the two equations, the relationship between surface and


volume distribution is:
𝑘𝑉
𝑑𝐹𝑉 = x 𝑑𝐹𝑆
𝑘𝑆
𝛼𝑉 𝑁 𝛼𝑆 𝑁
where: 𝑘𝑉 = and 𝑘𝑆 =
𝑉 𝑆

(V = total volume of pop. and S = total surface area of pop.)


Hence,

= =

(assuming 𝑘𝑆 and 𝑘𝑉 do not vary with size)

and so =

which, by inspection, can be seen to be equivalent to the


arithmetic mean of the surface distribution 𝑥𝑎𝑆 .
• Recalling that 𝑑𝐹𝑆 = 𝑥 2 𝑘𝑆 𝑑𝐹𝑁 , then

which is the surface-volume mean 𝑥𝑆𝑉 .


SUMMARIZING

The surface-volume mean may be calculated as the arithmetic


mean of the surface distribution or the harmonic mean of the
volume distribution.

(The practical significance of the equivalence of means is that


it permits useful means to be calculated easily from a single
size analysis.)
COMMON METHODS OF DISPLAYING SIZE
DISTRIBUTIONS

• Arithmetic-normal Distribution

• Log-normal Distribution
ARITHMETIC-
NORMAL
DISTRIBUTION
- Particles sizes with equal
differences from the arithmetic
mean occur with equal frequency.
- Mathematically:
𝑑𝐹 1 −(𝑥 −𝑥∗)2
= exp
𝑑𝑥 𝜎 2𝜋 2𝜎 2

where σ is standard deviation


LOG-NORMAL
DISTRIBUTION
- This is more common for
naturally occurring particle
populations.
- Mathematically:

= exp

where: z = log x
METHODS OF PARTICLE SIZE
MEASUREMENT

• Sieving
• Microscopy
• Sedimentation
• Permeametry
• Electrozone sensing
• Laser diffraction
SAMPLING

Two golden rules of sampling:


(1)The powder should be in motion when sampled.
(2)The whole of the moving stream should be taken
for many short time increments.

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