7.0 Particle Size Analysis 26.04.2020

MT 221/MT 321/DMT 311: 7.
0 Particle Size Analysis 2020
7.0 Particle Size Analysis

Size analysis is one of the most important and widely utilised laboratory test procedures. Due to the importance of size
analysis, it is essential that the methods employed are accurate and reliable, as important changes in plant operation may be
made based on the results of laboratory tests. Since only relatively small amounts of material are used in the sizing tests it is
essential that the sample is representative of the bulk material and the same care should be taken over sampling for size
analysis as for assay sampling.
7.1 Test Sieving

Test sieving is the most widely used method of particle size analysis (BS1377: pt. 2:1990 method 9.3 for dry sieve analysis).
It covers a very wide range of particle size with the -10 cm +10 𝜇m range being the one of the most industrial importance. So
common is test sieving as a method of size analysis that particles finer than about 75 microns are often referred to as being
in the “sub-sieve” range, although wet sieving (BS1377: pt.2:1990 method 9.2 for wet sieve analysis) and/or micro-sieving
methods allow sizing to be carried out down to 5 microns but with difficulty.
Figure 1.0 Sieves
Test sieves are made from mild steel, brass or stainless steel and are commonly circular in shape with a diameter of 200 mm.
Wire-cloth screens are woven to produce nominally uniform square apertures with required tolerances, but sieves made of
perforated plates with round or square holes are available, particularly at larger sizes. Micromesh sieves are available down
to a 5𝜇m aperture size. These are made by electro-plating nickel and have a closer tolerance than woven wire sieves. The
thickness of the wire used in woven screens and the size of the apertures have now been standardised by international
agreement. Until recently this type of sieve was designated by a mesh number - equivalent to the number of wires (or
apertures) per linear inch. It had the disadvantage that different wire thicknesses led to different mesh numbers and aperture
sizes. Sieve size is now generally designated by a metric system defined by the size of an aperture in millimetres or microns.
7.2 Test procedure

Sieve analysis is one of the oldest methods of size analysis and is accomplished by passing a known weight of sample
material successively through finer sieves and weighing the amount collected on each sieve to determine the percentage
weight in each size fraction. Sieving may be undertaken using wet or dry materials, and the sieves used are usually agitated
to expose all the particles to the sieve openings. The range of sieves chosen is often easier with experience and, ideally,
should be such that approximately 5% of the material is retained on the coarsest sieve while approximately 5% passes the
finest aperture. This is not always possible, particularly with fine material. Sieving is complicated when applied to irregularly
shaped particles, by the fact that a specific particle with a size near that of the nominal aperture size of the test sieve m ay
pass the apertures only when presented in a favourable position, the separation of these “near-size” particles is a gradual
process, rarely reaching completion. The sieving process can also be complicated by irregularities in aperture size and
possible „blinding‟, or obstruction of the sieve apertures by fine particles. After appropriate agitation, typically 20 min for
material at 45 microns or finer the stack or “nest” of sieves is split, and each fraction retained is brushed off and weighed.
However, the agitation process should be continued until no significant amounts of material pass through the sieves. Care is
needed with the finer sieves (below 125 microns) as the meshes are delicate!
Leonard Kabondo Page 1 of 3
MT 221/MT 321/DMT 311: 7.0 Particle Size Analysis 2020
The general procedures for test sieving are comprehensively covered in BS 1796. Machine sieving is almost universally used,
as hand sieving is long and tedious, and its accuracy and precision depends to a large extent on the operator. Sieves can be
procured in a range of diameters, depending on the particle size and mass of material to be sieved. The sieves chosen for
the test are arranged in a stack with the coarsest sieve on the top and the finest at the bottom. A tight-fitting pan is placed
below the bottom sieve to receive the final undersize, and a lid is placed on top of the coarsest sieve to prevent escape of the
sample. The material to be tested is placed in the uppermost, coarsest sieve, and the stack is then placed in a sieve shaker
which vibrates the material in a vertical plane, and on some models, a horizontal plane. The duration of screening can be
controlled by an automatic timer. During the shaking, the undersize material falls through successive sieves until it is retained
on a sieve having apertures which are slightly smaller than the diameter of the articles. In this way the sample is separated
into size fractions. After the required time, the stack is taken apart and the amount of material retained on each sieve weighed.
Wet sieving can be used on material already in form of slurry, or it may be necessary for powders which form aggregates
when dry-sieved.
7.3 Laboratory session

Equipment - Riffle box, appropriate 200 mm diameter test sieves, lab scales accurate to 0.1 g and brush.
Dry sieve analysis Procedure

1. Take a representative sub- sample from the bulk sample of 100-300 g by means of a riffle box
2. Record the initial weight
3. Prepare a suitable sieve rack from coarse at the top to fine at the bottom. Attach the pan to the bottom of the sieve
rack. (e.g. 710 𝜇m, 500 𝜇m, 355 𝜇m, 250 𝜇m, 180 𝜇m, 125 𝜇m, 90 𝜇m, 63 𝜇m, 45 𝜇m sieves).
4. Transfer the representative sub-sample to the top sieve and cover and agitate on a sieving machine for 10-30 minutes.
5. Brush out the sieves one by one (note. Care is needed with the sieves below 125 𝜇m) and record the weights of each
size fraction retained.
6. Tabulate the results to show cumulative % mass, based on the sum of the fractional weights. (n.b. A discrepancy of
more than 1 % between the initial mass and the sum of the fractional masses, i.e. a loss of more than 1 g / 100 g)
constitutes an unacceptable experimental error.
7. Plot cumulative % undersize/passing against sieve aperture.
7.3.1 Presentation of results

The results of particle size analysis are most commonly tabulated. There are a number of standard methods of displaying
data; Table 1 shows the three most convenient methods.
Sieve size Particle size Wt (g) Wt Nominal Cum (%) Cum (%)
range (µm) (µm) (%) aperture size Retained Passing
(µm)
+250 0.02 0.1 250 0.1 99.9
-250 +180 212 1.32 2.9 180 3.0 97
-180 +125 150 4.23 9.5 125 12.5 87.5
-125 + 90 106 9.44 21.2 90 33.7 66.3
-90 + 63 75 13.10 29.4 63 63.1 36.9
-63 + 45 53 11.56 26.0 45 89.1 10.9
-45 4.87 10.9 100.0 0
44.54 100.0
1. The sieve size ranges used in the test.

2. The weight of material in each size range, e.g. 1.32 g of material passed through the 250µm sieve but was retained on
the180 µm sieve: the material therefore is in the size range -250 to + 180 µm.
MT 221/MT 321/DMT 311: 7.0 Particle Size Analysis 2020
3. The weight of material in each size range expressed as a percentage of the total weight.
4. The nominal aperture sizes of the sieves used in the test.
5. The cumulative percentage of material passing through the sieves, e.g. 87.5 % of the material is less than 125µm in
size.
6. The cumulative percentage of material retained on the sieves.
7.3.2 Graphical Presentation of results

The results of a sieving test should always be plotted graphically to enable information to be obtained at intermediate size
and percentages and permits any particular significance of size distribution to be seen. There are many different ways of
recording the results, the most common being that of plotting cumulative undersize (or oversize) against particle. It is not
necessary to plot both cumulative oversize and undersize curves as they are mirror images of each other.
Figure 2.0 Efficiency curve
The use of the semi-log plot spreads out the points at the finer end of the scale enabling much easier interpolation and
interpretation. The most useful aspect, from a mineral processing view point, is the mass percentage passing a given particle
size. This is often important in the monitoring of grinding circuits where, for either efficiency or energy consumption reasons,
it is important neither to under-grind nor overgrind. The “mesh of grind” of the system is usually quoted as one point on the
cumulative undersize curve - often the 80 % passing size. A valuable quantity which can be determined from such curves is
the "median size of the sample. This refers to the mid-point in the size distribution -50 % of the particles are smaller than this
size and 50 % are larger. Special log-log graph paper exists and is sometimes useful for plotting cumulative undersize curves
where it tends to straighten out the characteristic curve to allow more reliable extrapolation at either end.

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MT 221/MT 321/DMT 311: 7.

0 Particle Size Analysis 2020

7.0 Particle Size Analysis

7.1 Test Sieving

Figure 1.0 Sieves

7.2 Test procedure

7.3 Laboratory session

Dry sieve analysis Procedure

7.3.1 Presentation of results

1. The sieve size ranges used in the test.

7.3.2 Graphical Presentation of results

Figure 2.0 Efficiency curve

Leonard Kabondo Page 3 of 3

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