INTRODUCTION Equivalent Diameter is sometimes defined as the

diameter of a sphere of equal volume.

Particle Technology
- used to describe physical and mechanical PARTICLE SIZE
procedures occurring individually or parallel to The diameter of an equivalent sphere having the same
chem rxns. property as the actual particle
-​ science and technology related to the handling
and processing of particles. Coarse - in or mm
-​ “Powdered” Fine - screen size
Very fine - microm or nanom
Used in: Ultra fine - surface area per unit mass (m2/g)
a.​ Physical steps of preparing reactants
b.​ Separating and purifying products SCREENING ANALYSIS
c.​ Recycling unconverted reactants
Screening - Separating a mixture of various size of
MECHANICAL UNIT OPERATIONS particles into two or more portions
o Gravitational force
o Centrifugal force -​ accomplished by passing a crushed material
o Mechanical and kinetic forces arising from flow through a surface provided with openings of
desired size
Mechanical Unit Operations -​ A set of standard screens arranged serially in a
-​ Solid solid operations (crushing, grinding, stack, with the smallest mesh at the bottom and
sieving, compactin, storage, transport) the largest one at the top
-​ Solid fluid operations (filtration, sedimentation,
centrifugation, flotation, cyclone separators)
PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION
Particles can be: bulk, particulate and granular PSD of the original mixture may be very broad, whereas
each separated fraction’s PSD will be very narrow
Particle technology can be: liquid drops, emulsions and
bubbles, solid particles Screens - Screening equipment may take the form of
stationary or moving bars, punched with metal plate,
Characterization of Solid particles woven wire mesh, sieves, etc.
-​ Size, shape, density
Aperture - Space between the individual wires of the
Why measure particle properties? screen, square in shape

• Better control of quality of product Mesh number - applied to the number of apertures per
• Better understanding of products linear inch
and ingredients/raw materials.
• Designing of equipment for M (A+D) = 1”
different operations
SIZE FRACTIONS REPRESENTATION in SCREENING
PARTICLE SHAPE Average Dimension
- average size of crushed material which has passed
SPHERICITY - ratio of surface area through one screen and retained on a screen having
of sphere of same volume as particle smaller opening
to the surface area of the particle.
Oversize/Plus Material
If sphere = 1 - Material that retain on the screening surface

Crushed materials = 0.6 < 0 < 0.8 Undersize/Minus Material

Abrasion Materials = O < 0.95 - Material that passes through the screening surface
 A.​ Dry Screening - the treatment of a material Screen Capacity
containing a natural amount of moisture or a
material that has been dried before screening. A.​ If a low efficiency or effectiveness may be
B.​ Wet Screening - an operation when water is tolerated, then screen may be operated at high
added to the material being treated for the capacity In dry screening, the greater the
purpose of washing fine material through the amount of moisture or dampness in any
screen particular material , the lower is the capacity of
screen
SCREENING B.​ Ratio of the open area of the screen to the total
area is an important factor in determining its
Tyler Screen Series - screen standards capacity
C.​ Tons of feed per square foot of screen area per
A.​ This set of screens is based on the opening of millimeter of screen aperture per 24 hrs
the 200- mesh screen, which is established at
0.074mm SIZE REDUCTION (Comminution)
B.​ The area of the openings in any one screen in
the series is exactly twice that of the openings in Size reduction of solids for a variety of purposes is a
the next smaller screen common requirement in many material processing
C.​ For closer sizing, intermediate screens are industries.
available
-​ deformation of solids until they break or tear
Screen Analysis of Non-Uniform Mixture -​ generally accomplished by applying diverse
forces
Differential Analysis - fractional -​ Energy efficiency of operation can be related to
A.​ Samples of particles having various size and new surface formed by size reduction
densities, mixture is divided into fraction
B.​ Each fraction is of constant density and Common Applications
approximately constant size
C.​ Each fraction is then weighed, or the individual -​ Commercial requirements to meet specific size
particles and shape
-​ Reduced particle size increases the
Cumulative Analysis reactivity of solids
A.​ Obtained by consecutively adding individual
increments starting with that containing smallest Forces may involve:
particles; and A.​ Compressions (coarse reduction, fines)
B.​ Plotting cumulative sums against the maximum B.​ Impact (medium reduction)
particle diameter in the increment C.​ Attrition or rubbing (fine pulverization)
D.​ Cutting (defined size and shape particles)
Screen Effectiveness
Rittinger’s Law
Method 1: It is based on both “the recovery in the -​ This law implies that the same energy required
product of desired material in the feed” and “the rejection to produce a material from 100 mm to 50 mm is
from the product of the undesired material in the feed” needed to reduce the same material from 50
mm to 33.3 mm.
Method 2: This method overcome the issue of method 1 -​ Efficiencies of about 0.1-2%
not being practical in continuous process by expressing
effectiveness from analysis of samples alone by material Kick’s Law
balance -​ This law implies that the same energy required
to produce a material from 100 m to 50 mm as is
Method 3: It is based on the product of recovery and required to reduce the same material from 50
enrichment mm to 25 mm
Bond’s Law Stage in Agglomeration Rate Processes
-​ This law postulates that the required work to
form particles of size D from a very large feed Nucleation - fresh particles are formed by attrition
inversely proportional to the square root of the Layering - Material is deposited in the surfaces of the
surface to volume ratio of product nuclei
Coalescence - Increase in particle size but not in the
Work Index total mass of particles
-​ The gross energy requirement in kilowatt-hour Attrition - Degradation and formation of small particles
per ton of feed needed to reduce a very large
feed to such a size that 80% of the product MOTION OF PARTICLES THROUGH FLUIDS
passes a 100 micrometer screens
-​ Power achieved is the power -​ Elimination of dust and fumes from air or flue
gas
-​ Removal of solid from liquid wastes
SIZE ENLARGEMENT -​ Recovery of acid mists from the waste gas of an
acid plant
Why?
-​ Fine particles are difficult to handle and in bulk
they do not flow readily Movement of a particle through a stationary fluid
-​ Finer particles, the greater is their specific requires an external force acting on the particle
surface
-​ Flowability of particulate systems can be Density difference between the particle and the fluid; or it
improved by use of glidants may be the result of electric or magnetic fields

GLIDANTS - Fine powders which are capable of Particle Dynamics

reducing interparticle friction by forming surface layers -​ When a solid particle falls in a liquid, the study of
on the particles change in its velocity with time, when different
forces are acting on it
-​ Fine particles may be difficult to discharge from
hoppers The slow fluid flow is called STREAMLINE or LAMINAR
-​ Although such problems can be minimized by FLOW whereas, in fast motion, fluid particles cross and
vibration or by mechanical stirring, it is very re-cross the streamline and the motion is called
difficult to overcome them entirely TURBULENT FLOW.
-​ Fine particles may also give rise to serious
environmental and health problems Forces acting on a particle moving through a Fluid
-​ It may be noted that particular health hazard
imposed by asbestos is largely associated with A.​ External forces
the size and shape of particles B.​ Buoyant forces
C.​ Drag force - Acts to oppose the motion and acts
Size enlargement - any process whereby small parallel with the direction of movement but in
particles are agglomerated or otherwise brought opposite direction
together into larger, relatively permanent masses in
which original particles can still be distinguished Dynamics of a Particle
1.​ Terminal Settling Velocity
AGGLOMERATION METHODS 2.​ Hindered Settling Velocity

Granulation or agitative Terminal Settling Velocity - a particle falling under the

action of gravity will accelerate until the drag force
Sintering - agglomeration induced by heat balances gravitational force

Compaction or compressive - processes where the -​ Gravity: downward force

mixture of particulate matter is fed to a compression -​ Buoyancy
device which promotes agglomeration due to pressure -​ Frictional Resistance
Hindered Settling Velocity - what occurs when particles Factors that Affect Sedimentation Process
are crowded and surrounding particles interfere with the
motion of the individual particles DENSITY
The greater the density of the particles, the faster the
SEDIMENTATION particles to settle

Sedimentation - separation of a suspension or a slurry SIZE

into a clear liquid, lying above a solid residue. The larger the particles are, the faster they settle

It consists of a thick sludge containing a high TEMPERATURE

concentration of solids. The lower the temperature of the water is, the higher the
viscosity, so the slower the particles to settle
Effectively used in water treatment process where
suspended solids from water is removed using gravity TURBULENCE
The more turbulent the flow, the slower the particles
Solid particles entrained by the turbulence of moving settle
water may be removed naturally by sedimentation in the
still water of lakes and oceans STABILITY
Instability can result in a short- circuit flow, influencing
Slurry the settling of particles
-​ Clarified liquid
-​ Smaller particles BOTTOM SCOUR
-​ Larger particles Settled particles are re- suspended and washed out with
effluent
Sedimentor
FLOCCULATION
A.​ Thickener - if the concentrated sludge is desired Form larger particles and increases settling velocity
B.​ Clarifier - if clear liquid is desired
Gravity Sedimentation

In potable water: 1.​ Produce a clarified effluent

Sedimentation is employed in potable water treatment 2.​ Produce a highly concentrated solid sludge
where coagulation and flocculation are generally used. stream

Smaller particles are grouped together into flocs of Batch Sedimentation

bigger size.
-​ Susceptibility assessment of a suspension to a
In wastewater treatment: full scale separation installation
The primary treatment of sewage is removal of floating -​ Test: A sample of slurry is taken in a cylinder
and settleable solids as well as the pollutant embedded and will be kept under observation
in the suspended solids through sedimentation. -​ The test will be conducted under isothermal
conditions since temperature variations can
Advantages cause free convection currents in the medium
● Excellent Reproducibility
A: Zone Settling ​
Disadvantages B: Clarified Zone​
● Cannot be used for emulsions or very dense materials C: Transition Zone
that settle quickly D: Compression Zone
● Depends on the ambient temperature that affect
viscosity
● Orientation of non-spherical particles also influences
the results
● Cannot be used for mixtures of different densities.