Particle Technology

Professor Richard Holdich

R.G.Holdich@Lboro.ac.uk

Watch this lecture at

http://www.vimeo.com/9936959.
Also visit;
http://www.midlandit.co.uk/particletechnology.htm
for further resources.
Format

 1 Lecture per week,

 1 Problem Class – tutorials & self study
 1 hour on: Moodle/Learn – tutorials & self
study
 Laboratories (oral, report & experimental)
 Two hour exam (75% module mark)
Exam

 Two hour exam

 3 questions from 5
 Question 1 obligatory PSD
 Previous answers old papers on Learn
 Tutorial problems (& book on:
www.particles.org.uk)
Lecture topics

 Particles &  Membranes & colloids

Characterisation  Emulsions, surfaces &
 Dilute particulate dispersions
systems  Centrifugal separation
 Hindered systems  Two phase flow,
 Fluid flow in porous rheology & powders
media/Fluidisation  Gas cleaning
 Filtration  Comminution & mixing
Problem Classes

See:
 http://learn.lboro.ac.uk/
 www.particles.org.uk
 References:
• 614.83, 620.43, 621.54, 660.283 & 660.2842
• Coulson & Richardson Vol 2;
• Fundamentals of Particle Tech – free pdf book
• Rhodes, Introduction to Particle Technology
Particles &
Characterisation

 Introduction to Particle Technology

 Equivalent spherical diameters
 Shape factors
 Specific surface area
 Size ranges and grades
 Normalised distributions
 Particle size analysis
What is Particle Technology?

Study, characterisation, prediction of properties during the

processing of particle dispersions ranging down to sub-
microscopic material. It is the extension of mechanics (fluids
and solids) into particle containing systems. The term
'particles' includes liquid emulsions, drops, foams, oils, dusts,
bubbles, fogs, etc…

N.B. The definition of a micron, and

human hair is 70 microns,
blood cells are 8 microns,
bacteria are bigger than 0.2 microns
- all are particles
What’s the problem?

 Viscosity
 Density
 Molecular size
 Heat capacity
 Flow regime
 Easy to define for a fluid
 How do these change with particles?
Equivalent spherical
diameters

 To equate some property of the irregular

shaped particle to a sphere with the same
property, e.g. same volume as particle:
Has the same
volume as a
sphere - hence:
 3
V  xV
6
Note use of x for diameter.
Equivalent spherical
diameters

 It is possible to measure volume of a

particle by displacement, or electrical
resistance of suspension, and equate to
that of sphere of same volume.
 Some other equivalences include
projected area, surface area and mass
 2

Ap  xA A S   x SA
2
Mass  xV
3
4 6
Shape factors

 Volume of a sphere:
 3
V  xV
6
 Hence volume shape factor is:

6
 The volume shape factor for a cube is?
Specific surface

 Specific surface area per unit volume -

usually abbreviated to specific surface is
the surface area over volume:
x
2

Sv 
 3
x
6
 Hence Sv=6/x as is commonly used.
 Use density to convert to SMASS
Size ranges and grades
Size ranges and grades
Size ranges and grades
Normalised distributions
Normalised distributions
Normalised distributions
Normalised distributions
Normalised distributions
Normalised distributions
Normalised distributions

n 3 (x) N 3 (x)

x m ax x m ax
0 0
P a rticle dia m eter P a rticle dia m eter
Normalised distributions
M A LV E R N
C la rc e l/c a lc ite s u s p e n s io n

100

%
50

0
1 10 100 1000

P a rtic le d ia m e te r, m.
Normalised distributions

S ize % S ize %  Median size 9.2 m

m icro n s under in b a n d m icro n s under in b a n d
188
162
100 0 1 7 .7
1 5 .3
7 9 .8
7 4 .1
4 .4
5 .7
 Specific surface:
0.944x105 m-1
100 0
140 100 0 1 3 .2 6 7 .4 6 .7
121 100 0 11 .4 6 0 .5 6 .9

 Sauter mean
104 100 0 9 .8 5 3 .4 7 .1
8 9 .9 100 0 8 .5 4 6 .1 7 .3

diameter: 6.4 m
7 7 .5 9 9 .9 0 .1 7 .3 3 8 .8 7 .3
6 6 .9 9 9 .7 0 .2 6 .3 32 6 .8
5 7 .7 9 9 .6 0 .1 5 .4 26 6
4 9 .8 9 9 .4 0 .2 4 .7 2 0 .7 5 .3
4 2 .9 9 8 .8 0 .6 4 .1 1 5 .8 4 .9 3
3 7 .1 9 7 .3 1 .5 3 .5 11 .5 3 .6
32 9 4 .7 2 .6 3 7 .9 2 .6
2 7 .6 9 1 .5 3 .2 2 .6 5 .3 1 .5
2 3 .8 88 3 .5 2 .2 3 .8 1 .4
2 0 .5 84. 3 .8 1 .9 2 .4
Normalised distributions
 Particle size analysis

z All techniques
measure property and
relate it to the
equivalent spherical
diameter.
z Select your technique
to be the most
The Coulter Counter
appropriate for the
end use of the data.
The image above is provided by Beatop (OMEC) Instruments Limited. As found at Beatop (OMEC) Instruments Limited
http://www.beatop.com/Particle_Counter/principle_illustration.html
Particle size analysis

Malvern Sedimentation/Sedigraph
Particle size analysis

C u m u la tiv e m a s s u n d e rs ize , % . 100

M e d ia n s ize s :
80 la s e r d iffra c tio n 1 9 .8
C o u lte r 1 3 .5
60 s e d im e n ta tio n 1 8 .5

40

20

0
1 10 100

P a rtic le d ia m e te r, m ic ro n s .

la se r d iffra ctio n se d im e n ta tio n C o u lte r

Summary

 Equivalent spherical diameters

 Shape factors
 Specific surface area
 Size ranges and grades
 Normalised distributions
 Particle size analysis
Particle Tech Labs

 Think design not laboratory

 Problem given by boss
 Might use Perry, C&R 6, etc.
 But lab exp to check model, equations…
 Model could be good, just your material…
 Report to boss ‘model no good’ is NOT
GOOD ENOUGH, so what – we still need it
Particle Tech Labs

 So, design is it over or under?

 Does dodgy model matter?
 How to improve MODEL, not experiment
 2nd week, you tell us what you want to do
 Repeating experiments only checks on
reproducibility of experiment, nothing else
 Data analysis – assume data until known
Particle Tech Labs

 References, use Harvard system and

minus 6 marks for a Bibliography rather
than a Reference section – minus 4 for no
references at all. For example,
 Bloggs, F., 2008, An anti-gravity machine,
Journal of Good Ideas, 123, pp 22-33.
 Orals: use PICTURES, do NOT derive
equations. Do show flow diagram, etc.
This resource was created by Loughborough University and released as an open educational resource through the Open Engineering
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and part of the JISC/HE Academy UKOER programme.

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