Multiphase Systems:

Particle Engineering
Lecture 1, Part 4:
Particle Size Distributions I: Discrete Distributions
Kit Windows-Yule
Lecture 1 Learning Outcomes

 An introduction to particle technology

 Particle size
– How to define particle size
– How to measure particle size
– How to represent size distributions
Lecture 1 Learning Outcomes

 An introduction to particle technology

 Particle size
– How to define particle size
– How to measure particle size
– How to represent size distributions
Lecture 1 Learning Outcomes

 An introduction to particle technology

 Particle size
– How to define particle size
– How to measure particle size
– How to represent size distributions
 Beyond single particles Fly ash
 In the previous mini-lectures,
we discussed the properties
of individual particles.
 However, almost all
particulate systems are
polydisperse – they exhibit a Azalea pollen
spread in particle size.
– Though there exist some
materials (e.g. plant pollen) that
are monodisperse
 Narrow distributions are often
described as uniform
 Particle Size Distribution
 The behaviour of a
particulate system
depends not on a single,
characteristic size, but on
the distribution of sizes
  For polydisperse
systems, a single ‘size’ is
not enough!
 Need to define both a
mean and a spread
– e.g. standard deviation
Example Data
 Example data for a
sample of aerosol.
 Can anyone tell me
the mean particle
size?
 The most common
size range?
 Perhaps not
the best way
to present data!

 
Example Data
 Common practice to
divide population
into size fractions
and count the
number of particles
in each range.
 (Particle size analysers
typically do this
automatically!)
 Analysis – Count Basis
Size Number, Mean Nd
Range N Size, d
0-5 59 2.5 147.5
5-10 104 7.5 780
10-15 131 12.5 1637.5
15-20 110 17.5 1925  Count mean:
20-25 76 22.5 1710
25-30 48 27.5 1320  ´ ∑ 𝑁 𝑖 𝑑𝑖
𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 = 𝑖
30-35 22 32.5 715 ∑ 𝑁𝑖
35-40 8 37.5 300 𝑖

Total 558 8535 ´

 𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 =15.3

 How could we estimate the   c.f. ‘real’ average

mean particle size?
Is this a sensible measure?
 Mass basis
analysis
  Measure mass in
each size class as
opposed to number

Which fruit do I have more of?

 Analysis – Mass Basis (using
count data)
Mass of Total
Size Mean single mass of
Number,
Range Size, particle fraction ()
() ()
0-5
0-5 59
59 2.5
2.5 16 922 2305
16 922 2305
5-10
5-10 104
104 7.5
7.5 422 43875 329063
422 43875 329063
10-15 131 12.5 1953 255859 3198242
10-15 131 12.5 1953 255859 3198242
15-20 110 17.5 5359 589531 10316797
15-20 110 17.5 5359 589531 10316797
20-25 76 22.5 11390 865687 19477969
20-25 76 22.5 11390 865687 19477969
25-30 48 27.5 20796 998250 27451875
25-30 48 27.5 20796 998250 27451875
30-35 22 32.5 34328 755218 24544609
30-35 22 32.5 34328 755218 24544609
35-40 8 37.5 52734 421875 15820313
35-40
Total 8
558 37.5 52734 421875
3931218 15820313
101141171
Total 558 3931218 101141171
∑ 𝑚𝑖 𝑑 𝑖 ∑ 𝑛𝑖 𝑑 4𝑖
  𝑖
∑ 𝑛𝑖 𝑑 3  ¿ 25.7
𝑖
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 = ¿
∑ 𝑖𝑚
𝑖 𝑖
 Analysis – Mass Basis (using
mass data)
Mass of
Size Range Mean Size,
fraction,
0-5 900 2.5 2250
2250
5-10
5-10 40000
40000 7.5
7.5 300000
300000
10-15
10-15 250000
250000 12.5
12.5 3125000
3125000
15-20
15-20 600000
600000 17.5
17.5 10500000
10500000
20-25 850000 22.5 19125000
20-25 850000 22.5 19125000
25-30 1000000 27.5 27500000
25-30 1000000 27.5 27500000
30-35 750000 32.5 24375000
30-35 750000 32.5 24375000
35-40 400000 37.5 15000000
35-40 400000 37.5 15000000
Total 3890900 99927250
Total 3890900 99927250

∑ 𝑚𝑖 𝑑 𝑖 We already have mass data

so no need for further
  ¿ 25.7
𝑖
𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 =
∑ 𝑚𝑖 rearrangement!
𝑖
 Analysis – Count Basis (using
mass data)
Mass of How can
single Number in
Size Range Mass,
particle fraction ( ) we find n?
()
0-5
0-5 900
900 16 56.25 141.7411
16 56.25 141.7411
5-10
5-10 40000
40000 422 94.78673 710.9707
422 94.78673 710.9707
10-15 250000 1953 128.0082 1600.068
10-15 250000 1953 128.0082 1600.068
15-20 600000 5359 111.9612 1959.275
15-20 600000 5359 111.9612 1959.275
20-25 850000 11390 74.62687 1679.074
20-25 850000 11390 74.62687 1679.074
25-30 1000000 20796 48.08617 1322.351
25-30 1000000 20796 48.08617 1322.351
30-35 750000 34328 21.84805 710.0609
30-35 750000 34328 21.84805 710.0609
35-40 400000 52734 7.585239 284.4458
35-40
Total 400000
3890900 52734 7.585239
543.2 284.4458
8407.987
Total 3890900 543.2 8407.987
∑ 𝑛𝑖 𝑑 𝑖
  ¿ 15.5
´ = 𝑖
𝑑
∑ 𝑛𝑖
𝑖
 Count vs. Mass Basis
  Count mean using count data:
 Count mean using mass data:
 Mass mean using mass data:
 Mass mean using count data:

 Measures are self-consistent when calculated

using different data…
 However, mass and count basis data are
decidedly different.
 Count vs. Mass Basis
Different methods can give
strikingly different means,
modes etc. etc…

Frequency = fraction of
population in given range
(≡probability)

Even a large number of small particles

can be negligible compared to a small
number of large particles!
 Note the skewed
distribution!

Different Distributions
Size Range Count ()
() ()
0-5
0-5 39
39 0.039
0.039 0.0078
0.0078
5-10
5-10 175
175 0.175
0.175 0.035
0.035
10-20
10-20 335
335 0.335
0.335 0.0335
0.0335
20-30
20-30 190
190 0.19
0.19 0.019
0.019
30-40 106 0.106 0.0106
30-40 106 0.106 0.0106
40-50 95 0.09 0.009
40-50 95 0.09 0.009
50-80 30 0.03 0.001
50-80 30 0.03 0.001
80-100 15 0.02 0.001
80-100 15 0.02 0.001
100-150 10 0.01 0.0002
100-150 10 0.01 0.0002 Number frequency
150-200 5 0.005 0.0001
150-200
Total
5
1000
0.005 0.0001 distribution
Total 1000
 Different Distributions
Size Range Count ()
() ()
0-5
0-5 39
39 0.039
0.039 0.0078
0.0078
5-10
5-10 175
175 0.175
0.175 0.035
0.035
10-20
10-20 335
335 0.335
0.335 0.0335
0.0335
20-30
20-30 190
190 0.19
0.19 0.019
0.019
30-40 106 0.106 0.0106
30-40 106 0.106 0.0106
40-50 95 0.09 0.009
40-50 95 0.09 0.009
50-80 30 0.03 0.001
50-80 30 0.03 0.001
80-100 15 0.02 0.001
80-100 15 0.02 0.001
100-150 10 0.01 0.0002
100-150 10 0.01 0.0002 Probability frequency
150-200 5 0.005 0.0001
150-200
Total
5
1000
0.005
1
0.0001 distribution
Total 1000 1

Probabilities sum to 1!
 Different Distributions
Size Range Count ()
() ()
0-5 39 0.039 0.0078
Special property of
0-5 39 0.039 0.0078
5-10 175 0.175 0.035
this distribution?
5-10 175 0.175 0.035
10-20
10-20 335
335 0.335
0.335 0.0335
0.0335 Total area under
20-30
20-30 190
190 0.19
0.19 0.019
0.019 histogram = 1!
30-40 106 0.106 0.0106
30-40 106 0.106 0.0106
40-50 95 0.09 0.009   ()
40-50 95 0.09 0.009
50-80 30 0.03 0.001
50-80 30 0.03 0.001
80-100 15 0.02 0.001
80-100 15 0.02 0.001
100-150
100-150
10
10
0.01
0.01
0.0002
0.0002
Frequency
150-200
150-200
5
5
0.005
0.005
0.0001
0.0001
distribution function
Total 1000 1 0.1172 (Fraction per unit length)
Total 1000 1 0.1172