Ch.

E-203 PARTICLE TECHNOLOGY

Department of Chemical Engineering,

University of Engineering & Technology Lahore
 Course Outline

(1) Characterization of the particles: (a) Shape factor and sphericity of

particles (b) Mean diameters (c) Density of mixture of solid particles

(2) Screening: (a) Types of screens (b) Factors affecting screening

operations (c) Screen effectiveness (d) Cumulative and differential analysis
for particle size distribution (e) Size frequency curve and its importance (f)
Specific number of particles (g) Specific surface of a mixture of solid
particles

(3) Storage and handling of solids: (a) Janssen Equation (b) Mohr’s Stress
circle (c) Angles of repose, internal friction and wall friction (d) Factors
affecting the choice of storage vessel
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 Course Outline

(4) Mixing: (a) Types of mixers for continuous and discrete solids (b)
Factors affecting mixing operation of solids (c) Mixing index (d) Axial
mixing and its importance (e) Rate of mixing

(5) Size reduction: (a) Basic modes of size reduction size reduction
laws(b) Size reduction machines (c) Angle of nip for double role crusher
and Jaw crusher (d) Critical speed of ball mill and various actions in the
ball mill operation (e) Selection criteria of size reduction machines

(6) Introduction to Filtration: (a) Types of Industrial filters (b) Pressure

drop calculation in filter operation (c) Time required for filtration (d)
Crystallization

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 Recommended Books

Text Book McCabe Warren L., Smith Julian C., Harriott Peter “Unit
Operations of Chemical Engineering” 5th/6th/7th Ed. 2001.
McGraw Hill Inc.

1. Coulson J.M., Richardson J.F., “Chemical Engineering” Vol-II,

Reference
2. C.M. Narayanan & B. C. Bhattacharya., “Mechanical
Books
Operations for Chemical Engineers” Khanna Publisher

3. Perry Robert H., Green Don W. “Perry’s Chemical

Engineering handbook” 7th Ed. 1997. McGraw Hill Inc.

4. Particulate technology by Clyde Orr, Jr. McMillan Company

NewYork 1966.

5. Mineral Processing Technology Vol. 29 Ed 3rd By B.A. Wills

Pergamon Press .

6. Foust and Wenzel “Unit Operations of Chemical

Engineering”

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 CLO Statement

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 Particle is an object to which can be ascribed several physical properties such as
volume or mass. The word is rather general in meaning and is refined as needed
by various scientific fields.

Technology is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools,

machines, techniques, systems and methods of organization, in order to solve a
problem, achieve a goal or perform a specific function.

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 Can you name some of the particles involved in our daily life?

• Medicines
• Rice
• Wheat grains
• Sugar
• Detergents
• Sand etc.

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 Particle Technology
Particle Technology is that branch of Science and Engineering dealing with the
production, handling, modification, and use of a wide variety of solids, both wet or
dry.
Its scope spans a range of industries to include chemical, petrochemical, agricultural,
food, pharmaceuticals, mineral processing, advanced materials, energy, and the
environment.

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 Chemical Engineering

Unit Operations Unit Processes

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 Chemical Process

Raw
materials Products

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 Flow sheet of a typical Chemical Process

Pre-treatment Process Post-treatment

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 Raw material

Pre-treatment Unit Operations

Unit Processes Process

Post-treatment Unit Operations

Finished
product
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 Unit Operations

Processes that involve only physical changes to materials is termed as Unit

Operation

 Particle Technology
 Mechanical Separations
 Fluid Mechanics
 Process Heat transfer
 Mass Transfer
 Simultaneous Heat and Mass Transfer

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 Unit Processes

Processes that involve making chemical changes to

materials as a result of chemical reaction. Unit
processes are also referred to as chemical
conversions.

 Nitration
 Esterification
 Halogenations
 Sulphonation
 Oxidation
 Hydrogenation
 Amination
14 Biochemical processes
 Example

Test Yourself

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 Scope of Particle Technology

• Design
• Operation
• Control
 Formation of aerosol
 Design of bucket elevators
 Pneumatic transport
 Silo design
 Size reduction or enlargement

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 How will Particle Technology help
you as a Chemical Engineer?
• Understanding of conveying methods
• Know how about particle sizes and shapes
• Nature of solid particles and their handling issues
• Separation of solid particles from liquids
• Separation of solid particles from gases
• Size reduction equipment
• Other separation techniques and many more…..

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 Importance of Particle Technology

• Prevent production loss

• Good product quality
• Storage problems
• Economics
• Environment issues … etc

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 Particle Shape

• Some particles conform to standard configuration like (Regular shape Particle);

• Sphere = Spherical
• Cylinder = Cylindrical
• Cube = Cubical
• Some do not conform to any of these standard configurations (Irregular shape particles).

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 Sphericity

• Sphericity is a measure of roundness of a shape of particle.

• Sphericity is defined for a non-spherical particle.
• Dimensionless quantity.
• For a Sphere, sphericity is 1.
• Sphericity is s/v ratio for a sphere of diameter Dp divided by s/v ratio of particle whose nominal size is
Dp.

28.1

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 Sphericity of various particle shapes

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 Sphericity of various particle shapes

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 Particle density and bulk density

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 Particle Size

• Diameters are specified for equidimensional particle.

• Non-equidimensional particle are characterized by second largest dimension.
• Units used for particle size depend on the size of particles:

 Coarse particles: inches or millimetres

 Fine particles: screen size
 Very fine particles: micrometers or nanometers
 Ultra fine particles: surface area per unit mass, m2/g

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 Mixed particle sizes and size analysis

• In a sample of uniform particles of diameter Dp and volume vp, the total volume is

• The number of particles N in sample;

• Total surface area of the particles;

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 Mixed particle sizes and size analysis

• To apply these eq’s to mixtures of particles having various sizes and densities, the mixture is sorted
into fractions, each of constant densities and approximately constant size.
• Each fraction can then be weighed, or individual particles then can be counted or measured by
different methods.
• Then these equations are applied to each fraction and results added.

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 Particle Size Distribution

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 SCREENING

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 Screen / Sieve

A sieve, fine mesh strainer, or sift, is a device for separating wanted elements from
unwanted material or for controlling the particle size distribution of a sample, using a
screen such as a woven mesh or net or perforated sheet material.

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 Screening and its Terminology

Screening is a method of separating particles on the basis of their size.

 Aperture size of screen

 Mesh number
 Screen interval
 Material flow through screen

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 Screening Terminology

Aperture Size of screen

The size of a square opening (length of clear space between individual wires) is called

the aperture size of screen.

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 Screening Terminology

Mesh number of screen

o Screens are designated by their mesh number. Mesh no. indicated the number of
apertures/openings per linear inch of the screen.
o e.g., A screen having 10 square openings per inch is said to have mesh no. 10
o Higher the mesh no., smaller the aperture size of screen.

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 Screening Terminology

Screen Interval

o Screen interval is a factor by which aperture size of a screen is to be divided to get

the aperture size of next successive screen.
o The ratio of actual aperture size of any screen to that of the next smaller screen is √2
= 1.41.
o The area of openings in any one screen in the series is exactly twice that of the
openings in the next smaller screen.

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 Screening Terminology

Material flow through Screen

Overflow

Feed

Underflow

Overflow: The material that is rejected by the screen.

Underflow: The material that is passed through the screen.
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 Screening Terminology

Material flow through Screen

Overflow (oversize particles)

Oversize particles -> Plus material

Undersize particles -> Minus Material

Two numbers are needed to tell the size range of

the increment; one for the screen through which
the material passes and the other on which it is
retained.
E.g. 14 / 20 or -14 + 20

The average size of the particles in the increment

will be the arithmetic average of the aperture sizes
39 of two screens.
Underflow (undersize particles)