Preface

Mechanical Operations are those unit operations of Chemical Engineering, which

involve mechanical forces, either small or large. These mainly deal with the handling
and processing of the solids and the solids present in other phases.
Generally, solids are more difficult to handle and process than liquids and gases,
because gases and liquids do not have their own shape and size; rather they take the
shape of the container. In contrast, solids have a definite shape and size, due to which
their handling becomes difficult. For example, liquids and gases can be easily be
transported through pipes from one place to another, but for solids we have to decide
the means according to their shape and size.
Mechanical Operations are broadly classified in the following ways:
(i) Particulate Solids Characterisation of solids, Handling of solids (Transportation, Feeding, Weighing, and Storage), Size reduction, and Size
separation
(ii) Particle Dynamics Sedimentation, Filtration, Elutriation, Classification
(iii) Mixing Mixing of solids with solids, Mixing of cohesive solids and Mixing
of liquids
Mechanical operations play an important role in every kind of chemical process
industries. They also find major applications in mineral processing, ceramic, and
metallurgical industries.
In spite of a volume of scattered information available on this subject in different
unit operations and mineral processing books, no single textbook comprising the
various aspects is available. Keeping this in mind, the present title on Mechanical
Operations for Chemical Engineers is being brought out.
The special feature of this book is that the whole of the content has been written
keeping in view the present shop-floor practices. Also, the figures of a large number
of recent industrial equipments obtained from world-class manufacturers over the
globe are included with their permission. Photographs to depict the equipments used
in real life in various separation processes are also given.
Numerical examples with solutions, totalling to over 45, have been incorporated
in each chapter to explain the concepts more clearly. In addition, the excellent pedagogy includes 135 Solved Conceptual Questions, 135 Review Questions, 40 Exercise
Problems and over 100 Multiple Choice Questions with answers which are unique
to the present title. In the forthcoming editions, we plan to include other related
chapters.
The text is being proposed keeping in view the syllabus followed by various Indian
universities, which we hope will be of much help to the students (Chemical, Ceramic,

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Metallurgical, Mining, Pharmacy, and Biotechnology), practising engineers as well

as to the subject teachers.
The book is organised in ten chapters. Chapter 1 is an introductory one
and describes the brief history of chemical engineering, concept of
unit operations, and the importance of mechanical operations. This
also includes the unit system and the various dimensionless groups.
In Chapter 2, the properties and storage of solids have been given. In
this chapter, properties like shape, size, storage and flow of bulk-solids are
discussed. Chapter 3 is about size reduction of solids and describes the
importance of size reduction, actions involved, and parameters affecting
size reduction; power and energy relation with crushing efficiencies; and
the recent industrial size-reduction equipments. Chapter 4 is an introductory chapter on size separation of solids and summarizes various
separation processes and the types of separation equipments available
to separate solids from different phases. The separation of solids from
solids both in dry state (screening and electrical separation) and wet
state (classification, gravity concentration, and froth floatation) and
also the recent industrial equipments have been discussed in Chapter
5. Chapter 6 deals with solid-liquid separation and describes the
theory and equipments of sedimentation (thickening and clarification)
and filtration. In Chapter 7, the principles of gas-solid separation have
been discussed and the various gas-solid separators including air classifiers have been described. Chapter 8 deals with the transportation of
solids and discusses the equipments like conveyors and elevators. The
mixing of solids along with the theory of liquid and solid mixing has
been given in Chapter 9. Various solid, liquid, and viscous mixers are
also discussed. In Chapter 10, some auxiliary mechanical operations
like size enlargement by agglomeration, crystallization, coagulation,
feeding, and weighing have been briefly dealt with.
The Web supplements can be accessed at http://www.mhhe.com/swain/
mo and contain the Solution Manual and PowerPoint lecture slides for
Instructors. Web Links for additional readings are given for Students.
We have tried to contact most of the owners of copyrighted materials. However,
we offer our apology to any copyright holder whose rights we may have unwittingly
infringed.
In spite of our best efforts, some errors might have crept in to the book. Report
of any such errors and suggestions for improving the book are welcome and will be
gratefully acknowledged.
In case of any query, readers are requested to feel free to contact us at
anup.k.swain@gmail.com, hemalata2020@gmail.com and gkroyster@gmail.com.
Anup Kumar Swain
Hemalata Patra
Gopendra Kishore Roy

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