1

Particle Size Characterization

Brian H. Kaye

CONTENTS

1.1 WHAT IS THE SIZE OF A POWDER GRAIN? 1

1.2 OBTAINING A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE 3
1.3 SIZE CHARACTERIZATION BY IMAGE ANALYSIS 7
1.4 CHARACTERIZING POWDERS BY SIEVE FRACTIONATION 8
1.5 CHARACTERIZING THE SIZE OF FINEPARTICLES BY SEDIMENTATION
TECHNIQUES 12
1.6 DIFFRACTOMETERS FOR CHARACTERIZING THE SIZE OF FINEPARTICLES 14
1.7 TIME-OF-FLIGHTINSTRUMENTS 18
1.8 SIZE CHARACTERIZATION EQUIPMENT BASED ON THE DOPPLER EFFECT 21
1.9 STREAM COUNTERS 23
1.10 ELUTRIATORS 24
1.11 PERMEABILITY METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING FINEPARTICLE
SYSTEMS 26
1.12 SURFACE AREA BY GAS ADSORPTION STUDIES 28
1.13 PORE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF A PACKED POWDER BED 29
REFERENCES 32

1.1 WHAT IS THE SIZE OF A POWDER
GRAIN?
It must be firmly grasped at the beginning of a
discussion of techniques for characterizing the
size of fineparticles that for all except spheri-
cal fineparticles there is no unique size param-
eter that describes an irregularly shaped
fineparticle. 1,2
When an irregular grain of powder is stud-
ied by various characterization techniques, the
different methods evaluate different parame-
ters of the fineparticle. Thus in Figure 1.1
various characteristic parameters and equiva-
lent diameters of an irregular profile are illus-
trated. When selecting a parameter of the
fineparticle to be evaluated, one should at-
tempt to use a method that measures the

M. E. Fayed et al. (eds.), Handbook of Powder Science & Technology

© Chapman & Hall, New York, NY 1997
2 HANDBOOK OF POWDER SCIENCE

o
Projected Area
o
Stokes Diameter

Convex
Hull

Sphere of
Equal Volume Aerodynamic
Diameter
Figure 1.1. The size of a fineparticle is a complex concept for all but smooth, dense, spherical fineparticles.

parameter that is functionally important for characterize the powder grains by two differ-
the physical system being studied. Thus, if one ent methods. Thus, the movement of a
is studying the sedimentation of grains of rock fineparticle suspended in the air into and out
tailings in a settling pond one should measure of the mouth of a miner is governed by the
the Stokes diameter of the powder grains. The aerodynamic diameter of the fineparticle. This
Stokes diameter is defined as the size of a is defined as the size of the sphere of unit
smooth sphere of the same density as the density that has the same dynamic behavior as
powder grain that has the same settling speed the fineparticle in low Reynolds number flow.
as the fineparticle at low Reynolds number in However, when one is considering the actual
a viscous fluid. It is calculated by inserting the health hazard caused by the dust fineparticles,
measured settling velocity of the fineparticle one may want to look at the number of sharp
into the Stokes equation, which is:
edges on the fineparticle, in the case of a
187]U silocotic hazard, or the fractal dimension and
d~ = - - - - : - -
(pp - PL)g surface area of the profile, in the case of a
diesel exhaust fineparticle. Furthermore, if one
where is interested in the filtration capacity of a
U = the measured velocity respirator, the actual physical dimensions of a
ds = Stokes diameter profile may have to be measured by image
g = acceleration due to gravity analysis. In recent years there has been a great
7] = viscosity of the fluid deal of development work regarding the prob-
Pp = density of powder grain lem of characterizing the shape and structure
PL = density of a liquid. of fineparticles and this recent work is the
subject of a separate chapter in this book.
On the other hand, if one is measuring the Many methods used for characterizing
health hazard of a dust one may need to fineparticles have to be calibrated using stan-