Extended wet sieving method for determination of complete particle size distribution of general soils

The traditional standard wet sieving method uses steel sieves with aperture?0.063 mm and can only determine the particle size distribution(PSD)of gravel and sand in general soil.This paper extends the traditional method and presents an extended wet sieving method.The extended method uses both the steel sieves and the nylon filter cloth sieves.The apertures of the cloth sieves are smaller than 0.063 mm and equal 0.048 mm,0.038 mm,0.014 mm,0.012 mm,0.0063 mm,0.004 mm,0.003 mm,0.002 mm,and 0.001 mm,respectively.The extended method uses five steps to separate the general soil into many material sub-groups of gravel,sand,silt and clay with known particle size ranges.The complete PSD of the general soil is then calculated from the dry masses of the individual material sub-groups.The extended method is demonstrated with a general soil of completely decomposed granite(CDG)in Hong Kong,China.The silt and clay materials with different particle size ranges are further examined,checked and verified using stereomicroscopic observation,physical and chemical property tests.The results further confirm the correctness of the extended wet sieving method.

Measurement methods of particle size distribution in emulsion polymerization

The particle size distribution of polymer always develops in emulsion polymerization systems,and certain key phenomena/mechanisms as well as properties of the final product are significantly affected by this distribution.This review mainly focuses on the measurement methods of particle size distribution rather than average particle size during the emulsion polymerization process,including the existing off-line,on-line,and in-line measurement methods.Moreover,the principle,resolution,performance,advantages,and drawbacks of various methods for evaluating particle size distribution are contrasted and illustrated.Besides,several possible development directions or solutions of the in-line measurement technology are explored.

An evaluation method for internal erosion potential of gravelly soil based on particle size distribution

Internal erosion occurs when fine particles escape from the soil driven by seepage flow,which is considered to be the crucial factor causing the failure of earth structures filled with gravelly soil.The objective of this paper is to suggest an appropriate method to assess internal erosion potential of gravelly soil.By analyzing the sensitivity of soil material to internal erosion,the variable(Dc15/df85)max and the content of coarse particles(Pc)are selected as the evaluation indexes(Dc15 and df85 are the diameters of 15%mass passing in the coarse component and 85%mass passing in the fine component,respectively).A series of gravelly soils with different particle size distributions are tested for internal erosion by the self-made permeameter.Based on the test results,an evaluation method for the internal erosion of gravelly soil is proposed.Gravelly soil is prone to internal erosion when 60%≤Pc<95%and(Dc15/df85)max≥9.5.The proposed method shows good accuracy in evaluating the internal erosion of 36 soil samples from other studies,which confirms the reliability of the method.The proposed method makes it possible to accurately assess internal erosion of gravelly soil,and an alternative method is provided for engineers to determine whether there is a risk of internal erosion in earth structures consisting of gravelly soil.

Effect of Particle Size Distribution on Radiative Heat Transfer in High-Temperature Homogeneous Gas-Particle Mixtures

The weighted-sum-of-gray-gas(WSGG)model and Mie theory are applied to study the influents of particle size on the radiative transfer in high temperature homogeneous gas-particle mixtures,such as the flame in aero-engine combustor.The radiative transfer equation is solved by the finite volume method.The particle size is assumed to obey uniform distribution and logarithmic normal(L-N)distribution,respectively.Results reveal that when particle size obeys uniform distribution,increasing particle size with total particle volume fraction fvunchanged will result in the decreasing of the absolute value of radiative heat transfer properties,and the effect of ignoring particle scattering will also be weakened.Opposite conclusions can be obtained when total particle number concentration N0 is unchanged.Moreover,if particle size obeys L-N distribution,increasing the narrowness indexσor decreasing the characteristic diameter Dˉwith the total particle volume fraction fvunchanged will increase the absolute value of radiative heat transfer properties.With total particle number concentration N0 unchanged,opposite conclusions for radiative heat source and incident radiation terms can be obtained except for radiative heat flux term.As a whole,the effects of particle size on the radiative heat transfer in the high-temperature homogeneous gas-particle mixtures are complicated,and the particle scattering cannot be ignoring just according to the particle size.

Particle Size Distribution,Powder Agglomerates and Their Effects on Sinterability of Ultrafine Alumina Powders

An intensive study of the particle size distribution of four commercial ultrafine alumina powders to obtain information about the powder agglomeration and relate them to the compactibility and the sinterability has been made.

Resolution Increase and Noise Removal in Particle Size Distribution Measurement with Shifrin Transform

Based on the laser diffraction and Shifrin transform,the measurement method of particle size distribution has been improved extensively.While in real measurements,some noise peaks exist in the inversion data and are easily to be misread as particle distribution peaks.The improved method used a truncation function as a filter is hard to distinguish adjacent peaks.Here,by introducing the bimodal resolution criterion,the filter function is optimized,and to a quasi truncation function with the optimized filter function is studied to achieve optimal bimodal resolution and to remove noise peaks.This new quasi truncation function fits multimode distribution very well.By combining the quasi truncation function with Shifrin transform,noise peaks are removed well and the adjacent peaks are distinguished clearly.Finally,laser diffraction experiments are conducted and the particle size distribution is analyzed by adoping the method.The results show that the quasi truncation function has better bimodal resolution than the truncation function.Generally,by combining the quasi truncation function with the Shifrin transform,in particle size distribution measurements with laser diffraction,the bimodal resolution is greatly increased and the noise is removed well.And the results can restore the original distribution perfectly.Therefore,the new method with combination of the quasi truncation function and the Shifrin transform provides a feasible and effective way to measure the multimode particle size distribution by laser diffraction.

Sampling Surface Particle Size Distributions and Stability Analysis of Deep Channel in the Pearl River Estuary

Particle size distributions(PSDs) of bottom sediments in a coastal zone are generally multimodal due to the complexity of the dynamic environment. In this paper, bottom sediments along the deep channel of the Pearl River Estuary(PRE) are used to understand the multimodal PSDs′ characteristics and the corresponding depositional environment. The results of curve-fitting analysis indicate that the near-bottom sediments in the deep channel generally have a bimodal distribution with a fine component and a relatively coarse component. The particle size distribution of bimodal sediment samples can be expressed as the sum of two lognormal functions and the parameters for each component can be determined. At each station of the PRE, the fine component makes up less volume of the sediments and is relatively poorly sorted. The relatively coarse component, which is the major component of the sediments, is even more poorly sorted. The interrelations between the dynamics and particle size of the bottom sediment in the deep channel of the PRE have also been investigated by the field measurement and simulated data.The critical shear velocity and the shear velocity are calculated to study the stability of the deep channel. The results indicate that the critical shear velocity has a similar distribution over large part of the deep channel due to the similar particle size distribution of sediments. Based on a comparison between the critical shear velocities derived from sedimentary parameters and the shear velocities obtained by tidal currents, it is likely that the depositional area is mainly distributed in the northern part of the channel, while the southern part of the deep channel has to face higher erosion risk.

Chemistry and particle size distribution of respirable coal dust in underground mines in Central Eastern Europe

Despite international efforts to limit worker exposure to coal dust,it continues to impact the health of thousands of miners across Europe.Airborne coal dust has been studied to improve risk models and its control to protect workers.Particle size distribution analyses shows that using spraying systems to suppress airborne dusts can reduce particulate matter concentrations and that coals with higher ash yields produce finer dust.There are marked chemical differences between parent coals and relatively coarse deposited dusts(up to _(500)μm,DD_(500)).Enrichments in Ca,K,Ba,Se,Pb,Cr,Mo,Ni and especially As,Sn,Cu,Zn and Sb in the finest respirable dust fractions could originate from:(i)mechanical machinery wear;(ii)variations in coal mineralogy;(iii)coal fly ash used in shotcrete,and carbonates used to reduce the risk of explosions.Unusual enrichments in Ca in mine dusts are attributed to the use of such concrete,and elevated K to raised levels of phyllosilicate mineral matter.Sulphur concentrations are higher in the parent coal than in the DD_(500),probably due to relatively lower levels of organic matter.Mass concentrations of all elements observed in this study remained below occupational exposure limits.

Power law of particle size distributions in water treatment processes

In this paper,the power law of particle size distributions (PSDs) in conventional water treatment processes is developed. After measuring the particle size distributions of raw-water,settled water and filtered water,a mathematical model between particle diameter and the amount of particles was studied. The value of collision frequency factor β in the PSDs model can be used to represent the collision behavior of particles ,and can be used as foundation exponent to choose suitable coagulation to accelerate particles aggregation. At the same time,the relationship between the value of parameter K and the total particles volume V was deduced. K is defined as particle volume exponent,which can represent the total volume of particles. The degression degree of K shows the removal efficiency of potable water treatment units.

Effect of Varying Aerosol Concentrations and Relative Humidity on Visibility and Particle Size Distribution in Urban Atmosphere

Atmospheric aerosol concentrations have been found to change constantly due to the influence of source,winds and human activities over short time periods.This has proved to be a constraint to the study of varied aerosol concentrations in urban atmosphere alongside changing relative humidity and how it affects visibility and aerosol particle size distribution.In this research simulation was carried out using Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds(OPAC 4.0)average concentration setup for relative humidity(RH)0-99%at visible wavelength 0.4-0.8μm to vary the concentrations of three aerosol components:WASO(Water-soluble),INSO(Insoluble)and SOOT.The Angstrom exponents(α),the curvatures(α2)and atmospheric turbidities(β)were obtained from the regression analysis of Kaufman’s first and second order polynomial equations for visibility.The research determined the mean exponent of the aerosol size growth curve(μ)from the effective hygroscopic growth(geff)and the humidification factors(γ)from visibility enhancement f(RH,λ).The mean exponent of aerosol size distributions(υ)was determined fromμandγ.The results showed that with varied WASO,INSO and SOOT concentrations respectively at different RH,aerosol particle size distributions showed bimodal characteristics with dominance of fine mode particles.Hazy atmospheric conditions prevailed with increasing turbidity.

Determination of particle size distribution by multi-scale analysis of acoustic emission signals in gas-solid fluidized bed

Particle size distribution(PSD) is an important parameter in the process of fluidization,and it always plays a crucial role in a gas-solid fluidized system.A PSD model for on-line PSD determination based on acoustic emission(AE) measurement was developed according to the mechanism of particle collision with the inner wall of the cylinder and multi-scale wavelet decomposition analysis.This PSD model illuminates the quantitative relationship between the energy percentage of AE signals for different scales and the PSD,which indicates the feasibility of the application of the PSD model.Experiments were undertaken both in lab and plant gas-solid fluidized setup with polyethylene particles,and the parameters of the PSD model were calibrated and revised.The experimental conditions and results proved that the PSD model was suitable for on-line measurement and was sufficiently sensible and accurate.Concerning agglomeration,the PSD model also showed exact serviceability on detecting the onset of agglomeration by abnormal PSD,and the result agreed with that from the radiation method.Ultimately,AE measurement was found to be a reliable and credible means for understanding the PSD information that affects the behavior of a system,which can provide valuable guidance for practical applications.

Image segmentation method for coal particle size distribution analysis

Particle size distribution is extremely important in the coal preparation industry.It is traditionally analysed by a manual screening method,which is relatively time-consuming and cannot immediately guide production.In this paper,an image segmentation method for images of coal particles is proposed.It employs the watershed algorithm,k-nearest neighbour algorithm,and convex shell method to achieve preliminary segmentation,merge small pieces with large pieces,and split adhered particles,respectively.Comparing the automated segmentation using this method with manual segmentation,it is found that the results are comparable.The size distributions obtained by the automated and manual segmentation methods are nearly identical,and the standard deviation is less than 3%,indicating good reliability.This automated image segmentation method provides a new approach for rapidly analysing the size distribution of coal particles with size fractions defined according to consumer requirements.

Influence of MBBR carrier geometrical properties and biofilm thickness restraint on biofilm properties,effluent particle size distribution,settling velocity distribution,and settling behaviour

The relatively poor settling characteristics of particles produced in moving bed biofilm reactor(MBBR)outline the importance of developing a fundamental understanding of the characterization and settleability of MBBR-produced solids.The influence of carrier geometric properties and different levels of biofilm thickness on biofilm characteristics,solids production,particle size distribution(PSD),and particle settling velocity distribution(PSVD)is evaluated in this study.The analytical Vi CAs method is applied to the MBBR effluent to assess the distribution of particle settling velocities.This method is combined with microscopy imaging to relate particle size distribution to settling velocity.Three conventionally loaded MBBR systems are studied at a similar loading rate of 6.0 g/(m^(2)·day)and with different carrier types.The AnoxK^(TM)K5 carrier,a commonly used carrier,is compared to so-called thickness-restraint carriers,AnoxK^(TM)Z-carriers that are newly designed carriers to limit the biofilm thickness.Moreover,two levels of biofilm thickness,200μm and 400μm,are studied using AnoxK^(TM)Z-200 and Z-400 carriers.Statistical analysis confirms that K5 carriers demonstrated a significantly different biofilm mass,thickness,and density,in addition to distinct trends in PSD and PSVD in comparison with Z-carriers.However,in comparison of thickness-restraint carriers,Z-200 carrier results did not vary significantly compared to the Z-400 carrier.The K5 carriers showed the lowest production of suspended solids(0.7±0.3 gTSS/day),thickest biofilm(281.1±8.7μm)and lowest biofilm density(65.0±1.5 kg/m^(3)).The K5 effluent solids also showed enhanced settling behaviour,consisting of larger particles with faster settling velocities.

Multifractal characteristics and spatial variability of soil particle-size distribution in different land use patterns in a small catchment of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region,China

Characterizing soil particle-size distribution is a key measure towards soil property.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the multifractal characteristics of soil particle-size distribution among different land-use from a purple soil catchment and to generalize the spatial variation trend of multifractal parameters across the catchment.A total of 84 soil samples were collected from four kinds of land use patterns(dry land,orchard,paddy,and forest)in an agricultural catchment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region,China.The multifractal analysis method was applied to quantitatively characterize the soil particle size distribution.Six soil particle size distribution(PSD)multifractal parameters(D(0),D(1),D(2),(35)a(q),(35)f[a(q)],α(0))were computed.Additionally,a geostatistical analysis was employed to reveal the spatial differentiation and map the spatial distribution of these parameters.Evident multifractal characteristics were found.The trend of generalized dimension spectrum of four land use patterns was basically consistent with the range of 0.8 to 2.0.However,orchard showed the largest monotonic decline,while the forest demonstrated the smallest decrease.D(0)of the four land use patterns were ranked as:dry land<orchard<forest<paddy,the order of D(1)was:dry land<paddy<orchard<forest,D(2)presented a rand-size relationship as dry land<forest<paddy<orchard.Furthermore,all land-use patterns presented asΔf[α(q)]<0.The rand-size relationship ofα(0)was same as D(0).The best-fitting model for D(0),D(1),D(2)andΔf[α(q)]was spherical model,forΔα(q)was gaussian model,and forα(0)was exponential model with structure variance ratio was 1.03%,49.83%,0.84%,1.48%,22.20%and 10.60%,respectively.The results showed that soil particles of each land use pattern were distributed unevenly.The multifractal parameters under different land use have significant differences,except forΔα(q).Differences in the composition of soil particles lead to differences in the multifractal properties even though they belong to the same soil texture.Farming behavior may refine particles and enhance the heterogeneity of soil particle distribution.Our results provide an effective reference for quantifying the impact of human activities on soil system in the Three Gorges Reservoir region.

Numerical solution of particle size distribution equation:Rapid expansion of supercritical solution(RESS)process

The present study aimed to numerically simulate the rapid expansion of the supercritical solution(RESS)process including particle generation,hydrodynamics,and solving the population balance equation(PBE)to predict the particle-size distribution(PSD)of solid-supercritical carbon dioxide binary systems.Energy,momentum,and mass equations,in addition to the extended generalized Bender equation of state(EoS),were applied to predict the hydrodynamic behavior of a supercritical solution under several operating conditions using a nozzle and expansion vessel.The tetraphenylporphyrin(TBTPP)solubility in supercritical carbon dioxide was calculated using the Peng-Robinson EoS/Kwak-Mansoori as a mixing rule.Subsequently,TBTPP,aspirin,ibuprofen,and salicylic acid nucleation as well as the supersaturation rate were calculated.Finally,we solved the time dependence of the parameters of the size distribution numerically.The established models are compared over a wide parameter range using a reference model that refers to the method of moment log-normal size distribution functions through the RESS process to predict a solid PSD.The results obtained are presented with and without coagulation phenomena.The average absolute percent deviation of solubility of TBTPP was 3.98,and the hydrodynamic behavior of supercritical carbon dioxide showed a similar trend as the results presented in the published research work.Furthermore,a particle size distribution prediction using coagulation showed acceptable agreement with the experimental PSDs.

A comparative study of particle size distribution from two oxygenated fuels and diesel fuel

Oxygenated fuels are known to reduce particulate matter(PM)emissions from diesel engines.In this study,100%soy methyl ester(SME)biodiesel fuel(B100)and a blend of 10%acetal denoted by A-diesel with diesel fuel were tested as oxygenated fuels.Particle size and number distributions from a diesel engine fueled with oxygenated fuels and base diesel fuel were measured using an Electrical Low Pressure Impactor(ELPI).Measurements were made at ten steady-state operational modes of various loads at two engine speeds.It was found that the geometric mean diameters of particles from SME and Adiesel were lower than that from base diesel fuel.Compared to diesel fuel,SME emitted more ultra-fine particles at rated speed while emitting less ultra-fine particles at maximum speed.Ultra-fine particle number concentrations of A-diesel were much higher than those of base diesel fuel at most test modes.

Experimental study on specific grinding energy and particle size distribution of maize grain,stover and cob

Reducing the particle size of biomass is of great significance for rational and efficient utilization of biomass.In this study,maize grain,stover,and cob were comminuted at different speeds(2000-2800 r/min)by hammer mill with a mesh size of 2.8 mm.The mechanical energy for smashing three selected samples was obtained directly through the sensor and data testing system.Experimental results demonstrated that the maize cob had the highest total specific energy while the maize grain had the lowest(135.83-181.10 kW·h/t and 27.08-36.23 kW·h/t,respectively).In addition,for the same material,higher hammer mill speed generated more specific energy consumption.And the effective specific energy of maize stover had a similar trend to the total specific one.However,the effective specific grinding energy of maize cob and grain increased initially and then decreased with the increase of rotating speed.The fitting curves of the specific energy to mill speeds were determined,and the range of determination coefficients of the regression equation was 0.933-0.996.Particle size distribution curves were drawn by sieving the pulverized particles of the three samples based on a series of standard sieves.Fourteen relevant parameters characterizing the particle size distribution were calculated according to the screening data.Calculation results demonstrated that larger rotational speed leads to smaller particle sizes.Combining the size parameters,distribution parameters,and shape parameters,it was found that the distributions of the three samples all exhibit a distribution of“well-graded fine-skewed mesokurtic”.The Rosin-Rammler function was considered to be suitable for characterizing the particle size distribution of maize grain,stover,and cob particles with a coefficient of determination between 0.930 and 0.992.

Particle size distribution in a granular bed filter

The effects of the filtering granule particle size and filtration superficial velocity on the dust particle size distribution in different layers of a granular bed system are discussed herein.A multilayer drawer granular bed filtration system was designed for these experiments based on filtering fly ash from a power plant.After a 1-h experiment,47.8% of dust particles smaller than 2.5μm,63.7% of dust particles smaller than 10μm,and 39.1% of dust particles larger than 10μm were captured by the granular bed(corresponding to initial volume fractions of 6%,19.3%,and 80.7%,respectively).Large dust particles were more easily trapped by the granular bed than small dust particles.Increasing the size of the filter granules and increasing the superficial velocity of the inlet flue gas were both effective ways to enhance the dust-holding capacity of the granular media throughout the granular bed.

Cerium dioxide with large particle size prepared by continuous precipitation

Cerium dioxide(CeO2) has attracted much attention and has wide applications such as automotive exhaust catalysts,polishing materials for optical glasses and additives for advanced glasses,as well as cosmetic materials.The particle size and its distribution are key factors to the performance of the materials in the functional applications.However,control of particle size is still a challenge in materials synthesis.Therefore,continuous precipitation of cerium oxalate(precursor of ceria) was carried out at different operational conditions such as reactant concentration,agitation speed,feeding rate and reaction temperature,and their effect on the particle size distribution,distribution width and morphology of cerium oxalate were investigated.The optimum conditions for preparing cerium oxalate with large particle size were determined based on orthogonal test as follows:[Ce(NO3)]=0.02 mol/L,agitation speed:200 r/min,feeding rate of solutions of cerium nitrate and oxalic acid:10 ml/min,reaction temperature:80 ℃.The results showed that the shape of cerium oxalate was sheet and the phase structure was amorphous.The median particle size of the final product was 27.60 μm,the particle size distribution width was very narrow and the micrograph was still sheet-like.Some attempts were made to explain the experimental phenomena in terms of agglomeration,disrupt,and precipitation kinetics.

Whether the Microemulsion is a Nano-pesticide: Exploration from the Perspective of Particle Size and Morphology

[Objectives] The paper was to explore whether the microemulsion is a nano-pesticide. [Methods] Several microemulsions commonly available on the market were studied from the perspective of particle size and morphological characteristics. With ZIF nano-pesticide prepared earlier as the control, the changes in particle size of microemulsions diluted at different concentrations and the microscopic morphology of dispersed particles were tested and compared by dynamic light scattering laser particle size analyzer combined with scanning electron microscope. [Results] Conventional microemulsions were in dynamic equilibrium, and the particle size changed irregularly after dilution at different concentrations. Especially under scanning electron microscope, the particle distribution of pesticide-bearing droplets were uneven after drying, with aggregation and precipitation of large particles, while the particle size of nano-pesticide changed little after dilution at different concentrations, ranging from 1 to 300 nm. Moreover, the microscopic morphology of nano-pesticide observed under scanning electron microscope was in monodisperse nano state, without aggregation. [Conclusions] The particle size measured by dynamic light scattering alone can not judge whether the microemulsion is a nanometer pesticide, and it is necessary to observe the microscopic disperse state and particle size distribution with the help of electron microscopy.