Session 3413

A Fluidized Bed Polymer Coating Experiment

Robert P. Hesketh, C. Stewart Slater, and Michael Carney

Department of Chemical Engineering

Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
2000 ASEE Annual Conference
Session 3413 ChE Laboratories in the Next Millennium
A unique experiment that can have a large impact on student learning and retention is the
fluidized bed polymer coating process. This experiment, first developed for a NSF Novel Process
Workshop, is a highly visual experiment in chemical engineering processes and experimentation.
In addition it the coating process is environmentally benign because it has essentially no volatile
emissions. The object of the experiment is to place a protective coating on a metal object. The
metal object is coated by first heating in a hot air stream and then dipping the object into a
fluidized bed of thermoplastic powder. The powder is contained within a clear plastic cylinder
(acrylic) with allows the students to see and feel the fluidization. At the end of the experiment,
students take home a metal object, of their choosing, covered with a brightly colored polymer.
This experiment can be used thoughout the curriculum. For recruitment at the precollege
and freshman level the fluid motion of the gas and particles can be observed through the clear
plastic walls of the fluidized bed. Using brightly colored particles gives the fluid bed the look of
an executive desk amusement. Prospective students and freshman can also feel the water like
quality of the bed using a rod or ruler. Freshman use the fluidized bed as an example of the
engineering measurements of flowrate, temperature, pressure and coating thickness. They design
an experiment to determine the desired coating thickness by varying the dipping time and
temperature of the object. Simple excel plots are produced from their experiments. Sophomores
measure pressure drop through the distributor plate to determine the relationship between
flowrate and pressure drop. In an advanced fluids class the fluidization regimes can be identified
from a pressure drop vs flowrate plot. For transport phenomena the combined heat and mass
transport can be examined.
This experiment is compact and cost-effective, the cost of fabricating the equipment for this
experiment is about $830. The colored polymer powder makes the experiment enjoyable to watch
and collect data. Student feedback has been extremely positive.
Keywords: fluidization, fluid bed, coating, laboratory experiments, recrutiment, vertical
integration, minimizatoin of volatile organic emission, environmental.

Introduction
The business of polymers is a major component of the process industry and represents a
significant area of opportunity for the chemical engineering profession. The field encompasses
many technologies, ranging from polymerization processes used for chemical production of
materials, to fabrication processes needed to transform the materials into usable products.
The use of polymers continues to expand. Advanced polymers are being developed for use in
emerging areas of technology such as medical devices, smart packaging systems, fuel cells, and
electronic device fabrication. Conventional plastics find extensive use as a material of construction
for many products common in daily life. Their low weight, resistance to weather and wear, and
economical production, make them attractive alternatives to glass, metal, and wood for use in
products ranging from food and beverage containers to recreational equipment to automobile
components to building materials.
Coating processes fall in the area of polymer fabrication technologies along with molding,
extrusion, casting, forming, and calendering. In parts that must be constructed of metal for
structural reasons, a plastic coating may be applied for decorative and/or functional purposes such
as electrical insulation, corrosion protection, and abrasion resistance.
Fluidized bed coating is a commercially important process which was developed for application of
plastic coatings on metal substrates. It provided the basis for more advanced powder processes
such as electrostatic coating and flame spraying. Dry powder coating processes use no solvents
and thus provide an environmentally friendly alternative to older techniques such as dipping,
brushing, and spraying. Fluidized bed coating is a novel process which offers the advantages of
efficient utilization of materials (near 100%), the ability to coat irregular shapes, high coating
rates, simple and inexpensive equipment requirements, process automation, and smooth and
continuous coating applications.
Fluidization Fundamentals
Fluidization finds application in many important industrial processes. Examples of
fluidization are given in the table below.
Table 1: Industrial Applications of Fluidized Beds
Polymeric Materials
gas phase polymerization of polyethylene
production of silicon for the semi-conductor
industry
Biochemical
cultivation of microorganisms for the food and
pharmaceutical industries
Chemical Synthesis
Phthalic Anhydride, Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis of
hydrocarbons, acrylonitrile, maleic anhydride,
activated carbon, calcination, roasting of sulfide

ores, chlorination, reduction,

fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) for production of
gasoline from oil
coal gasification
thermal cracking of naphtha petroleum fractions
to produce ethylene and propylene
Fluid Coking
coal combustion
solid waste incineration
steam raising
coating metal objects
drying of solids
Adsorption of solvents

Petroleum Processing

Combustion
Physical Operations

In fluidization, a gas or liquid is passed through a bed of solid particles which is supported on a
perforated or porous plate. In the case of fluidized bed coating, air is passed through a bed of
polymer particles. When the frictional force acting on the particles, or pressure drop, of the
flowing air through the bed equals or exceeds the weight of the bed, the powder particles become
suspended and the bed exhibits liquid-like behavior. As shown in the figure below, at gas flowrates
less than the fluidization velocity, the bed is a fixed bed and there is no movement of particles. At
flowrates above minimum fluidization the bed expands and bubbles appear.
Fixed or Packed Bed

Fluidized Bed

Bed Pressure Drop

The air velocity corresponding to a pressure

drop that just equals the weight of the bed is
referred to as the minimum fluidization
velocity. At this air velocity or flowrate all of
the bed particles are completely suspended
by the air stream. For a given system,
minimum fluidization velocity can be
determined from a pressure drop vs. air
velocity diagram.
As air flow is increased above the minimum
fluidization velocity, the bed may exhibit
behaviors ranging from smooth fluidization
to bubbling fluidization to dilute fluidization
in which powder can be transported by the
air stream. Smooth fluidization is desirable
for optimal performance in the powder
coating process.
The liquid-like nature of the fluidized
powder bed allows a metal object to easily
be dipped into it. The metal object is

Air Flowrate

LOW AIR
FLOWRATE
Fixed Bed

MODERATE
AIR
FLOWRATE
Minimum
Fluidization

Figure 1: Fluidization Regimes

HIGH AIR
FLOWRATE:
Bubbling
Fluidization

preheated to a temperature above the melting point of the polymer prior to being dipped. Powder
particles contact and fuse to the hot surface of the object when it enters the bed. Heat is
transferred from the object to the polymer, causing the polymer to melt and flow to form a
continuous layer. It is then allowed to cool. The coating may be reheated to achieve a smoother
finish. For a given object, the thickness of the coating is dependent on two process variables,
preheat temperature of the object, and the amount of time for which it is submersed in the powder
bed.
Scope & Objectives
The purpose of this experiment is to introduce students to basic measurements of temperature,
pressure, flowrate, film thickness using a fluidized bed coating unit. By conducting this
experiment you will also be introduced to the chemical engineering operation of fluidization. The
experiment is broken into two parts. The first is a demonstration of the basic fluidization regimes.
You will operate a laboratory fluidized bed and take measurements to generate a classical pressure
drop vs. flowrate diagram to determine the minimum fluidization flowrate for the system. During
this part of the exercise, you will get a chance to observe the behavior of the fluidized bed over a
wide range of air flowrates. In the second part of the experiment, the participants will be charged
with conducting coating trials to determine process conditions (preheat temperature & dip time)
necessary to achieve a specified coating thickness on sample objects.
Example Experimental Objectives for a Freshman Engineering Laboratory
1) Using a calibration curve, convert the rotameter readings in mms to a flowrate in mL/min.
2) Measure the temperature of an object using a bare wire thermocouple.
3) Measure the pressure of the inlet air stream using a Bourdon gauge.
4) Measure the pressure difference across a fixed and fluidized bed using a liquid filled
manometer.
5) Estimate the thickness of a polymer coating from a knowledge of the surface area of an object
and the masses of the coated and uncoated objects.
6) Determine the optimum temperature, dipping time and fluidization regime to obtain an
average coating of 0.025 inches.
7) Explain the effect of temperature and dipping time on the coating thickness of an object.
Experiment - Safety
1.
2.
3.

Specific hazards of this lab include the heating of metal objects to very high temperatures.
Wear appropriate gloves and use tongs where possible when handling these hot objects.
Exercise extreme caution in the use of heat guns.
Safety goggles or glasses are required since there is a possibility of fine powder, hot
objects or line breakages entering the eyes of the participants.
The polymer powder used in the coating process is very fine and will produce dust.
Loading of the fluid bed column should be done in a hood. A paper towel should be

4.

secured over the top of the column when operating at high air flow rates where
entrainment of the powder can occur.
Observe normal laboratory safety practices.

Relevant Data
Coating Material:
Functionalized polyethylene copolymer based powder
Polymer Density = = 0.934 g/cm3
Polymer Melting Point = 221F or 105C
Metal Substrate:
Steel Washer from Sears Hillman Brand 1/2 inch nominal size. Item
270067
(OD 1.376 in, ID 0.563 in, thickness 0.117 in)
Substrate Surface Area = 3.19 in2 = 20.6 cm2
Required Equipment:
The fluidized bed can be fabricated from clear plastic (acrylic) tubing and sheets. The clear plastic
tube is glued to a flat sheet flange and a rubber gasket material is used to seal the distributor plate
to the unit. The distributor plate is a polyethylene porous sheet manufactured specifically for heat
treating fluidized beds. This plate can be obtained from POREX Technologies. The drop
mechanism for the metal samples was fabricated by bending stainless steel tubing into a U-shape
and running a thin metal cable through the center of the tubing. An attachment device is placed at
one end to hook a wire loop to it and the other end has an adjustable stop. The wire is weighted
using washers to obtain a fast drop into the fluidbed. The remaining components shown in Figure
2 are standard laboratory units given in the table below.

Figure 2: Experimental Apparatus

Table 2: Parts List for Fluidized Bed

Fluidized Bed Unit: Fabricated by Pemm Corp., Chelsea Industrial Park, Brockway
Road, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. Phone: (914) 831-5828
Polyethylene Porous Distributor Plate was obtained from POREX Technologies, 800565-8777, www.porex.com
Rotameter
Heat Gun
Handheld Thermometer
Ring Stand
Polyarmor Powder (3 lb Sample)- PFS Thermoplastic Powder Coatings, 3400 West 7th,
Big spring, TX 79720. www.powder-coating.com or email pfs-a@xroadstx.com.
Telephone 800-753-5263
Three-Prong Extension Clamps (Two)
Tilt Stand (for thermometer)
Stopwatch
U-Tube Manometer,
Castaloy Clamp Regular Holder
Plastic Tubing for air lines
Electronic Balance
Metal samples and disposable hanging wire
Experimental Procedure - Part I: Investigation of Fluidization Regimes

$140

$220
$139
$99
$47.32
$40
$20.18 (each)
$15
$11.95
$40.46
$9.72
$25.36

The first experiment in the freshman laboratory is to have the students investigate the flow
regimes of the fluidized bed. In these experiment they identify the equipment and identify the
point of incipient fluidization. They are asked to place a ruler into the fluidized bed and feel the
difference between a slumped bed (no air flow) and a fully fluidized bed. Students always marvel
at the fluid like behaviour of particles. The next step is to obtain a fluidization curve of bed
pressure drop as a function of air flowrate shown below. In addition, they make a plot of bed
height as afunction of air velocity. In this experiment the freshman uses several measurement
devices: air pressure gauge, rotameter, ruler, and a U-tube manometer.
At the end of the laboratory the students submit the following:
1. Fluidization chart (graph). (This includes bed pressure and height vs. flowrate.)
2. Show the value of the minimum fluidization velocity that you have determined on your graph.
3. Laboratory notebook yellow sheets containing data and a sample calculation of the flowrate.
4. Sample calculation of step 2 in the next experiment.

Determination of Minimum Fluidization

Bed Pressure Drop (in H2O)

3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
0.00E+00

1.00E-04

2.00E-04

3.00E-04

4.00E-04

5.00E-04

Flowrate (m3/s)

Figure 3: Determination of Minimum Fluidization

Experiment - Part II : Polymer Coating

0.035

121C
149C

0.030

y = 3.55E-03x - 1.02E-03

y = 4.18E-03x + 3.46E-05

177C
Linear (149C)

0.025
Coating Thickness (in)

The next part of the

experiment is where the
students coat the metal
samples. The students are
told that a metal part is to
be used in an application
where the rate of heat
transfer through the part is
critical. The environment
to which the part is
exposed requires that the
part be coated with
polyethylene to protect
against corrosion.
Increasing the coating
thickness increases

Linear (121C)
Linear (177C)

0.020
y = 2.33E-03x + 3.05E-04

0.015

0.010

0.005

0.000
0

10

12

Dipping Time (s)

Figure 4: Example of Student Coating Thickness Results

corrosion protection, but decreases heat transfer rate. Initial calculations indicate that a coating
thickness of 0.025 inches + .001 inches will maximize corrosion protection while allowing for an
adequate heat transfer rate.
Based on this problem statement the students conduct a series of pilot runs in the fluidized bed
coating system to determine values for the process variables (pre-heat temperature and dip time)
which will produce the desired coating thickness. To examine the behaviour of the coating
process they conduct runs of constant temperature and constant time. They are given a range of
temperatures that start below the melting point of the polymer (221F) and extend to 450F. The
dip time ranges between 2 and 10 s.
The students determine an average coating thickness from the following formula m c At .
Where m c is the mass of the polymer coating, is the density of the coating, A is the area and t
is the desired thickness. The mass of the coating is determined by difference using the electronic
balance. A wire is attached to the sample and place on the hook to dip and remove the sample
from the fluidized bed. The sample is heated using the heat gun, to a temperature approximately
10-15 F above the desired temperature. Then the sample is dropped in to the fluidized bed and
then removed. After the sample has cooled the wire is removed and the coated sample is weighed
using the electronic balance. To give the sample a more attractive finish it can be reheated to
obtain a smooth finish.
An example of the student data is shown in the figure below. The find that the coating thickness
can be increased by increasing either the coating temperature and time. Many students also find
out that if they use a temperature near or below the melting point of the polymer that the polymer
particles do not coat the metal object!
At the end of this laboratory the students are asked to submit the following:
1. Summary graph of data from coating experiment. (See step 14).
2. Summary paragraph on the effect of temperature and dipping time on the coating thickness.
Include in this paragraph the prediction of a time and temperature that would result in a
coating thickness of 0.05 inches.
3. Laboratory Notebook yellow sheets containing data, and sample calculations (showing units).
This laboratory is both a meaningful and fun activity. Students practice principles of measurement
and learn about fluidization, coating and environmental principles. The students also have a lot of
fun coating objects. In addition to the standard samples, students have coated their keys and
flashlights made in an earlier lab.
References
1. Rodriguez, F: Principles of Polymer Systems, Hemisphere Publishing Corporation,
Washington, 1982
2. Kunii, D. and Levenspiel, O.: Fluidization Engineering, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston,
1991

3. Narkis, M. and Rosenzweig, N. (ed.): Polymer Powder Technology, Wiley, Chichester, 1995
4. McCabe, W.L., Smith, J.C., and Harriott, P: Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering,
McGraw-Hill, 1985
5. Gaynor, J.: Chemical Engineering Progress, vol. 56, no. 7, p.75 (1960)
6. Handbook of Plastics, Elastomers, and Composites, by Charles A. Harper Ed., 3rd ed.
McGraw-Hill, New York (1996). page 6.38.
Rotameter Calibration Data Gilmont: GF-5541-1700, SS float,
N044-40 tube
Rotamete r: Gilmont GF-5541-1700, SS float, N044-40 tube

Flow
(L/min)

10

2.397

20

6.095

30

7.772

40

10.495

40

50

13.353

35

60

16.263

70

19.139

80

22.059

y = 0.2784x
R2 = 0.9989

45

30
Air Flowrate (l/min)

Scale
Reading

25
Series1
Linear (Series1)

20

15

10

0
0

20

40

60

80

100

Rotameter Reading (mm)

120

140

160

90

24.96

100

28.001

110

30.923

120

33.904

130

36.48

140

39.213

150

41.512

Example Laboratory Notebook Setup

Date
Freshman Engineering Clinic Section X
Title: Fluidized Bed Powder Coating Experiment
Experiment - Part I: Investigation of Fluidization Regimes
Flowmeter Reading
(scale reading)
100
80
70
60
50
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Plate + Bed Pressure

Drop (in H2O)

Bed Expansion (from

air flow) (inches)

Group Member Names

Observations of Bubbles

(Leave space here for sample calculations. See first page for instructions on using the laboratory notebook. Start the table
below on a new page.)
Experiment - Part II : Polymer Coating
Sample # Pre-heat Temperature (C) Dip Time (s) Un-Coated Weight (g) Coated Weight (g) Net Weight of Coating (g) Calculated Thickness (in)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9