Saint Louis University

School of Engineering & Architecture

Department of Chemical Engineering

Code: _____2476___________ Reporter: ___Aes, Marice P._______________

Course No.: ___CHE 512_____ Members: __ Baccay,April Ellen B.__________
Schedule: _7:30-10:30 TTH____ __ Habon, Marjun A._____________
Group No.: _______1_________ __Montes, John Michael S._________
___Obillo , Argyl Shiera D._________

Date Performed: ___August 14, 2017______________

Date Submitted: ___ August 16,2017______________

Experiment No.: ____1________

Experiment Title: ___Screening__________________________________________________

CRITERIA POINTS SCORE

1. Report Format and Neatness
2. Objectives
3. Theoretical Background
4. Equipment and Apparatus
a. List of Equipment and apparatus and its uses
b. Experimental Set-up
5. Procedure
6. Data and Results
7. Interpretation of Results
8. Recommendations and Conclusions
9. Sample Computations
10. Answers to Study Questions
11. Appendices
a. Graphs Accompanying Data and Results
b. References
TOTAL

Instructor: __Engr. Jonalyn Andong Kimpay___________________

1
 I. OBJECTIVES

1. To separate a mixture of a certain substance into uniform particle sizes using the method

of screening.

2. To obtain the differential and cumulative screen analysis of a given sample.

3. To show graphically the relationship of the particle diameter with the mass fraction, and

particle size with cumulative mass fraction.

4. To characterize a sample by determining the specific surface, particle population, and

average particle size of a sample mixture.

II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Mechanical Screening, or oftentimes called Screening, is a unit operation performed in large

numbers of chemical processes and manufacturing. Screening is the process of separating granulated

materials and dividing it into multiple grades depending on the particle sizes. Using the size of the screen

opening the large particles are separated from the smaller particles. The screening process can be

applied in different industries, namely; agriculture, pharmaceuticals, food industries, wastewater

treatments, and many others.

Screening is separated into two categories, the dry screening and the wet screening.

Furthermore, screening machines are separated into moving screen and static screen machines, as well

as by whether the screens are horizontal or inclined. A screening machine is made up of a drive that

induces vibration, a screen cloth that separates the particles based on their size, and the deck, usually

called the sieve series, to hold the screen. Usually, the mesh is cleaned using a brush, therefore it does

not need a cleaning device.

2
 Figure 2.1 Application of Screening in Mineral Processing

Retrieved from: https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/s creening.png

There are different factors that make screening practical for example, vibration, bed and particle

density, and the characteristics of the materials. Electrostatic forces can also be a hindrance in the

efficiency of screening, for example, if moisture caused the materials to stick or clog, or if the material is

dry and it ends up generating a charge causing it to stick to the screen itself. There are different

properties that accompany different type of screening for different purposes. There are different type of

motions, cloth type for the screens and other properties that lead to advantages and disadvantages. The

most important factor that affects screening performance is the type of material to be screened particles

in dry bulk. Materials can be found in different shapes, sizes, surface area, densities, and amount of

moisture. Each of the materials condition should be accounted when assessing the screen performance

since different materials have different effects on different types of screens.

Different terminologies and principles are necessary to further understand the concept of

screening. First is vibration. Vibration is necessary in screening since is the motion or driving force that

initiated the movement of particles through the openings of the screens for the separation to happen.

3
Vibration can happen in an angled plane relative to the horizontal or at near level plane at low angles.

The principle of gravity is also essential in the screening process. Gravity allows the movement of the

particles downward causing it to fall on a lower level. Gravity also causes the particles to pass through

the screen cloth.

In screening, the sieve containing the materials to be screened is subjected to some kind of

vibrating motion, either reciprocating or gyratory in the horizontal plane, or shaken with a reciprocating

motion. The particles will then pass through the screen, leaving the large particles that cannot pass

through the screen. This will continue at a certain rate until all but the smallest particles closest to the

opening size is separated. The duration of the shaking to finish the separation is roughly proportional to

the amount of material placed on the sieve. The most commonly used to measure the efficiency of a

screen is the cumulative weight of the material that passed the screen per time interval, compared to the

amount of material.

For this

experiment, a

sieve shaker is used to

screen the material that

is used.

Figure 2.2 Parts of a Sieve Series

4
 Retrieved from: https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/Sieve-Analysis-

Explained.png

The sieve shaker is commonly used in screening to expose the particles to all the opening in each

sieve in a sieve series. The sieve with the largest mesh is usually placed at the top with the sieves under

it having a smaller mesh size. The number of sieves in a sieve series or shaker varies depending on the

industry or its application. The motion of a sieve shaker is circular. Usually, screens with circular motion

are the most common type of screening equipment. Like the sieve shaker, the first mechanical shakers

were made of a rotating circular table and a hammer. The effectiveness of a sieve shaker can be related

to the characteristics of the material to be screened.

One of the applications of screening is in the wastewater treatment. Screening is one of the

processes involved in the preliminary treatment of wastewater, together with comminution and grit

removal. The purpose of screening in the wastewater treatment is to remove the large particles like

stones, twigs, and others that could hinder that remaining unit operation in wastewater treatment. It

protects other parts of the treatment process from abrasion and other types of obstruction. Different

types of screens are also used in the wastewater treatment for example, fine screens, medium screens,

and coarse screens.

III. EQUIPMENT AND APPARATUS

A. List of Equipment and apparatus and its uses

List of Equipments Used Major/ Minor

1. Analytical Balance Weighing of chalk, constant weighing of Major

the pan and used in determine the weight
of the sieves after screening

5
2. Mortar and Pestle Crushing and grinding of chalk until the Major
desired particle size.

3. Sieve Shaker Screen the grinded chalk and determination Major

of the average particle size.

4. Brush Used in removing the chalk remains in the Minor

sieve series and shaker.

Table 3.1 List of Equipment and Uses

6
B. Experimental Set-up

Figure 3.1 Preparations of Materials

7
 Figure 3.2 Screening Process

IV. PROCEDURE

Firstly, before the experiment, the amount of chalk to be used for the experiment was

assigned for each group. 600 grams of chalk were used for this experiment. The chalk was

weighed using the analytical balance. Afterwards, the chalk were crushed using the mortar

and pestle and were placed inside a plastic bag. To start the use of the sieve, the individual

screens comprising the entire series were cleaned using a brush. After cleaning the screens,

each screen were weighed individually using the analytical balance and the reading for each

screen was recorded. The individual screens were nested together with the coarser at the top

and the finest at the bottom. The bottom pan and the top cover were placed in order to

complete the set. The 600 grams of chalk was placed inside the top screen and was covered.

The screen set-up was placed on the sieve shaker and after setting the time to 15 minutes,

the start button was pushed.

8
 After 15 minutes, the stop button was pushed to stop the sieve shaker. Next, the bottom

pan was removed and weighed. The value was recorded and the bottom pan was once again

placed into the series and the shaking was repeated for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the

bottom pan was once again removed and weighed, the value was recorded and after

recording, the pan was again placed into the series and the shaking was repeated. The

shaking and weighing were repeated until the weight of the bottom pan became constant.

The constant weight of the bottom pan indicated that the separation was complete. After

constant weighing, the sieves were disassembled and the individual fractions were weighed

by difference. Finally, the weight of the substance retained in each screen was recorded and

the total time for screening was also recorded.

After the experiment, the necessary values required for the experiment were calculated

and was presented in table form. A plot screen analysis showing different relationships

between variables were also done and presented.

9
 V. DATA AND RESULTS

Mass of chalk before crushing: 600.41g Total time of screening: 1hr

Mass of chalk before screening: 598.26g Total time of screening including
Mass of chalk after screening: 593.86g weighing: 1hr and 5mins.

Screen Screen Ave Mass Fraction, Cumulative Apertur

Mesh Opening Dpi Xi Mass e
Dpi, mm Fraction
Sample Sample smaller cm Micrometre
larger than than size noted
size noted
8 2.36 1.88 0.89 0.89 0.11 0.0795 795
14 1.4 1.055 .0236 0.9136 0.0864 0.0404 434
25 0.71 0.605 0.0811 0.9947 5.3x10*-3 0.0310 310
35 0.50 - 2.6942x10*-4 0.9950 5.0306x10*-3 0.0225 225
pan - - 4.9170x10*-3 0.9999 8.3x10*-5 - -
Data:
Screen Mesh Wt. without chalk Wt. with chalk Wt. of chalk
8 464.10 992.62 528.52
14 429.88 443.92 14.04
25 402.79 451.01 48.22
35 391.41 391.57 0.16
pan 494.11 497.03 2.92
Total: 593.86

Constant Weighing Trials

1 - 496.83 6 - 497.80
2 - 497.17 7 - 497.87
3 - 497.39 8 - 497.97
4 - 497.58 9 - 498.02
5 - 497.65 10 - 498.03

VI. INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

Plotting the data between the sizes of the particle versus the mass fraction of the material

retained in the screen, see Figure 10.1. It means that this variable is directly proportional to each other

because theres no linear relationship between them.

By measuring the weights of particles retained in each sieve after vibration the percentage of

weight passing through in each sieve is calculated. The sieve is arranged with decreasing aperture and on

10
the data obtained we observe that the recovery rate is high which means that the CaCO3 was crushed

properly.

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations

The students were able to observe and understand the screening method upon

performing the experiment. In line with that, the students have come up with different

recommendations in order to run the experiment smoothly. The students proposed that the stack

of the sieves on the Sieve Shaker must be locked precisely to avoid them from moving away

during the shaking process. The screen on the sieves should also be cleaned thoroughly in order

to remove all the chalk particles for more accurate results. It is also recommended to clean the

area around the digital scale balance to get accurate readings and avoid the environmental

effects. Furthermore, a brush can be used to gently wipe the screen. This experiment looks very

simple; however, several factors must have to be taken into account to avoid errors and to obtain

more precise results.

Conclusions

Screening is a significant method for separation of materials on the basis of size for it is a

means of preparing a product for subsequent operation. Hence, this particular experiment is of

great importance since the students were able to separate a mixture of a certain substance which

is the chalk and determine its characteristics. Through this experiment, the differential and

cumulative screen analysis of a given sample was obtained. Also, the students were able to show

the relationship of the particle diameter with the mass fraction and particle size with cumulative

mass fraction. It is therefore concluded that the size diameter of a particle affects the mean

diameter in terms of length, surface, and volume. It can also be deduced that the particle size is

directly proportional to the mass fraction of the material retained in the screen since there is

11
 linear relationship between them. Comparing the cumulative analysis and differential analysis,

methods based on the cumulative analysis are more precise.

VIII. SAMPLE COMPUTATIONS

Average D pi

2.36 +1.40
Screen Mesh 8: = =1.88 mm
2

Screen Mesh 14: = 1.055 mm

Screen Mesh 25: = 0.605 mm

Aperture
Aperture +Opening ,
1=Mesh Number

Screen Mesh 8: 1=8 ( Apertue+0.937 )

Aperture=0.0313 0.0795 cm=795 m

Screen Mesh 14: Aperture=0.0404 cm=404 m

Screen Mesh 25: Aperture=0.0310 cm=310 m

Screen Mesh 35: Aperture=0.0225 cm=225 m

13.)

GIVEN:

= 0.00161 g/mm2

s = 1

12
REQUIRED:

a.) Aw

b.) Ds

c.) No. of particles

SOLUTION:

a. Specific Surface

6 Xi
Aw = ( )
( Sphericity )( Density of Particle ) ( Average Dpi ) Dpi

1.88+1.055+0.605
Dpi= =1. 18 mm
3
2
6 0.89 0.0236 0.0811 mm
Aw= ( + +
( 1 )( .00161 ) ( 1.18 mm ) 1.88 1.055 0.605 )
=1989.12573
g

b. Volume- Surface Mean Diameter

6
Ds=
( Sphericity ) ( Aw )( Average Dpi )

6
Ds= =1.8735 mm
( 1 ) (1989.12573 )( 1.18 )

c. Number of Particles

Mesh 8

4 3 3
Vp= r =3. 4791 mm
3

m 528.52 g
N= = =94 355. 8081
Vp( Density of Particle ) (3.4791)(0.00161)

Mesh 14

4
Vp= r 3=0.6148 mm3
3

13
 m 14.04 g
N= = =14 184. 2825
Vp(Density of Particle ) (0.6148)( 0.00161)

Mesh 25

4
Vp= r 3=0.1159 mm3
3

m 48.22 g
N= = =258 415.104
Vp(Density of Particle ) (0.1159)(0.00161)

Total Number of Particles using Average Dpi

4
Vp= r 3=0.8603 mm3
3

m 593.86 g
N= = =428754.0891
Vp( Density of Particle ) (0.8603)(0.00161)

IX. ANSWER TO STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What is the significance of screening?

Screening serves many purposes, for example scalping, separation of fines and coarse,

dewatering, de-sliming and trash removal. Some typical examples of screening operation are:

Removal of tramp metal or large chunks from product (quality assurance), grading of sand to

make various grades of sandpaper, separation of fines from detergents, separating coffee beans

from chaff, classification of flour based on size, removing clusters of plastic pellets from prime

product, and removing fines from a grinding circuit to reduce energy consumption. Each of these

and other screening applications has particular challenges and performance requirements.

2. Give examples of industries in which screening is very useful.

14
 There are many industries in which screening is very useful such as: Pharmaceutical,

Food & Beverage, Shot Peening, Aggregate, Laundry, Plastic, Brick & Clay, Powdered Metals, and

Ceramics.

3. Differentiate aperture, mesh number and screen interval.

Aperture is a notional size at which it is intended to divide a feed by a screening

operation. A mesh is the numerical value that indicates the number of openings per linear inch

while a screen interval is the relationship between successively decreasing openings in a standard

screen series.

X. APPENDICES

A. Graphs Accompanying Data and Results

Figure 10.1 Mass Fractions vs. Ave. Particle Size

15
 Figure 10.2 Cumulative mass fractions smaller than Dpi vs Ave. Particle Size

B. References

Sullivan, J.F. (2012). Screening Theory and Practice. Retrieved

from:http://www.sssdynamics.com/wp-content/themes/va/pdf/screeningtheory.pdf

Wolff, E. (1954, September). Screening Principles and Applications. Retrieved

from:http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie50537a024

Earle, E.R. (1983). Unit Operations in Food Processing. Retrieved from:

http://www.nzifst.org.nz/unitoperations/mechseparation6.htm

Mechanical Screening. Retrieved from:http://tractors.wikia.com/wiki/Mechanical_screening

Screening. Retrieved from:http://www.lenntech.com/library/clarification/clarification/screening.htm

16