LECTURE 1

SIEVING OR SCREENING
OUTLINE
 Introduction to particulate solids
 Characterization of solid particles
 Particle size
 Screen analysis
 INTRODUCTION
 Large quantities of particles handled on the industrial scale is
frequently define as a whole
 Thus, it is necessary to know the distribution of particle sizes
in the mixture and able to define their mean size which
represents the behaviour of the particulate mass as a whole
 It is frequently necessary to reduce the size of particles or
form them into aggregates or sinters to ease the handling
process
 Sometimes it might necessary to mix two or more solids, or
sometimes need to separate a mixture into its own component
or according to the sizes of the particles
 Important operations relating to systems of particles include
storage in hoppers, flow through orifices and pipes, and
metering of flows
 CHARACTERIZATION OF SOLID
PARTICLES

 Individual solid particles are characterized by:

(a) Shape – regular – e.g. spherical or cubical

irregular – e.g. a piece of broken glass

(b) Size – influence the properties such as :

- the surface per unit volume
- the settling rate of particle in fluid

(c) composition - determines properties such as density and

conductivity
 PARTICLE SHAPE
 The shape of an individual particle is expressed in terms
of sphericity, which is independent of particle size

- For spherical particle of diameter Dp;

=1

- For nonspherical particle;

(1)

 Dp = nominal diameter of particle

 Sp = surface area of one particle
 Vp = volume of one particle
- For most of crush materials
0.6 < > 0.8

-For particles rounded by abrasion;

> 0.95

- For a cube and cylinder;

=1

Source ; Unit Operation of Chemical Engineering (McCabe,Smith &

Harriot) ( Table 7.1 page 164)
 PARTICLE SIZE
Mixed particle sizes

In a sample of uniform particles of diameter Dp the number

of particles in a sample ,N is given by;

(2)

From Eq. (1) and (2), the total surface area of particle sample, A can
be computed by

(3)

These equation applicable to mixtures of particles having various sizes

and densities, the mixture is sorted into fractions, each of constant
density and approximately constant size
Specific surface of mixture

The specific surface, Aw ( the total surface area of a unit

mass of particles) if and are constant is given by;

(4)

where subscripts = individual increments

= mass fraction in a given increment
= number of increments
= average particle diameter, taken as arithmetic
average of smallest and largest particle
diameters in increment
Average particle size

Volume-surface mean diameter ( )

The volume-surface mean diameter, is related to the Aw is

given by
(5)

By substituting Eq. (4) in Eq. (5);

(6)
Arithmetic mean diameter ( )

where is the number of particles in the entire sample

Mass mean diameter ( )

Volume mean diameter ( )

By dividing the total volume of the sample with the number of

particles in the mixture, gives the average volume of a particle

The diameter of such a particle is the volume mean

diameter

*For samples consisting of uniform particles, these average

diameters are all the same. For mixtures containing
particles of various sizes, however the several average
diameters may differ widely from one another.
Number of particles in mixture
For a given particle shape, the volume of any particle is proportional
to its “diameter” cubed or

where a is the volume shape factor.

Unlike , it is different for various regular solids which are;

(1)0.5236 for a sphere

(2)0.785 for a short cylinder (height = diameter)
(3)1.0 for a cube.

Assuming a is independent of size,

Sieves or screens are used on a large scale for the separation of particles
according to their sizes, and on a small scale for the production of
closely graded materials in carrying out size analyses. The method is
applicable for particles of a size as small as about 50 µm, but not for
very fine materials because of the difficulty of producing accurately
woven fine gauze of sufficient strength, and the fact that the screens
become clogged. Woven wire cloth is generally used for fine sizes and
perforated plates for the larger meshes. Some large industrial screens
are formed either from a series of parallel rods or from H-shaped
links bolted together, though square or circular openings are more
usual. Screens may be operated on both a wet or a dry basis. With
coarse solids the screen surface may be continuously washed by means
of a flowing stream of water which tends to keep the particles apart, to
remove the finer particles from the surface of larger particles and to
keep the screen free of adhering materials. Fine screens are normally
operated wet, with the solids fed continuously as a suspension.
Concentrated suspensions, particularly when flocculated, have high
effective viscosities and frequently exhibit shear-thinning non
Newtonian characteristics. By maintaining a high cross-flow velocity over
the surface of the screen, or by rapid vibration, the apparent viscosity
of the suspension may be reduced and the screening rate substantially
increased.
The only large screen that is hand operated is the grizzly. This has a plane
screening surface composed of longitudinal bars up to 3 m long, fixed in a
rectangular framework. In some cases, a reciprocating motion is imparted
to alternate bars so as to reduce the risk of clogging. The grizzly is usually
inclined at an angle to the horizontal and the greater the angle then the
greater is the throughput although the screening efficiency is reduced.
If the grizzly is used for wet screening, a very much smaller angle is
employed, In some screens, the longitudinal bars are replaced by a
perforated plate. Mechanically operated screens are vibrated by means of
an electromagnetic device as shown in Figure 1.40, or mechanically as
shown in Figure 1.41. In the former case the screen itself is vibrated, and
in the latter, the whole assembly. Because very rapid accelerations and
retardations are produced, the power consumption and the wear on the
bearings are high. These screens are sometimes mounted in a multi-deck
fashion with the coarsest screen on top, either horizontally or inclined at
angles up to 45◦. With the horizontal machine, the vibratory motion fulfils
the additional function of moving the particles across the screen. The
screen area which is required for a given operation cannot be predicted
without testing the material under similar conditions on a small plant. In
particular, the tendency of the material to clog the screening surface can
only be determined experimentally.
A very large mechanically operated screen is the trommel, shown in
Figure 1.42, which consists of a slowly rotating perforated cylinder with
its axis at a slight angle to the horizontal. The material to be screened is
fed in at the top and gradually moves down the screen and passes over
apertures of gradually increasing size, with the result that all the
material has to pass over the finest screen. There is therefore a tendency
for blockage of the apertures by the large material and for oversize
particles to be forced through. Further, the relatively fragile fine screen
is subjected to the abrasive action of the large particles.
 Magnetic separators

In the magnetic separator, material is passed through the field of an

electromagnet which causes the retention or retardation of the magnetic
constituent. It is important that the material should be supplied as a thin
sheet in order that all the particles are subjected to a field of the same
intensity and so that the free movement of individual particles is not
impeded. The two main types of equipment are:
(a) Eliminators, which are used for the removal of small quantities of
magnetic material from the charge to a plant.
(b) Concentrators, which are used for the separation of magnetic ores
from the accompanying mineral matter.
 SCREENING EQUIPMENT
 Gyrating screen-
The feed is inserted from the top and
gyratory motion triggers the penetration of
particles into the next deck through screen
openings. Casings are inclined at relatively
low angles (< 15°) to the horizontal plane.
 STATIONARY SCREEN
 A large-capacity screening or sorting appliance
for coal or ore. It consists of a series of heavy
metal bars arranged side by side and spaced at a
definite distance apart. The bars are set at an
angle so that material delivered at the upper end
will just slide, and chutes are arranged to
receive oversize at the lower end and undersize
passing between the bars. The stationary bar
screen is still used at many small mines.
 GRIZZLIES SCREEN
 Vibrating screen that is placed between a
vibrating feeder and a primary crusher. Most
often used for pre-screening, the typical
feed materials that require grizzly screens
versus the typical vibrating screen are very
coarse aggregates.
 SCREEN ANALYSIS
 Used to measure the size of particles in the size range
between 3- 0.0015 in.(76 mm and 38µm)

 A set of standard screens is arranged serially in a stack, with

the smallest mesh at the bottom and the largest at the top

 The sample is placed on the top screen and the stack shaken
mechanically for 20 min

 The particles retained on each screen are removed and

weighed, and the masses of the individual screen increments
are converted to mass fractions or mass percentages of the
total sample

 Any particles that pass the finest screen are caught in a pan
at the bottom of the stack
 SIEVE TRAYS
Pan (the finest particles
retained here)

Sieve
(different
mesh size)

Sieve trays
were put on
a stack
(shaker)
Screen Analysis Table
 Column 1 – mesh size

 Column 2 – width of opening of the screens

 Column 3 – the mass fraction of the total sample that is retained on

the designated screen

 Xi – i is the number of the screen starting at the bottom of the

stack; thus i = 1 for the pan, and screen i + 1 is the screen
immediately above screen I

 Column 4 – average particle diameter Dpi in each increment

 Column 5 – cumulative fraction smaller than each value of Dpi

 In screen analysis, cumulative fractions are sometimes written

starting at the top of the stack and express as the fraction larger
than a given size
THANK YOU