Showing papers on "Particle-size distribution published in 2017"

Airborne particle emission of a commercial 3D printer: the effect of filament material and printing temperature.

Abstract: The knowledge of exposure to the airborne particle emitted from three-dimensional (3D) printing activities is becoming a crucial issue due to the relevant spreading of such devices in recent years. To this end, a low-cost desktop 3D printer based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) principle was used. Particle number, alveolar-deposited surface area, and mass concentrations were measured continuously during printing processes to evaluate particle emission rates (ERs) and factors. Particle number distribution measurements were also performed to characterize the size of the emitted particles. Ten different materials and different extrusion temperatures were considered in the survey. Results showed that all the investigated materials emit particles in the ultrafine range (with a mode in the 10–30-nm range), whereas no emission of super-micron particles was detected for all the materials under investigation. The emission was affected strongly by the extrusion temperature. In fact, the ERs increase as the extrusion temperature increases. Emission rates up to 1×1012 particles min−1 were calculated. Such high ERs were estimated to cause large alveolar surface area dose in workers when 3D activities run. In fact, a 40-min-long 3D printing was found to cause doses up to 200 mm2.

Particle breakage and deformation of carbonate sands with wide range of densities during compression loading process

Abstract: In this technical note, evolutions of the particle size distribution, particle breakage, volume deformation and input work of carbonate sands with varying relative densities were investigated through performing a series of one-dimensional compression tests. Loading stress levels ranged from 0.1 to 3.2 MPa. It was found that the initial relative density could greatly affect the magnitude of particle size distribution, particle breakage, volume deformation and input work. Particularly, it was observed that the specimen at a lower relative density underwent much more particle breakage than that at a higher relative density. This could be attributed to the change of the coordination number with the initial density. However, a unique linear relationship between the particle breakage and input work per volume could be obtained, which is independent of the initial relative density.

Adequacy of laser diffraction for soil particle size analysis.

Abstract: Sedimentation has been a standard methodology for particle size analysis since the early 1900s. In recent years laser diffraction is beginning to replace sedimentation as the prefered technique in some industries, such as marine sediment analysis. However, for the particle size analysis of soils, which have a diverse range of both particle size and shape, laser diffraction still requires evaluation of its reliability. In this study, the sedimentation based sieve plummet balance method and the laser diffraction method were used to measure the particle size distribution of 22 soil samples representing four contrasting Australian Soil Orders. Initially, a precise wet riffling methodology was developed capable of obtaining representative samples within the recommended obscuration range for laser diffraction. It was found that repeatable results were obtained even if measurements were made at the extreme ends of the manufacturer's recommended obscuration range. Results from statistical analysis suggested that the use of sample pretreatment to remove soil organic carbon (and possible traces of calcium-carbonate content) made minor differences to the laser diffraction particle size distributions compared to no pretreatment. These differences were found to be marginally statistically significant in the Podosol topsoil and Vertosol subsoil. There are well known reasons why sedimentation methods may be considered to 'overestimate' plate-like clay particles, while laser diffraction will 'underestimate' the proportion of clay particles. In this study we used Lin's concordance correlation coefficient to determine the equivalence of laser diffraction and sieve plummet balance results. The results suggested that the laser diffraction equivalent thresholds corresponding to the sieve plummet balance cumulative particle sizes of < 2 μm, < 20 μm, and < 200 μm, were < 9 μm, < 26 μm, < 275 μm respectively. The many advantages of laser diffraction for soil particle size analysis, and the empirical results of this study, suggest that deployment of laser diffraction as a standard test procedure can provide reliable results, provided consistent sample preparation is used.

The integral suspension pressure method (ISP) for precise particle-size analysis by gravitational sedimentation

Abstract: The particle-size distribution (PSD) of a soil expresses the mass fractions of various sizes of mineral particles which constitute the soil material. It is a fundamental soil property, closely related to most physical and chemical soil properties and it affects almost any soil function. The experimental determination of soil texture, i.e., the relative amounts of sand, silt, and clay-sized particles, is done in the laboratory by a combination of sieving (sand) and gravitational sedimentation (silt and clay). In the latter, Stokes' law is applied to derive the particle size from the settling velocity in an aqueous suspension. Traditionally, there are two methodologies for particle-size analysis from sedimentation experiments: the pipette method and the hydrometer method. Both techniques rely on measuring the temporal change of the particle concentration or density of the suspension at a certain depth within the suspension. In this paper, we propose a new method which is based on the pressure in the suspension at a selected depth, which is an integral measure of all particles in suspension above the measuring depth. We derive a mathematical model which predicts the pressure decrease due to settling of particles as function of the PSD. The PSD of the analyzed sample is identified by fitting the simulated time series of pressure to the observed one by inverse modeling using global optimization. The new method yields the PSD in very high resolution and its experimental realization completely avoids any disturbance by the measuring process. A sensitivity analysis of different soil textures demonstrates that the method yields unbiased estimates of the PSD with very small estimation variance and an absolute error in the clay and silt fraction of less than 0.5%.

Validation of a particle tracking analysis method for the size determination of nano- and microparticles.

Abstract: Particle tracking analysis (PTA) is an emerging technique suitable for size analysis of particles with external dimensions in the nano- and sub-micrometre scale range. Only limited attempts have so far been made to investigate and quantify the performance of the PTA method for particle size analysis. This article presents the results of a validation study during which selected colloidal silica and polystyrene latex reference materials with particle sizes in the range of 20 nm to 200 nm were analysed with NS500 and LM10-HSBF NanoSight instruments and video analysis software NTA 2.3 and NTA 3.0. Key performance characteristics such as working range, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, sensitivity, robustness, precision and trueness were examined according to recommendations proposed by EURACHEM. A model for measurement uncertainty estimation following the principles described in ISO/IEC Guide 98-3 was used for quantifying random and systematic variations. For nominal 50 nm and 100 nm polystyrene and a nominal 80 nm silica reference materials, the relative expanded measurement uncertainties for the three measurands of interest, being the mode, median and arithmetic mean of the number-weighted particle size distribution, varied from about 10% to 12%. For the nominal 50 nm polystyrene material, the relative expanded uncertainty of the arithmetic mean of the particle size distributions increased up to 18% which was due to the presence of agglomerates. Data analysis was performed with software NTA 2.3 and NTA 3.0. The latter showed to be superior in terms of sensitivity and resolution.

Porous media grain size distribution and hydrodynamic forces effects on transport and deposition of suspended particles.

Abstract: The effects of porous media grain size distribution on the transport and deposition of polydisperse suspended particles under different flow velocities were investigated. Selected Kaolinite particles (2-30μm) and Fluorescein (dissolved tracer) were injected in the porous media by step input injection technique. Three sands filled columns were used: Fine sand, Coarse sand, and a third sand (Mixture) obtained by mixing the two last sands in equal weight proportion. The porous media performance on the particle removal was evaluated by analysing particles breakthrough curves, hydro-dispersive parameters determined using the analytical solution of convection-dispersion equation with a first order deposition kinetics, particles deposition profiles, and particle-size distribution of the recovered and the deposited particles. The deposition kinetics and the longitudinal hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients are controlled by the porous media grain size distribution. Mixture sand is more dispersive than Fine and Coarse sands. More the uniformity coefficient of the porous medium is large, higher is the filtration efficiency. At low velocities, porous media capture all sizes of suspended particles injected with larger ones mainly captured at the entrance. A high flow velocity carries the particles deeper into the porous media, producing more gradual changes in the deposition profile. The median diameter of the deposited particles at different depth increases with flow velocity. The large grain size distribution leads to build narrow pores enhancing the deposition of the particles by straining.

Ultrasonic attenuation of polycrystalline materials with a distribution of grain sizes.

Abstract: Elastic wave scattering at grain boundaries in polycrystalline media can be quantified to determine microstructural properties. The amplitude drop observed for coherent wave propagation (attenuation) as well as diffuse-field scattering events have been extensively studied. In all cases, the scattering shows a clear dependence on grain size, grain shape, and microstructural texture. Models used to quantify scattering experiments are often developed assuming dependence on a single spatial length scale, usually, mean grain diameter. However, several microscopy studies suggest that most metals have a log normal distribution of grain sizes. In this study, grain size distribution is discussed within the context of previous attenuation models valid for arbitrary crystallite symmetries. Results are presented for titanium using a range of distribution means and widths assuming equiaxed grains and no preferred crystallographic orientation. The longitudinal and shear attenuations are shown to vary with respect to the frequency dependence for varying distribution widths even when the volumetric mean grain size is held constant. Furthermore, the results suggest that grain size estimates based on attenuation can have large errors if the distribution is neglected. This work is anticipated to play an important role in microstructural characterization research associated with ultrasonic scattering.

Effect of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on Oxidized Coal Flotation

Abstract: In this work, the effect of ultrasonic pretreatment time on oxidized coal flotation was studied. Analytical techniques, such as particle size distribution (PSD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurement, and specific surface area/pore analysis, were used to examine the changes in the physicochemical characteristics of the coal samples before and after ultrasonic pretreatment. The results showed that the flotation kinetics and yield of the clean coal initially increased with ultrasonic pretreatment time. The maximum clean coal yield (79.6%) and maximum value of the flotation kinetics constant were obtained within 10 min of ultrasonic pretreatment. The hydrophilic oxidized layer on the coal surface was effectively removed by ultrasonic cavitation, as identified by PSD, SEM, XPS, and contact angle, which increased the flotability and recovery of oxidized coal. However, prolonged ultrasonic pretreatment proved detrimental to oxidized coal flotation....

Pore‐Network Modeling of Particle Retention in Porous Media

Abstract: Transport and filtration of micron and submicron particles in porous media is important in applications such as water purification, contaminants dispersion, and drilling mud invasion. Existing macroscopic models often fail to be predictive without empirical adjustments and a more fundamental approach may be required. We develop a physically-representative, 3D pore network model based on a particle tracking method to simulate particle retention and permeability impairment in polydisperse particle systems. The model includes the effect of hydraulic drag, gravity, electrostatic and van der Waals forces, as well as Brownian motion. A converging-diverging pore throat geometry is used to capture the mechanism of interception. With the analytical solution of fluid velocity within a pore throat, the trajectory of each particle is calculated explicitly. We also incorporate surface roughness and particle–surface interaction to determine particle attachment and detachment. Pore throat structure and conductivity are updated dynamically to account for the effect of deposited particles. Predictions of effluent concentration and macroscopic filtration coefficient are in good agreement with published experimental data. We find that the filtration coefficient is dependent on the relative angle between fluid flow and gravity. Particle deposition by interception is significant for large particle/grain size ratios. Brownian diffusion is the primary cause of retention at low Peclet numbers, especially for small gravity numbers. Particle size distribution is found to be a cause of hyperexponential deposition often observed in experiments. Permeability reduction was small for strong repulsive forces because particles only deposited in paths of slow velocity. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 3118–3131, 2017

Nascent soot particle size distributions down to 1 nm from a laminar premixed burner-stabilized stagnation ethylene flame

Abstract: In this study, spatially resolved measurement of soot particle size distribution functions (PSDFs) down to ∼1 nm from a laminar premixed burner-stabilized stagnation ethylene flame was made by paralleling a commercial 3936 Scanning Mobility Particle Spectrometer (3936 SMPS) and a Diethylene Glycol (DEG) SMPS. While the 3936 SMPS may detect particles with a mobility diameter of 3–150 nm, DEG SMPS can be used to measure incipient soot particles of 1–10 nm. We found that the minimum diameter of the incipient soot particles appeared at ∼1.5 nm (though with some uncertainty caused by the classification device). A complete bimodality of the PSDFs was observed quantitatively when the burner-to-stagnation surface separation distance ( H p ) was greater than 0.6 cm. Characterized by a lognormal distribution, the first peak appears to be relatively stable at different H p , with the geometric standard deviation varying from 1.1 to 1.3 and the peak diameter ranging from 1.9 to 2.9 nm. The absolute number density of particles no bigger than the first peak diameter was found to be positively related to the first peak diameter and the geometric mean diameter of these particles.

Chemical Composition and Particle Size Analysis of Kaolin

Abstract: The mineral and elemental composition, crystal structure and particle size distribution of kaolin clays have been determined to ascertain its industrial significance. The mineral composition is evaluated by X- Ray Fluorescence (XRF), crystalline structure by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and particle size distribution using low angle laser light scattering (LALLS) technique. The results shows the presence of eight elements expressed in percentages in form of their oxides as: SiO 2, Al 2 O 3, Fe 2 O 3, MgO, CaO, K 2 O, TiO 2 and P 2 O 5. Five crystalline structures are revealed by XRD result. The particle size distribution shows that kaolin particles are mainly in the range of 25–35 µm, while few particles have size distribution varied between 0.4–0.75 μm. The report is found to be in agreement with other researchers.

Collapse of Granular Columns With Fractal Particle Size Distribution: Implications for Understanding the Role of Small Particles in Granular Flows

Abstract: According to field measurements, the basic character of the particle size distributions obtained from the landslide accumulations is fractal. The collapse of the granular columns with fractal particle size distribution (FPSD) is performed numerically and experimentally to form dry granular flows and the mechanism of how FPSD affects the particle movements is then investigated. Numerical and experimental analyses show that particle flow mobility increases as the fractal dimension increases. Several linear relationships exist between the fractal dimension and flow mobility parameters. By analyzing the kinetics of granular flows, it is found that a large number of small-sized particles will form a boundary layer where the particle shearing and velocities are remarkably increased and will thus have a lubricant effect on the flow mobility. Moreover, the number of particle collisions increases, and small-sized particles are more likely to obtain higher spreading velocities via the greater contribution of particle interactions.

Shear strength and microstructure of polydisperse packings: The effect of size span and shape of particle size distribution.

Abstract: By means of extensive contact dynamics simulations, we analyzed the effect of particle size distribution (PSD) on the strength and microstructure of sheared granular materials composed of frictional disks. The PSDs are built by means of a normalized β function, which allows the systematic investigation of the effects of both, the size span (from almost monodisperse to highly polydisperse) and the shape of the PSD (from linear to pronouncedly curved). We show that the shear strength is independent of the size span, which substantiates previous results obtained for uniform distributions by packing fraction. Notably, the shear strength is also independent of the shape of the PSD, as shown previously for systems composed of frictionless disks. In contrast, the packing fraction increases with the size span, but decreases with more pronounced PSD curvature. At the microscale, we analyzed the connectivity and anisotropies of the contacts and forces networks. We show that the invariance of the shear strength with the PSD is due to a compensation mechanism which involves both geometrical sources of anisotropy. In particular, contact orientation anisotropy decreases with the size span and increases with PSD curvature, while the branch length anisotropy behaves inversely.

Equations for hydraulic conductivity estimation from particle size distribution: A dimensional analysis

Abstract: Estimating hydraulic conductivity from particle size distribution (PSD) is an important issue for various engineering problems. Classical models such as Hazen model, Beyer model, and Kozeny-Carman model usually regard the grain diameter at 10% passing ( d10) as an effective grain size and the effects of particle size uniformity (in Beyer model) or porosity (in Kozeny-Carman model) are sometimes embedded. This technical note applies the dimensional analysis (Buckingham's ∏ theorem) to analyze the relationship between hydraulic conductivity and particle size distribution (PSD). The porosity is regarded as a dependent variable on the grain size distribution in unconsolidated conditions. It indicates that the coefficient of grain size uniformity and a dimensionless group representing the gravity effect, which is proportional to the mean grain volume, are the main two determinative parameters for estimating hydraulic conductivity. Regression analysis is then carried out on a database comprising 431 samples collected from different depositional environments and new equations are developed for hydraulic conductivity estimation. The new equation, validated in specimens beyond the database, shows an improved prediction comparing to using the classic models.

Challenges in Additive Manufacturing of Space Parts: Powder Feedstock Cross-Contamination and Its Impact on End Products.

Abstract: This work studies the tensile properties of Ti-6Al-4V samples produced by laser powder bed based Additive Manufacturing (AM), for different build orientations. The results showed high scattering of the yield and tensile strength and low fracture elongation. The subsequent fractographic investigation revealed the presence of tungsten particles on the fracture surface. Hence, its detection and impact on tensile properties of AM Ti-6Al-4V were investigated. X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) scanning indicated that these inclusions were evenly distributed throughout the samples, however the inclusions area was shown to be larger in the load-bearing plane for the vertical specimens. A microstructural study proved that the mostly spherical tungsten particles were embedded in the fully martensitic Ti-6Al-4V AM material. The particle size distribution, the flowability and the morphology of the powder feedstock were investigated and appeared to be in line with observations from other studies. X-ray CT scanning of the powder however made the high density particles visible, where various techniques, commonly used in the certification of powder feedstock, failed to detect the contaminant. As the detection of cross contamination in the powder feedstock proves to be challenging, the use of only one type of powder per AM equipment is recommended for critical applications such as Space parts.

Performance Analysis of Electrodynamic Screens Based on Residual Particle Size Distribution

Abstract: Dust accumulation on the optical surfaces of solar collectors causes significant losses in their energy yield. Fine dust particles, compared with coarse ones, contribute significantly more in the performance loss, assuming identical surface mass concentration. This study examines the performance of different electrodynamic screen (EDS) prototypes, operated under different conditions, in removing fine dust particles in the laboratory environment. After going through several cycles of dust deposition and cleaning using EDS, the dust residue left on each EDS prototype is collected and analyzed using a Horiba particle size distribution (PSD) analyzer. The PSD analyses determine which EDS design has performed superior in removing a given size range and in which operational condition. The results are advantageous in the optimization procedure of EDS to attain maximum dust removal efficiency and minimum optical interference.

Synthesis of Size Controlled Spherical Silica Nanoparticles via Sol-Gel Process within Hydrophilic Solvent

Abstract: In this study, based on hydrolysis and condensation via Stober process of sol-gel method, synthesis of mono-dispersed silica nanoparticles was carried out with hydrophilic solvent. This operation was expected to be a more simplified process than that with organic solvent. Based on the sol-gel method, which involves simply controlling the particle size, the particle size of the synthesized silica specimens were ranged from 30 to 300 nm by controlling the composition of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), DI water and ammonia solution, and by varying the stirring speeds while maintaining a fixed amount of ethanol. Increasing the content of DI water and decreasing the content of ammonia caused the particle size to decrease, while controlling the stirring speed at a high level of RPMs enabled a decrease of the particle size. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were utilized to investigate the success factors for synthesizing process; Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used to study the effects of the size and morphology of the synthesized particles. To analyze the dispersion properties, zeta potential and particle size distribution (PSD) analyses were utilized.