CHE 509: INTRODUCTION TO PARTICLE

TECHNOLOGY ​
LECTURE 1

SOLID-SOLID SEPARATION:

SCREENING
Lecturer: ​ENGR. MICHAEL ALLAN G. RAMOS
Department of Chemical Engineering Technological Institute of the
Philippines
2​nd ​Semester, A.Y. 2018-2019

SCREENING
•​A separation method used to

separate solids based ​on their

particle size ​alone.

•​Different screening surfaces:
▪Interwoven Wire Mesh
▪Cloth
▪Perforated Plates
▪Bars
FEED
Screen
UNDERSIZE (Fines)

SEPARATION THEORY
Basic design features in screening:
1. Surface and aperture 2. Types of
screens 3. Screen movement
OVERSIZE (Tails)
Important Characteristics of a Particle
1. Composition
❑ made up of one kind of solid? or mixture of two or

more distinct ​kinds of solids? ❑

​ defines properties
such as density, conductivity, etc.
2. Size
❑ diameter of the particle, surface area per volume
of the particle ❑ affects properties such as settling
properties, and reactivity
3. Shape
❑ regular in shape – dimensional properties can be
defined easily,
thus surface area and volume can be computed
easily as well. ❑ irregular in shape – use of a shape
factor such as ​sphericity

PARTICLE SIZE
1. Equidimensional Particles
❑ In general “diameter”, D​p may
​ be specified ❑
Example: spherical particle
2. Non-Equidimensional
Particles
❑ ​D​p is
​ the second longest major dimension ❑
Example: cubic particle
Units of D​p depend
​ on the size of the particles: a.
Coarse particles: inches or millimeters b. Fine
particles: screen size (e.g. Mesh No.) c. Very fine
particles: micrometers or nanometers d. Ultra fine
particles: surface area per unit mass, m​2 /​ g
Mesh Number – number of openings
per linear inch
MESH SCREENS
❑ ​Mesh size, M ​and the ​wire

diameter, w ​determine ​the ​aperture

size, a​.
Example: In a 4-Mesh screen

MESH SCREENS
❑Mesh screens are arranged with

​
increasing mesh number​, thus

decreasing size of opening, from top

to bottom.
MESH SCREENS
SIEVE SCALE
❑ A sieve scale is a series of testing

sieves having ​openings in a fixed

​ The ratio of aperture

succession. ❑
of a given sieve to the ​aperture of the

next one in a sieve series is a

constant.
Three types:
1. Tyler Standard Sieve Series (√2
progression) 2. US Sieve Series 3.
International Test Sieve Series
Opening
US ​Sie​ve
Si​ze
Opening
T​yler ​Equivalen
US ​Sie​ve
Si​ze
Ty​ler ​Equivalen
in

No​. 40
| ​35 Mesh
0.0165
8.00 ​6.7​3
|
0.420 ​0.354 ​0.297 ​0.250
0.0139 ​0.0117
5.66
0.31​2

0.265

0.233

0.187 ​0.157 ​0.132

4.76
​ o.4 ​No. 5 ​No. 6
No.3​% N
0.0098
242 Mesh
3 Mesh ​342 Mesh 4 Mesh ​5 Mesh
6 Mesh 7 Mesh ​8 Mesh 9 Mesh ​10 Mesh 12 Mesh
4.00

3.36
No. 4​5 | ​42 Mesh
No. 50 48 Mesh No. 60 ​60 Mesh

No. 70 ​| 6​5 Mesh ​No. 80 ​80 Mesh No.100 | 100 Mesh

No. 120 115 Mesh ​No. 140 | 150 Mesh No. 170 170 Mesh
0.210 ​0.177 ​0.149
0.0083

0.0070 ​0.0059
No. 7
No. 8
0​.11​1

0.0937

0.0787
0.​125
2​.83 2.38 2.00 ​1.68 1.41
No.10 ​No. 12
0​.105 0.088
0.0049 ​0.0​0​41 ​0.0035
​ 661
0​.0

No. 14
0.0555
No. 200 | 200 Mesh
0.074

0.06​3
14 Mesh
1.19
0.0469
|
No. 16

No. 18
0.0394
0.053
No. 230 ​No. 270 ​No. 325 N
​ o. 400
16 Mesh ​20 Mesh 24 Mesh ​28 Mesh ​32 Mesh
250 Mesh ​270 Mesh ​325 Mes​h ​400 Mesh
1.00 ​0.841 0.70​7 ​0.595 ​0.500
0.0331
0.0029

0.0025 ​0.0021 ​0.001​7 ​0.0015

No. 20

No. 25
0​.044 ​0.037

No. 30 ​No. 35
0.0278

0.0234 ​0.0197

1. Unsized Particles
❑ obtained from passing a feed into a
single screen ❑ ​ either upper or lower size
limit can be indicated
Example:
Methods of Indicating Particle
Size
Mesh 4
Feed
Oversize: +4, +4.76 mm
Undersize: -4, -4.76 mm
2. ​Sized Particles
❑ intermediate obtained from passing a

feed into a ​series ​of screens ​❑ both upper

and lower size limits are known
Methods of Indicating Particle
Size
Mesh 4
Mesh 6
-4
Feed
+4
-4+6 or 4/6
-6
1) Differential Screen Analysis
• ​Data consist of Mesh Number (n) vs.

weight fraction or % ​retained on the screen

(Δφ​n)​
Mesh 6
Mesh 8
Mesh 10
Mesh 14
Mesh 20
Pan

PARTICLE SIZE
DISTRIBUTION
100 kg
fraction of feed
10 kg ; 0.10 90 kg
40 kg ; 0.40 50 kg
24 kg ; 0.24 26 kg
12 kg ; 0.12 14 kg
8 kg ; 0.08 6 kg
6 kg ; 0.06
2) Cumulative Screen Analysis
(Larger than Dp)
• ​Data consist of Mesh number (n) vs.

Cumulative fraction ​larger than n (φ​n)​

Cumulative Screen Analysis (Larger than Dp)
Mesh 6
Mesh 8
Mesh 10
Mesh 14
Mesh 20
Pan

PARTICLE SIZE
DISTRIBUTION
100 kg
fraction of feed
10 kg ; 0.10 90 kg
40 kg ; 0.40 50 kg
24 kg ; 0.24 26 kg
12 kg ; 0.12 14 kg
8 kg ; 0.08 6 kg
6 kg ; 0.06
3) Cumulative Screen Analysis
(Smaller than Dp)
• ​Data consist of Mesh number (n) vs.

Cumulative fraction ​smaller than n (1-φ​n)​

Cumulative Screen Analysis
Mesh 6
(Smaller than Dp)
Mesh 8
Mesh 10
Mesh 14
Mesh 20
Pan

PARTICLE SIZE
DISTRIBUTION
100 kg
fraction of feed
10 kg ; 0.10 90 kg
40 kg ; 0.40 50 kg
24 kg ; 0.24 26 kg
12 kg ; 0.12 14 kg
8 kg ; 0.08 6 kg
6 kg ; 0.06
1) Grizzly Screens
➢Set of parallel metal bars in an inclined
stationary frames ➢Opening is large
➢Capacity is large ➢Cheap construction
SCREENING EQUIPMENT
2) Vibrating Screens
➢Frequency of the screen is mainly

controlled by an ​electromagnetic vibrator

which is mounted above and directly

connected to the screening surface.

➢Higher chance of separation due to
“popcorn effect”
SCREENING EQUIPMENT
3) Rotary Screening
➢Composed of a rotating perforated drum

set in an ​inclined position. ➢Movement

​ of
feed is through the hollow cylindrical drum

with lateral surface composed of different

mesh sizes ​arranged from smallest to

largest openings
SCREENING EQUIPMENT
Example: It is desired to ​remove
particles ​smaller t​ han mesh 4.
Mesh 4
where: x = fraction of desired material (1 –
x) = fraction of undesired material
OMB: F = P + R DMB: Fx​F = ​ Px​P +
​ Rx​R
UMB: F(1-x​F​)= P(1-x​P​) + R(1-x​R​)
MATERIAL BALANCE
Feed: F, x​F
Reject: R, x​R​Product: P, x​P
❑ may be due to blinding, rupture, or

blockage (by other ​particles) of the screen

opening/s and improper orientation of the

​ calculated by
particle as it hits the screen ❑
the product of recovery of desired material

in ​the product and recovery of undesired

material in the reject

or
SCREEN EFFECTIVENESS
ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 1
It is desired to remove small particles

from a crushed ​stone mixture by

screening through a 10-mesh screen.

The screen analysis of feed, overflow

and underflow are given in the table.

a) Calculate the mass ratios of the overflow

and underflow ​to feed. b)

​ Plot Dp vs Screen
analysis for the feed, overflow and

underflow. c)
​ Find the effectiveness of the
screen.
Screen Analysis of the Feed:
ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 1
ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 2
It is desired to separate 1000 kg of a

mixture of ​crushed solids into three

fractions, a coarse fraction retained

on an 20 mesh screen; a middle

fraction passing through a 20 mesh

screen and retained on a 65 mesh

screen; and a fine fraction passing

through a 65 mesh screen. Two Tyler

Standard Screens are used to

remove particles 20/65. Screen

analysis of the feed, coarse, medium

and fine fractions are given.

What are the effectiveness of the 20

and 65 screens, ​given the following

screen analysis?
Screen Analysis:
ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 2
SEATWORK
Find the effectiveness of Mesh 35 and 100 if the
product desired is the middle fraction.