WRITTEN REPORT

The goal of this textbook is to introduce students studying degree courses in disciplines that require
knowledge of particle technology to the subject of particle technology. Particles and powders are
processed and handled. Although the primary audience is chemical engineering students, the material
included should serve as the foundation for particle technology courses for students studying mechanical
engineering, civil engineering, applied chemistry, pharmaceutics, metallurgy, and minerals engineering.
A number of key topics in particle technology are studied, providing the fundamental science involved
and, where possible, linking this to industrial practice. Each topic's coverage is meant to be illustrative
rather than exhaustive. This is not a text for chemical engineers on unit operations in powder
technology.

Particle technology is an exciting area of study. Many phenomena remain unexplained, and design
procedures are heavily reliant on previous experience rather than fundamental understanding. This
situation presents exciting challenges to researchers worldwide from a wide range of scientific and
engineering disciplines. Many research organizations have websites that are interesting and informative
to everyone from primary school students to serious researchers. Students are encouraged to explore
these websites to learn more about particle technology.

Pre-sedimentation is not used in all systems, but it is frequently used when raw water turbidity is high or
highly variable. Depending on the flow, pre-sedimentation basins vary in size, and water is sometimes
pre-treated with a coagulant and/or a polymer before entering the pre-sedimentation basin (AWWA,
1999). If a system needs to reduce the natural organic matter entering the plant, the addition of
coagulants and/or polymers at this point in the treatment process could be beneficial. Natural organic
matter is a disinfection byproduct precursor, and sedimentation may be beneficial for system compliance
if a system has a high organic matter (measured as total organic carbon, or TOC).

Particle size and size distribution are important factors in determining the bulk properties of powder in
many powder handling and processing operations. Characterizing a powder requires describing the size
distribution of the particles that make up the powder. Many industrial applications will require a single
number to characterize the particle size of the powder. Only a mono-sized distribution of spheres or
cubes allows for this to be done accurately and easily. Real particles with shapes that require more than
one dimension to fully describe them, as well as real powders with particles of varying sizes, make it
difficult to identify a single number that adequately describes the size of the particles in practice.