Chapter 3 - Particle Characterization

Abstract

Many properties of bulk solids are determined by characteristics of constituent particles, which also influence the behavior of bulk solids during handling and processing. The important characteristics of particles are shape, size, and mechanical properties, such as Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. From a practical point of view, characterization of particle properties is necessary for product quality control and process monitoring purposes, as the quality of many products is determined by them. In addition, particle characterization also enables a better understanding of the correlation among particle characteristics, process performance, and product quality and also enables improvement in manufacturing efficiency, improves process performance, and increases productivity. It is therefore important to determine these particle characteristics. In this chapter, definitions and measurement methods for particle shape are first briefly introduced. A detailed discussion of particle size characterization is then presented, including the definition of particle size, for which various equivalent diameters are introduced, and various measurement methods. In addition, methods for analysis and presentation of particle size data are explained. Sampling is a critical step in particle shape and size measurement; guidance for sampling both offline and online is presented.