Concepts of entropy for raw materials

Abstract

In recent years, several definitions of entropy have been proposed and used in the literature to assess the efficiency of processes in the field of raw materials, including waste management, the circular economy and mineral separation. However, these definitions lack a common framework, making it difficult to compare them and assess their similarities, connections, and complementarities. In this contribution, we propose a common framework which describes the calculation of the entropy of particulate systems. This framework extends existing definitions and introduces new insights into their combination. Our approach focuses on describing disperse particulate systems in comminution, separation, and classification processes, with potential extensions to evaluate other processes of particle technology, such as mixing, sampling, and agglomeration.