Effect of Fluidization Pressure on Electrostatic Charge Generation of Polyethylene Particles

Abstract

Electrostatic charge generation in gas–solid fluidized beds results in operational challenges in some industrial processes such as polyethylene production. Such reactors operate at elevated pressures, and thus, the aim of this work was to investigate fluidized bed electrification at pressurized conditions. The degrees of particles’ charging and wall coating in a pressurized pilot-scale gas–solid fluidized bed of polyethylene resin was studied from atmospheric pressure to 2600 kPa (abs), while the gas bubble dynamics was concurrently measured by an optical fiber probe. The average gas bubble size was found to be larger at atmospheric condition along with the frequency of large bubbles, resulting in a larger degree of particle-wall contacts. The degree of fluidized bed wall coating increased with the increase of pressure. This finding was related to the decline in the gas bubble size and the increase in frequency of small bubbles found at elevated pressures, which promoted particle–particle contacts, and th...