Aisha Salihu

 

Research Abstract:

 
Powder technology is a very important field in the world today. In fact over, 75% of all materials processed in industry are in particulate form, and knowledge of particle size is important to the manufacture, handling and application of many of these powders. (Merkus, 2009)

Several hundred instruments have been developed for the measurement of particle size distribution. Widely used techniques include microscopy, sieving and laser diffraction. However, the majority are either expensive, not robust, require complicated operating procedures or capable of handling only small amount of samples as a result raising sample representative problems.

The instrumentation team has developed a novel Spring Particle Size Analyser which overcomes most of the problems associated with conventional techniques. In the most basic form, the instrument comprises a horizontally held closed coil helical spring partly filled with powder; the size of the discharged particles is directly related to the spring extension. This unit is capable of sizing particles in the range 20 to 3000 micrometers. It has been successfully evaluated against a range of powders with different shapes and flow characteristics. Pre-production prototypes constructed through joint funding from industry and DTI are being installed at some of largest multinational companies in the world.

Challenges currently faced include a search for an optimal spring design in terms of uniform spring opening and a pursuit of obtaining sample mass within the spring in-situ to produce particle size distribution data. 

References

1. Merkus H.G. Particle Size Measurements: Fundamentals, Practice, Quality Series, Particle Technology Series, Vol 17, XII, p.536, Springer, 2009