PARTICULATE TECHNOLOGY
SOLID-SOLID SEPARATION:
SCREENING
ENGR. ROBERT E. DELFIN
Department of Chemical Engineering
Adamson University
SCREENING
• A separation method used to separate solids based
on their particle size.
• Different screening surfaces:
Interwoven Wire Mesh
Cloth
Perforated Plates
Bars
SEPARATION THEORY
Basic design features in screening:
1. Surface and aperture
2. Types of screens
FEED
3. Screen movement
Screen
OVERSIZE (Tails)
UNDERSIZE (Fines)
Important Characteristics of a Particle
1. Composition
made up of one kind of solid? or mixture of two or more distinct
kinds of solids?
defines properties such as density, conductivity, etc.
2. Size
diameter of the particle, surface area per volume of the particle
affects properties such as settling properties, and reactivity
3. Shape
regular in shape – dimensional properties can be defined easily,
thus surface area and volume can be computed easily as well.
irregular in shape – use of a shape factor such as sphericity
PARTICLE SIZE
1. Equidimensional Particles
In general “diameter”, Dp may be specified
Example: spherical particle
2. Non-Equidimensional Particles
Dp is the second longest major dimension
Example: cubic particle
Units of Dp depend on the size of the particles:
a. Coarse particles: inches or millimeters
b. Fine particles: screen size (e.g. Mesh No.)
c. Very fine particles: micrometers or nanometers
d. Ultra fine particles: surface area per unit mass, m2 / g
MESH SCREENS
Mesh Number – number of openings per linear inch
MESH SCREENS
Mesh size, M and the wire diameter, w determine
the aperture size, a.
Example: In a 4-Mesh screen
MESH SCREENS
Mesh screens are arranged with increasing mesh
number, thus decreasing size of opening, from top
to bottom.
SIEVE SCALE
A sieve scale is a series of testing sieves having
openings in a fixed succession.
The ratio of aperture of a given sieve to the
aperture of the next one in a sieve series is a
constant.
Three types:
1. Tyler Standard Sieve Series (√2 progression)
2. US Sieve Series
3. International Test Sieve Series
Methods of Indicating Particle Size
1. Unsized Particles
obtained from passing a feed into a single screen
either upper or lower size limit can be indicated
Example:
Feed
Mesh 4
Oversize: +4, +4.76 mm
Undersize: -4, -4.76 mm
Methods of Indicating Particle Size
2. Sized Particles
intermediate obtained from passing a feed into a series
of screens
both upper and lower size limits are known
Feed
Mesh 4
+4
-4
Mesh 6
-4+6 or 4/6
-6
PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION
1) Differential Screen Analysis
• Data consist of Mesh Number (n) vs. weight fraction or %
retained on the screen (∆𝜙𝑛 )
100 kg
fraction of feed
Mesh 6
10 kg ; 0.10
Mesh 8 90 kg
40 kg ; 0.40
Mesh 10 50 kg
24 kg ; 0.24
Mesh 14 26 kg
12 kg ; 0.12
Mesh 20 14 kg
8 kg ; 0.08
Pan
6 kg
6 kg ; 0.06
PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION
2) Cumulative Screen Analysis (Larger than Dp)
• Data consist of Mesh number (n) vs. Cumulative fraction
larger than n (𝜙𝑛 )
Cumulative Screen Analysis
100 kg
(Larger than Dp)
fraction of feed
Mesh 6
10 kg ; 0.10
Mesh 8 90 kg
40 kg ; 0.40
Mesh 10 50 kg
24 kg ; 0.24
Mesh 14 26 kg
12 kg ; 0.12
Mesh 20 14 kg
8 kg ; 0.08
Pan
6 kg
6 kg ; 0.06
PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION
3) Cumulative Screen Analysis (Smaller than Dp)
• Data consist of Mesh number (n) vs. Cumulative fraction
smaller than n (1-𝜙𝑛 )
100 kg Cumulative Screen Analysis
fraction of feed (Smaller than Dp)
Mesh 6
10 kg ; 0.10
Mesh 8 90 kg
40 kg ; 0.40
Mesh 10 50 kg
24 kg ; 0.24
Mesh 14 26 kg
12 kg ; 0.12
Mesh 20 14 kg
8 kg ; 0.08
Pan
6 kg
6 kg ; 0.06
SCREENING EQUIPMENT
1) Grizzly Screens
Set of parallel metal bars in an inclined stationary frames
Opening is large
Capacity is large
Cheap construction
SCREENING EQUIPMENT
2) Vibrating Screens
Frequency of the screen is mainly controlled by an
electromagnetic vibrator which is mounted above and
directly connected to the screening surface.
Higher chance of separation due to “popcorn effect”
SCREENING EQUIPMENT
3) Rotary Screening
Composed of a rotating perforated drum set in an
inclined position.
Movement of feed is through the hollow cylindrical drum
with lateral surface composed of different mesh sizes
arranged from smallest to largest openings
MATERIAL BALANCE
Example: It is desired to remove particles smaller than mesh 4.
Feed: F, xF
where:
x = fraction of desired material Mesh 4
Product: P, xP
(1 – x) = fraction of undesired material
OMB: F = P + R
CMB: FxF = PxP + RxR Reject: R, xR
FxF = PxP + (F - P)xR
𝑷 𝒙𝑭 −𝒙𝑹
FxF - FxR = P xP - PxR =
𝑭 𝒙𝑷 −𝒙𝑹
F(xF - xR) = P (xP - xR)
SCREEN EFFECTIVENESS
Recovery of desired material:
P xP
Rec =
F xF
Rejection of undesired material = 1 – recovery of undesired material:
P (1 − xP )
Rejection = 1 –
F ( 1− xF )
Effectiveness, E = Recovery x Rejection
P xP P (1 − xP ) P xF −xR
E= x 1– =
F xF F ( 1− xF ) F xP −xR
xF −xR xP (xF −xR) (1 − xP)
E= x [1 – ]
xP −xR xF (xP −xR) ( 1− xF)