particulates

Particulates

Solids or liquids in a subdivided state. Because of this subdivision, particulates exhibit special characteristics which are negligible in the bulk material. Normally, particulates will exist only in the presence of another continuous phase, which may influence the properties of the particulates. A particulate may comprise several phases. The table categorizes particulate systems and relates them to commonly recognized designations. See Alloy

Fine-particle technology deals with particulate systems in which the particulate phase is subject to change or motion, and is concerned with those particles which are tangible to human senses, yet small compared to the human environment—particles that are larger than molecules but smaller than gravel. Fine particles are in abundance in nature (as in rain, soil, sand, minerals, dust, pollen, bacteria, and viruses) and in industry (as in paint pigments, insecticides, powdered milk, soap, powder, cosmetics, and inks). Particulates are involved in such undesirable forms as fumes, fly ash, dust, and smog and in military strategy in the form of signal flares, biological and chemical warfare, explosives, and rocket fuels.

Many of the characteristics of particulates are influenced to a major extent by the particle size. For this reason, particle size has been accepted as a primary basis for characterizing particulates. However, with anything but homogeneous spherical particles, the measured “particle size” is not necessarily a unique property of the particulate but may be influenced by the technique used. Consequently, it is important that the techniques used for size analysis be closely allied to the utilization phenomenon for which the analysis is desired.

Size is generally expressed in terms of some representative, average, or effective dimension of the particle. The most widely used unit of particle size is the micrometer (μm). Another common method is to designate the screen mesh that has an aperture corresponding to the particle size. The screen mesh normally refers to the number of screen openings per unit length or area; several screen standards are in general use.

Particulate systems are often complex. Primary particulates may exist as loosely adhering (as by van der Waals forces) particles called floes or as strongly adhering (as by chemical bonds) particulates called agglomerates. Primary particles are those whose size can only be reduced by the forceful shearing of crystalline or molecular bonds.

Mechanical dispersoids are formed by comminution, decrepitation, or disintegration of larger masses of material, as by grinding of solids or spraying of liquids, and usually involve a wide distribution of particle sizes. Condensed dispersoids are formed by condensation of the vapor phase (or crystallization of a solution) or as the product of a liquid- or vapor-phase reaction; these are usually very fine and often relatively uniform in size. Condensed dispersoids and very fine mechanical dispersoids generally tend to flocculate or agglomerate to form loose clusters of larger particle size.

Most real systems are composed of a range of particle sizes. The two common general methods for representing size distribution graphically are shown in the illustration. The frequency distribution (illus. a) gives the fraction of particles d&phgr; (on whatever basis desired) that lie in a given narrow size range dD as a function of the average size of the range (or of some function of the average size). A cumulative distribution (illus. b) is the integral of the frequency curve. It gives the fraction &phgr; of the particles that are smaller or larger than a given size D.

If a particle suspended in a fluid is acted upon by a force, it will accelerate to a terminal velocity at which the resisting force due to fluid friction just balances the applied force. If a particle falls under the action of gravity, this velocity is known as the terminal gravitational settling velocity.

Particles suspended in a fluid partake of the molecular motion of the suspending fluid and hence acquire diffusional characteristics analogous to those of the fluid molecules. This random zigzag motion of the particles, commonly known as brownian motion, is obvious under the microscope for particles smaller than 1 μm.