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04/5/2006 -
Characterisation of Bulk Solids (2005)
edited by D. McGlinchey
ISBN 0-8493-2437-8. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 2005. Hardcover. 264 pages. $149.95.
Materials engineers deal every day with powders and granular materials. From the concentrates generated during minerals processing operations to the metal and ceramic powders consolidated to create end products, the storage and handling characteristics of powders affect the design of industrial processes in most areas of materials engineering. As a result, the characteristics of powders—their physical properties, their response to handling, their size, and appearance—are all of vital interest. However, it is uncommon to see a complete description of the techniques used to determine the properties of particulate material. Most of the books published on the subject deal with only a portion of the characterization techniques used for powders.
Characterisation of Bulk Solids puts all the techniques for analyzing particulate materials under one cover. Put together by a team under the supervision of Don McGlinchey of Glasgow Caledonian University, this book presents a snapshot of the state-of-the-art in techniques for measurement of particle size and shape factor, bulk density, angle of repose, surface area, hardness, and numerous other characteristics. The different authors have a variety of backgrounds and look at the measurement and use of particulate properties in different ways, which makes the book useful to a variety of audiences.
The book makes a point of describing recent advances in testing procedures and equipment, bringing it up to date from previous works. The effort to develop testing techniques that produce reliable and consistent results has been a major concern in the past 20 years; Geldart's description of a new test method for measuring angle of repose, replacing four older and less reliable tests, is an example. The listing in the opening chapter of methods for measuring particle size, which range from simple sieving and microscopy to Coulter counters and photon correlation spectroscopy, further illustrates the advances made over the past generation in testing techniques.
An attractive characteristic of the book is the mixture of levels of sophistication of the tests described. Advanced procedures such as laser scanning for particle-size analysis and maximum explosion pressure tests for measuring dust explosibility are presented, along with "quick-and-dirty" procedures like the snowball test and cliff test used for assessing flowability. A brief section at the end highlights research needs for the improvement of testing procedures. Particle testing is increasingly important for environmental and plant safety considerations as well as more traditional plant operating concerns, and much of the development of testing techniques can be related to these changing concerns.
As Bates points out, the properties of particulates can be divided into three categories: primary properties such as particle size and hardness, second-order characteristics determined by conditions (adhesive strength, bulk density), and phenomena that influence the design of storage and handling equipment, such as ratholing, flooding, and segregation. Chapters by Roberts on hopper design and by Jones on pneumatic conveyor design illustrate how primary properties influence second-order and design characteristics, and how they are used to generate equipment specifications. The Geldart classification scheme for powders (based on average particle size and the difference between the bulk density and that of a fluidizing gas) is particularly important for developing pneumatic conveyors. For the most part, the focus is on properties that affect the flow characteristics of powders. However, powdered materials can also be safety hazards, and Lunn's chapter on techniques for measuring the explosibility of powders is a useful addition.
Characterization tests for bulk materials are usually the subject of specifications, and these are frequently mentioned in the various chapters. North American audiences will be disappointed by the reliance of authors on only ISO and British standards; a concordance with equivalent ASTM standards would have been of value. This is not a significant detraction from what is otherwise a well-assembled compilation of information on a field of significance to many materials engineers.
For more on Characterisation of Bulk Solids, visit the Taylor & Francis/CRC Press web site.
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