Quantification of agglomerate size and interparticle forces with a modified Hausner ratio

• Published in: Powder technology 2024-10, Vol.446, p.120161, Article 120161
• Main Authors: Soleimani, Iman, Shabanian, Jaber, Chaouki, Jamal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agglomerate size; Gas-solid fluidized bed; Interparticle forces; Modified Hausner ratio
• ISSN: 0032-5910
• DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2024.120161

A model is introduced in this study that establishes a relationship between bed voidage, agglomerate size, and the magnitude of interparticle forces (IPFs) with a focus on Geldart group C powders. A modified Hausner ratio (MHR), defined as the ratio of particle density to tapped bulk density for this specific group of powders, is a critical parameter of the model. The model leads to two fundamental equations. The first equation suggests that the ratio of agglomerate size to particle size is directly proportional to the square of the MHR. The second equation is a linear relationship between the ratio of IPFs and the weight of a particle with the fourth power of MHR. These equations were validated by comparing their outcomes for agglomerate size and magnitude of IPFs with the estimates of other experimental approaches. The results for Geldart group C powders showed that IPFs are at least an order of magnitude greater than the weight of a particle leading to the formation of agglomerates, which are at least three times greater than the primary particles. The proposed equations may not be applied to nanoparticles and powders with wide size distributions, necessitating further developments to achieve more accurate predictions for these cases. [Display omitted] •Modified Hausner ratio (MHR) equals the ratio of particle to tapped bulk density.•Agglomerate size is proportional to the MHR squared.•Interparticle forces vary linearly with the fourth power of MHR.