A simple relationship between particle shape effects and density,flow rate and Hausner Ratio

A study has been made of the relative magnitudes of particle shape effects on three bulk solids properties. The bulk solids used in this study were small plastic pellets of regular shapes and sizes. Experimental results indicate that variations in particle normal and tangential not-roundness have marked effects on the apparent density, flow rate and Hausner Ratio of the bulk solids. The not-roundness is the standard deviation of the radial distribution of the particle profile. It is a particle shape characteristic derived from morphological analysis.A simple relation of the form P(bulk property) = P(ideal) + P(deviation) is proposed and tested, in which P indicates the property under test. P(ideal) indicates the value of the property for perfect spheres; P(deviation accounts for the effect of particle shape.