The Sedimentation of Bimodal Distributions of Unflocculated Microspheres

Abstract

An improved analysis for sedimentation of binary mixtures (two particle sizes) is proposed and tested with data that include differences in both the particle sizes and densities and sedimentation in both the viscous region and the transitions region, between viscous and turbulent (inertial flow). The new analysis can be used for any ratio of particle sizes even when the particle sizes are relatively close. It has been successfully tested beyond the viscous region and with variations in particle density as well as particle size. Although one previous analysis has been successful in predicting most earlier binary data with particles of different size, the new analysis is believed to be better supported by physical principles and thus more reliably extrapolated to different conditions.