Settling of particles in liquids: Effects of material properties

This article presents a numerical study on the settling of uniform spheres in liquids by means of the discrete element method. The effects of particle and liquid properties, such as particle size, Hamaker constant, liquid density, and viscosity, on the formation of packed beds or cakes were studied in terms of packing fraction, radial distribution function (RDF), and coordination number (CN). The results showed that the packing fraction of a cake increases with increasing particle size but decreases with increasing the Hamaker constant, liquid density, and viscosity. RDF and CN also change correspondingly: packings with lower packing fraction generally have RDFs with fewer peaks and smaller mean CNs. A good correlation between packing fraction and other structural properties was identified. The analysis of the particle‐particle and liquid‐particle interactions showed that the packing properties are mainly affected by the ratio of the interparticle cohesion to the effective gravity of particles. The previously proposed equation linking packing fraction with the interparticle forces has been extended to incorporate the impact‐induced pressure force in a settling process. Based on the modified equation, the effects of key variables on the relationship between packing fraction and particle size were re‐examined for general application. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012.     

Experimental study on the packing of uniform spheres under three-dimensional vibration

Densification of mono-sized sphere packings under three-dimensional (3D) vibration is experimentally studied. The effects of an operational condition, such as vibration amplitude and frequency and feeding method, on packing density are systematically investigated. The results indicate that the dense packings can be achieved by proper control of both vibration amplitude and frequency. The feeding method plays an important role in densification. Higher packing densities can be obtained when the number of particles fed per batch is less than one layer. Packing density decreases with increasing number of particles fed per batch, but keeps constant when the number of particles per batch is larger than three layers. Through the extrapolation on packing density obtained from different sized containers, the maximum packing density is 0.69 for the total feeding method and 0.74 for the batch-wise feeding under the present experimental condition. The formation of ordered structure is discussed based on the particle interlayer diffusion.     

Experimental study of the packing of mono-sized spheres subjected to one-dimensional vibration

The packing of mono-sized spheres under one-dimensional (1D) vibration is studied experimentally. The effects of operational conditions, such as vibration amplitude A and vibration frequency ω, and feeding method on packing density have been analyzed. The results indicate that there exist optimum values for A and ω to achieve the maximum packing density. The effects of A and ω cannot be represented by a single parameter (i.e. vibration intensity Γ = Aω²), but should be considered separately. The number of particles fed per batch affects the packing density significantly within a range of one to four layers per batch, but otherwise has no visible effect. Through the extrapolation on packing density using different sized containers, packing density can reach 0.636 in the total feeding method and 0.663 using the batch-wise feeding method. The values, however, are affected by material properties. The experimental results have therefore testified our previous numerical work on the transition from random loose packing to random close packing [An et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 205502 (2005)].     

In situ vibration enhanced pressure slip casting of submicrometer alumina powders

This paper presents a novel method for improvement of particle packing in consolidation of submicrometer alumina powders by pressure slip casting. In this method, filtration cell is subjected to a mechanical vibration field with constant frequency of 50 Hz and vibration amplitudes ranging from 0 (no vibration) to 2 mm. Filtration rate, thickness and green density of the fabricated samples were measured to investigate the influence of vibration on filtration characteristics. It was revealed that employment of vibration can significantly increase filtration rate. Furthermore, there is an optimum vibration amplitude which results in the structure with the highest packing density. This value is shifted to higher vibration amplitudes as more concentrated alumina slurries is used. As the available formulation based on Darcy's law could not predict the results of the present investigation, a “Correction Factor” was utilized in order to increase the accuracy of the prediction in the presence of a vibration field.     

工业DHA微胶囊物理性质的表征

二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）是一种对人体非常重要的多元不饱和脂肪酸。目前,有关DHA微胶囊物理性质的表征有限。本文从DHA微胶囊的表观形态、粒径分布、堆积密度、孔径分布、比表面积、流动性、喷流性、复水性和热力学性质等几个方面对所选定的典型工业DHA微胶囊进行表征。实验结果表明,DHA微胶囊的震实密度会随震动次数、震动频率、震动幅度的增加而增加;在震动次数、频率和震幅分别达到1000次、112min。和9mm之后趋于稳定。采用carr流动指数法,通过加权计算,结果表明该DHA微胶囊流动性质一般,喷流性很强。通过显微镜观察DHA微胶囊复水过程中的形态变化,表明此DHA微胶囊复水性质良好。     

水泥粒径分布对水泥石孔结构与强度的影响

通过计算不同粒径分布水泥样品的堆积密度和测定水泥石强度和孔结构,探讨水泥粒径分布对水泥石强度和结构的影响。研究表明：适当的水泥粒径分布可以使水泥具有最佳的堆积密度,并使水泥水化物的生成量与水泥浆初始孔隙量相匹配,从而得到孔隙率较小的密实而均匀的水泥石,使水泥石的性能提高。     

振动剪切作用下聚合物熔体的非仿射网络结构模型——振动参数对聚合物熔体弹性的影响

利用非仿射瞬态网络结构本构模型来分析正弦脉动流场中的聚合物熔体第一、第二法向应力差系数的变化规律，以及振动参数(振动频率和振幅)对聚合物熔体的影响作用。结果表明，在实际加工中可以通过增加振幅或振动频率来降低聚合物熔体的弹性，此模型还可以预测到最佳振幅或最佳振动频率。     

塑料动态注射充模过程工艺参数的优化研究

运用了Taguchi方法研究了PP动态注射成型工艺参数对制品性能的影响。研究结果表明，在注射速度、保压压力、振动频率与振幅这四个工艺参数中，在所设定的工艺范围内，对制品性能影响比较明显的是振动频率与振幅。PP试样的冲击强度随振动频率改变而改变，且在10Hz左右存在一个最佳状态，冲击强度可以增加42％。拉伸性能随着振幅的增加基本上呈上升的趋势，极限拉伸应力最大增加8％，弹性模量最大可增加18．7％。在优化的振动工艺参数下，即在1～5Hz的频率段振幅对制品的拉伸性能的影响较之明显，在7～15Hz的频率段振动频率对制品的冲击性能的影响较显著。     

Assessing the effect of processing variables on the mechanical response of polysytrene molded using vibration‐assisted injection molding process

The present work is focused on the study of vibration‐assisted injection molding (VAIM) process, using polystyrene as a model polymeric system. This recently developed polymer processing operation is based on the concept of using motion of the injection screw to apply mechanical vibration to polymer melt during the injection and packing stages of injection molding process, to control the polymer behavior at a molecular level, which would result in improvements/alterations to the mechanical behavior of molded products. In this study, the afore‐mentioned concept was verified experimentally from monotonic tensile experiments and birefringence measurements of VAIM molded polystyrene in comparison with those of conventional injection molding process. The results of our study indicate that the actual degree of strength improvement depends on at least four parameters, namely, vibration frequency, vibration amplitude, vibration duration, and the delay time between the injection start and the vibration start. Furthermore, when these parameters were optimized, as much as a 28% strength improvement was observed, accompanied by an increase in toughness. Furthermore, birefringence measurements revealed that VAIM processing significantly altered the residual stress distribution throughout final products, but it did not, however, change the material density in the products. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

Effect of compaction pressure on the sinterability of submicron powders of tetragonal zirconium dioxide

Conclusions We studied the effect of compaction pressure on the pore structure of the paniculate compacts obtained using two types of agglomerated submicron powders of tetragonal zirconium dioxide, on the structure evolution during the sintering process, and on the strength of the obtained material. It was established that the characteristics of the agglomerates present in the powders have a significant effect on their behavior during compaction and sintering. At a given compaction pressure, the powders having weaker agglomerates densify up to a higher density and give a more uniform distribution of pores in the preform. The low-density compacts obtained using agglomerated powders having a high specific surface area sinter faster and attain high strength levels at a lower temperature; however, the sintered materials obtained from such compacts contain several structural defects in the form of large pores and have a lower strength. The uniformity of the distribution of pore volume with respect to size (or the specific content of the interagglomerate pores) forms the main criterion of the quality of particle packing in the compacts obtained from agglomerated powders. The compacts having a low content of the interagglomerate pores give a defect-free dense and strong material after sintering. The presence of the anion impurities in the original powders leads to a decrease of density during the sintering process after the attainment of a threshold density at which formation of closed porosity occurs. Pressure sintering (HIP) forms an effective method of suppressing the decrease of density.Translated from Ogneupory, No. 2, pp. 5–11, February, 1993.     

Effect of low‐frequency melt vibration on HDPE morphology

BACKGROUND: A low‐frequency vibration‐assisted injection‐molding (VAIM) device was developed to explore the morphology of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) injection moldings. Scanning electron microscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry were used to characterize structure‐property relationships of final products prepared under different VAIM processing conditions (vibration frequency and vibration pressure amplitude) with conventional injection molding for comparison. RESULTS: It was found that increasing the vibration frequency at constant vibration pressure amplitude was beneficial for obtaining ‘shish‐kebab’ structures in the core region of VAIM specimens, and increasing the vibration pressure amplitude at constant vibration frequency was a prerequisite for achieving HDPE specimens with large‐scale lamellas, more pronounced orientation and high crystallinity. CONCLUSION: Both preferred orientation lamellas and increased crystallinity allow one to obtain strong injection moldings with the application of the melt vibration technique. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

The relationship between mechanical properties and morphology of vibration‐injection‐molded polyethylene

This paper introduces a novel melt vibration‐injection molding. The effect of mid‐frequency melt vibration on mechanical properties was introduced, and SEM, WAXD and DSC investigations had been employed to provide evidence for explaining the relationship between mechanical properties and morphology of vibration‐injection‐molded specimens. The results show that the effect of vibration frequency is very different from that of vibration pressure amplitude. At a given vibration pressure amplitude, the increase of vibration frequency is beneficial for obtaining preferential orientation, more perfect lamellae and enhanced mechanical properties. For a given vibration frequency, increase of vibration pressure amplitude is a pre‐requisite for the achievement of a large‐scale lamella, more pronounced orientation, increase of cyrstallinity and high strength of high‐density polyethylene, but part of the toughness is lost. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

渣油加氢脱硫催化剂载体堆积密度的精确控制

采用挤出成型法制备氧化铝载体,考察挤出成型工艺条件、切粒频率、焙烧温度和焙烧气氛对渣油加氢脱硫催化剂载体堆积密度及物化性能的影响。结果表明,酸粉比（A+0.5） mL·g^-1、水粉比（B+0.10） mL·g^-1和混捏时间（t+5） min制备的载体堆积密度合适,物化性能优良;切粒整形频率为40 Hz时,载体条长分布中,（3~8） mm条占87.14%;随着焙烧温度的升高,载体比表面积减少,孔径分布中小于6 nm孔减少,堆积密度减小;随着焙烧气量的减少,载体比表面积降低,孔体积增加,堆积密度减小,孔径分布中小于6 nm孔减少,（6~20） nm孔增加。精确控制载体焙烧温度和气量,可制备出比表面积合适、堆积密度稳定、孔径分布集中和满足固定床渣油加氢脱硫要求的工业氧化铝载体。     

全程动态注射对无规非晶型PS制品聚集态结构与性能影响的研究

在实际生产的条件下,在振频0~12Hz,振幅0~0.30mm的范围内系统地研究了振动参数的变化对无规非晶型聚合物PS(GPPS)宏观力学性能和聚集态结构的影响规律。根据所获得的宏观和微观信息,总结了无规非晶型PS制品的力学性能对于振动参数变化的响应规律,并首次提出了一个较为直观的“分子链双重交织取向”物理结构模型,阐述了振动参数、聚集态结构和宏观力学性能三者间的联系,对典型无规非晶型高聚物性能与振动力场间响应变化规律的结构原因进行了较为深入的探索及合理的解释。     

Study on molding process of UHMWPE microporous filter materials

A method called loose sintering was first introduced to prepare ultrahigh‐molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) microporous materials. The pore size was predicted by the face‐centered cubic structure model while considering the particles' arrangement and melt. The results showed that the experimental pore diameter was close to that calculated by the present model. The effects of UHMWPE molecular weight, particle diameter, packing density, sintering temperature, and sintering time on pore size, compressive strength, pore diameter distribution, and density were presented. The morphology of micropore and the uniformity of pore distribution were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and fractal geometry. The results showed that average pore diameter and porosity both increased with the UHMWPE particle diameter while decreased with compressive strength and bulk density. Sintering temperature and sintering time determined whether the heat was redundant to melt the particles. They also determined the pore size and the uniformity. UHMWPE microporous materials could be successfully prepared with suitable processing conditions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Model for the Effect of Powder Packing on the Driving Force for Liquid-Phase Sintering

A model for liquid-phase sintering is presented that explicitly considers the effect that the pore size distribution of the sintering compact has on the capillary forces that drive densification. In particular, the effect that liquid redistribution in the pore structure has on the driving force for sintering is considered under the assumption that the liquid can easily move to find a low-energy configuration in the pore structure. It is shown that, for a powder compact that has a narrow pore size distribution, densification exhibits approximately the same time dependencies as those predicted by the Kingery model for liquid-phase sintering. However, systematic changes in the absolute densification rate with the volume fraction of liquid, and the mean and breadth of the pore size distribution, are predicted. With more extreme pore size distributions, such as a bimodal distribution, behavior significantly different from that predicted by Kingery is found. In particular, it is predicted that, without there being a change in sintering mechanism, abrupt changes in densification rate may occur if the peaks in the bimodal distribution are well separated. The model provides a rational basis for interpreting how powder packing and processing steps can influence densification by liquid-phase sintering.     

Response of Cavity Pressure to Vibration Parameters During VAIM Process

Summary In this study, a new type of vibration-assisted injection molding machine was introduced including the principle, structure and application. The responses of cavity pressure to the piston rod vibration amplitude and vibration frequency were discussed in detail. The cavity pressure oscillation frequency was the same with the piston rod frequency. The piston rod vibration frequency had little effect on cavity pressure oscillation amplitude. The cavity pressure oscillation amplitude increased with the increase of piston rod amplitude. The introducing of vibration forces field shortened the filling time, postponed the gate-frozen time and quickened the pressure build up process. More materials could be packed into the mold as the mean cavity pressure was higher which improved the quality of the products.     

Influence of the composition and temperature of heat treatment of porous glasses on their structure and light transmission in the visible spectral range

The pore structure and light transmission of high-silica porous glasses in the visible spectral range have been investigated as a function of the heat treatment temperature and the composition of the initial two-phase alkali borosilicate glass. The character of light transmission in porous glasses has been analyzed in the framework of the concepts of structural features of their pore space and the processes occurring in the porous glass during heating. It has been demonstrated that an increase in the temperature of heat treatment of porous glasses with different compositions leads to an increase in the pore size and a decrease in their specific surface area (with a nearly constant total porosity), which is associated with the processes of overcondensation of pores due to the rearrangement and the change in the packing density of secondary silica particles. It has been revealed that the introduction of phosphate and fluoride ions into the initial sodium borosilicate glass results in an increase in the light extinction coefficient of porous glasses due to the increase in the sizes of phase-separated inhomogeneity regions in the initial two-phase glasses, the formation of larger pores, and the presence of nanosized microcrystalline phases in porous glasses.     

Improving rheological property of polymer melt via low frequency melt vibration

A pulse pressure was superimposed on the melt flow in extrusion, called vibration extrusion. A die (L/D = 17.5) was attached to this device to study the rheological properties of an amorphous polymer (ABS) and semicrystalline polymer (PP, HDPE), prepared in the vibration field, and the conventional extrusion were studied for comparison. Results show that the melt vibration technique is an effective processing tool for improving the polymer melt flow behavior for both crystalline and amorphous polymers. The enhanced melt rheological property is also explained in terms of shear thinning criteria. Increasing with vibration frequency, extruded at constant vibration pressure amplitude, the viscosity decreases sharply, and so does when increasing vibration pressure amplitude at a constant vibrational frequency. The effect of vibrational field on melt rheological behavior depends greatly on the melt temperature, and the great decrease in viscosity is obtained at low temperature. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5292–5296, 2006     

Densification of powder compacts by vibration

Various packing methods such as vibration, shaking, etc., in addition to normal gravitational settling, can be often used to density powder compacts. Many issues relevant to this matter are of great importance in advanced ceramic powder processing. In the present work, the relaxation of structure due to vibration is addressed by using a computer experimental model based on Monte Carlo method. Packing structures, diffraction patterns, radial distribution functions are used for the characterization of structures. Bulk properties such as packing fraction and average height of the deposit are examined. The results agree well with those observed in model experiments, even with more implication.