Micrometer-scale 3-D shape characterization of eight cements: Particle shape and cement chemistry, and the effect of particle shape on laser diffraction particle size measurement

Eight different portland cements were imaged on a synchrotron beam line at Brookhaven National Laboratory using X-ray microcomputed tomography at a voxel size of about 1 µm per cubic voxel edge. The particles ranged in size roughly between 10 µm and 100 µm. The shape and size of individual particles were computationally analyzed using spherical harmonic analysis. The particle shape difference between cements was small but significant, as judged by several different quantitative shape measures, including the particle length, width, and thickness distributions. It was found that the average shape of cement particles was closely correlated with the volume fraction of C₃S (alite) and C₂S (belite) making up the cement powder. It is shown that the non-spherical particle shape of the cements strongly influence laser diffraction results, at least in the sieve size range of 20 µm to 38 µm. Since laser diffraction particle size measurement is being increasingly used by the cement industry, while cement chemistry is always a main factor in cement production, these results could have important implications for how this kind of particle size measurement should be understood and used in the cement industry.     

Slow sand filtration of UASB reactor effluent: A promising post treatment technique

The study was carried out to evaluate the feasibility of slow sand filtration as a promising post treatment method for the up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor effluent. Laboratory scale filter column of 10 cm diameter and 0.54 m sand media depth was used to study the process performance. It was found out that slow sand filtration with 0.43 mm effective sand size is the most effective at a filtration rate of 0.14 m/h. It is capable of removing 91.6% of turbidity, 89.1% of suspended solids (SS), 77% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 85% of bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD), 99.95% of total and fecal coliforms (TC and FC) and 99.99% of fecal streptococci (FS). Slow sand filters efficiently reduce the mass of suspended material and extend the filter run for more time (7 days) at a hydraulic load of 0.14 m/h as compared to the hydraulic load of 0.19 m/h and 0.26 m/h. Therefore, due to excellent effluent quality, it can be said that slow sand filtration would be a promising technology for the post treatment of small-scale UASB reactor effluent in developing countries, where treated effluent can be reused for various recreational purposes i.e. gardening and irrigation, as well as for safe discharge.     

On-line investigation of anatase precipitation from titanyl sulphate solution

Precipitation of concentrated titanyl sulphate is an important step in the Sulphate Process used for manufacturing titanium white in which titanium dioxide particles are formed and the particles size as well as its distribution is determined. This study investigated the transient changes of TiO₂ precipitation process by using two on-line particle measurement techniques, turbidimeter and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM), in order to explore the mechanism of particles formation. Induction period as well as primary nuclei formation of the precipitation process was calculated by turbidity value changes and the influence of feeding rate on primary nucleation, primary crystal sizes and final product particle size distribution (PSD) were also investigated. FBRM was employed for detecting the transient variations of PSD during the process. It was found that the process was divided into four stages: induction, rapid hydrolysis and aggregation, aggregation balance with further reaction, and ripening. The Sigmoidal–Boltzmann model is used to describe these transient phenomena and describes well the formation of TiO₂ particles.     

Machine vision based particle size and size distribution determination of airborne dust particles of wood and bark pellets

Dust management strategies in industrial environment, especially of airborne dust, require quantification and measurement of size and size distribution of the particles. Advanced specialized instruments that measure airborne particle size and size distribution apply indirect methods that involve light scattering, acoustic spectroscopy, and laser diffraction. In this research, we propose a simple and direct method of airborne dust particle dimensional measurement and size distribution analysis using machine vision. The method involves development of a user-coded ImageJ plugin that measures particle length and width and analyzes size distribution of particles based on particle length from high resolution scan images. Test materials were airborne dust from soft pine wood sawdust pellets and ground pine tree bark pellets. Subsamples prepared by dividing the original dust using 230 mesh (63 μm) sieve were analyzed as well. A flatbed document scanner acquired the digital images of the dust particles. Proper sampling, layout of dust particles in singulated arrangement, good contrast smooth background, high resolution images, and accurate algorithm are essential for reliable analysis. A “halo effect” around grey-scale images ensured correct threshold limits. The measurement algorithm used Feret's diameter for particle length and “pixel-march” technique for particle width. Particle size distribution was analyzed in a sieveless manner after grouping particles according to their distinct lengths, and several significant dimensions and parameters of particle size distribution were evaluated. Results of the measurement and analysis were presented in textual and graphical formats. The developed plugin was evaluated to have a dimension measurement accuracy in excess of 98.9% and a computer speed of analysis of < 8 s/image. Arithmetic mean length of original wood and bark pellets airborne dust particles were 0.1138 ± 0.0123 and 0.1181 ± 0.0149 mm, respectively. The airborne dust particles of wood and bark pellets can be described as non-uniform, finer particles dominated, very finely skewed with positive skewness, leptokurtic, and very well sorted category. Experimental mechanical sieving and machine vision methods produced comparable particle size distribution. The limitations and merits of using the machine vision technique for the measurement of size and size distribution of fine particles such as airborne dust were discussed.     

Integration of immersed membrane ultrafiltration with the reuse of PAC and alum sludge (RPAS) process for drinking water treatment

Effects of PAC and alum sludge generated from water treatment process on the effluent quality and fouling of immersed UF membrane were systematically investigated with representative source of natural water and the efficiency of coagulation, PAC adsorption and RPAS to treat natural surface water prior to UF were compared. It was found that the average turbidity removal by RPAS could reach up to 80.2%, and the turbidity removal of immersed membrane UF was independent of the influent, which could be kept at 99%. Particulates were reduced after being pre-treated by different processes, and particles with sizes ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 μm and larger than 13.5 μm were effectively removed by RPAS. UF coupled with RPAS pre-treatment got the best removal for DOM compared to other processes with average DOC and UV₂₅₄ removal 54.1% and 47.2% due to the high removal in the influent of UF. The residual alum content in the effluent of RPAS with UF was less than coagulation and bacteria were almost all removed by membrane. The membrane-fouling was mitigated by pre-treatment processes at different degrees, TMP of UF coupled with RPAS process was relatively stable in 15 d of run, the adsorption of PAC and large number of Al(OH)₃ complexes and precipitates for the foulant molecules might be an important mechanism.     

Effects of particle size on the fast pyrolysis of oil mallee woody biomass

This study aims to investigate the effects of biomass particle size (0.18-5.6 mm) on the yield and composition of bio-oil from the pyrolysis of Australian oil mallee woody biomass in a fluidised-bed reactor at 500 °C. The yield of bio-oil decreased as the average biomass particle size was increased from 0.3 to about 1.5 mm. Further increases in biomass particle size did not result in any further decreases in the bio-oil yield. These results are mainly due to the impact of particle size in the production of lignin-derived compounds. Possible inter-particle interactions between bio-oil vapour and char particles or homogeneous reactions in vapour phases were not responsible for the decreases in the bio-oil yield. The bio-oil samples were characterised with thermogravimetric analysis, UV-fluorescence spectroscopy, Karl-Fischer titration as well as precipitation in cold water. It was found that the yields of light bio-oil fractions increased and those of heavy bio-oil fractions decreased with increasing biomass particle size. The formation of pyrolytic water at low temperatures (<500 °C) is not greatly affected by temperature or particle size. It is believed that decreased heating rates experienced by large particles are a major factor responsible for the lower bio-oil yields from large particles and for the changes in the overall composition of resulting oils. Changes in biomass cell structure during grinding may also influence the yield and composition of bio-oil.     

水头差对厌氧动态膜生物反应器动态膜形成影响

以无纺布为粗孔过滤基材构建厌氧动态膜生物反应器(AnDMBR),通过分析成膜时间、出水通量、过滤阻力、压缩性、胞外聚合物(EPS)含量和粒径分布(PSD),研究了水头差(2、5、8 cm)对动态膜(DM)形成和过滤阻力增加的影响。结果表明,随着水头差的增加,动态膜的形成时间缩短,过滤阻力提高;基于成膜时间和出水通量考虑,实验的适宜水头差为5 cm,出水浊度在45 min后降低至2 NTU以下,稳定通量为42 L/(m^2·h)。小颗粒和EPS的积累是造成过滤阻力增加的主要原因。     

Coupling sequencing batch airlift reactor (SBAR) and membrane filtration: Influence of nitrate removal on sludge characteristics, effluent quality and filterability

This study investigates the sludge and effluent characteristics of a new process of coupling an aerobic granular sludge bioreactor with a membrane filtration. The effluent and mixed liquor of sequencing batch airlift reactor (SBAR) were analyzed at various aeration shear stresses when fed with high nitrate containing wastewater. The presence of nitrate nitrogen and aerobic/anoxic condition was able to improve the sludge characteristics in terms of biomass retention, density and settling ability in SBAR. MLSS and SVI could reach 9 g/L and 44 mL/g respectively at the aeration rate of 0.6 cm/s. The presence of nitrate and the denitrification process could minimize the fouling potential. The membrane fouling can be better correlated to SBAR sludge characteristics than biomass concentration. The high aeration rate in the reactor increased the fouling resistance due to production of large MW soluble microbial products (30-50 kDa). The soluble fraction of SBAR effluent contained mainly hydrophilic substances when nitrate is present in the wastewater.     

Effects of particle shape and size on devolatilization of biomass particle

Experimental and theoretical investigations indicate particle shape and size influence biomass particle dynamics, including drying, heating rate, and reaction rate. Experimental samples include disc/flake-like, cylindrical/cylinder-like, and equant (nearly spherical) shapes of wood particles with similar particle masses and volumes but different surface areas. Small samples (320 μm) passed through a laboratory entrained-flow reactor in a nitrogen atmosphere and a maximum reactor wall temperature of 1600 K. Large samples were suspended in the center of a single-particle reactor. Experimental data indicate that equant particles react more slowly than the other shapes, with the difference becoming more significant as particle mass or aspect ratio increases and reaching a factor of two or more for particles with sizes over 10 mm. A one-dimensional, time-dependent particle model simulates the rapid pyrolysis process of particles with different shapes. The model characterizes particles in three basic shapes (sphere, cylinder, and flat plate). With the particle geometric information (particle aspect ratio, volume, and surface area) included, this model simulates the devolatilization process of biomass particles of any shape. Model simulations of the three shapes show satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. Model predictions show that both particle shape and size affect the product yield distribution. Near-spherical particles exhibit lower volatile and higher tar yields relative to aspherical particles with the same mass under similar conditions. Volatile yields decrease with increasing particle size for particles of all shapes. Assuming spherical or isothermal conditions for biomass particles leads to large errors at most biomass particle sizes of practical interest.     

Prefiltration of wastewater effluent: Effects on foulants and performance during dead end ultrafiltration

An important trend in the development of ultrafiltration (UF) of wastewater effluent is the integration of pretreatment to improve the performance of membranes. In this paper the results of a study on the effect of three prefiltration techniques (multimedia filtration, granulated activated carbon filtration and biological activated carbon filtration) on foulants and performance of UF are presented. The objectives of the study are: (1) to establish the different effect of three prefiltration configurations on performance of UF and foulants of wastewater effluent and (2), to determine in which particle size range the most particles or colloidals are removed after the three prefiltration configurations.From all of the filters, the biological granulated activated carbon filter (BGAC) presented the highest increase of filterability. During this study, the specific ultrafiltration resistance (SUR) value of the filtrate is always below 5 · 10¹² m^− 2 independent on the incoming SUR value. From all the foulants especially the proteins and humic substances are removed by granulated activated carbon filter (GAC) and BGAC. BGAC is the only prefiltration technique that shows significant removal of the fraction between 0.1 µm and 0.2 µm.     

Pore size distribution from challenge coreflood testing by colloidal flow

The transport of colloidal and suspension particles and the resultant particle retention occur in a wide range of porous media. The micro scale pore throat size distribution is an important characteristic of porous media, allowing for evaluation of important transport properties. An effective method based on micro scale modelling for the determination of overall pore throat size distribution (PSD) by injection of colloidal particle suspensions into engineered porous media with monitored inlet and breakthrough particle concentrations is developed. The treatment of inlet and outlet colloidal particle concentrations obtained in coreflooding results in a good agreement between the modelling and experimental data. Yet, some deviation was observed between the obtained PSD and that calculated by the Monte Carlo simulation based on the Descartes’ theorem.     

Effects of the sludge reduction system in MBR on the membrane permeability

For the sludge volume reduction, gravity thickening and mechanical thickening processes have been mainly applied. However, these processes usually cause several problems such as large footprint, low thickening efficiency, etc. To solve these problems, a sludge reduction system using submerged membrane in a reactor with excess sludge from a biological nutrient removal (BNR) system was investigated. Both lab and pilot scale experiments for sludge reduction were carried out. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) was in a range of 4.5-6.7 days during the experimental period. A flat-sheet membrane with a mean pore size of 0.08 µm was used and operated at a flux range of 7-20 L/m²·h.During the experimental period, concentrations of BOD and SS were maintained less than 8 mg/L, 3 mg/L, respectively, which indicated the high quality of treated wastewater. While extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were lowest at a coagulant concentration of 15 ppm, soluble microbial product (SMP) concentrations did not have any correlation with coagulant concentrations. The critical flux was observed in a range of 18-24 L/m²·h.These results suggested that the sludge reduction system using membrane bioreactor (MBR) could be applied as one of suitable processes to overcome problems of conventional processes such as gravity and mechanical thickening.     

Estimation of particle size distributions from focused beam reflectance measurements based on an optical model

A popular in situ particle characterization technique, which can be applied without dilution, is the focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM^®). The FBRM probe measures a chord length distribution (CLD) which is different from a particle size distribution (PSD). In order to compare results obtained by an FBRM probe with other measurement technologies such as laser diffraction, it is necessary to reconstruct the PSD from a measured CLD. For this reconstruction a measurement model and an inversion procedure are required. Most FBRM models presented in the literature assume that an FBRM records a geometric chord which can be deduced from a two-dimensional projection of the particle silhouette. In previous work [Kail, N., Briesen, H., Marquardt, W., 2008. Analysis of FBRM measurements by means of a 3D optical model. Powder Technology 185 (3), 211-222] it has been demonstrated that FBRM data show significant deviations from this geometric model. Consequently, an estimation of a PSD using such a geometric FBRM model will fail. A novel FBRM model is developed in this work. This model imitates the chord discrimination algorithm used in a Lasentec D600L FBRM system and takes the intensity profile of the laser beam and the optical aperture of the probe into account. The model is ideally suited for the estimation of a PSD from a measured CLD using a sequential, linear inversion routine, as proposed in this work. The novel FBRM model and the inversion procedure are evaluated using small, mono-disperse polystyrene beads, large ion-exchanger beads, and α-lactose-monohydrate particles. The applicability of the FBRM for PSD measurements is discussed on the basis of these results.     

Computational modelling of the impact of particle size to the heat transfer coefficient between biomass particles and a fluidised bed

The fluid-particle interaction and the impact of different heat transfer conditions on pyrolysis of biomass inside a 150 g/h fluidised bed reactor are modelled. Two different size biomass particles (350 μm and 550 μm in diameter) are injected into the fluidised bed. The different biomass particle sizes result in different heat transfer conditions. This is due to the fact that the 350 μm diameter particle is smaller than the sand particles of the reactor (440 μm), while the 550 μm one is larger. The bed-to-particle heat transfer for both cases is calculated according to the literature. Conductive heat transfer is assumed for the larger biomass particle (550 μm) inside the bed, while biomass-sand contacts for the smaller biomass particle (350 μm) were considered unimportant. The Eulerian approach is used to model the bubbling behaviour of the sand, which is treated as a continuum. Biomass reaction kinetics is modelled according to the literature using a two-stage, semi-global model which takes into account secondary reactions. The particle motion inside the reactor is computed using drag laws, dependent on the local volume fraction of each phase. FLUENT 6.2 has been used as the modelling framework of the simulations with the whole pyrolysis model incorporated in the form of User Defined Function (UDF).     

Growth kinetics and mechanism of wet granulation in a laboratory-scale high shear mixer: Effect of initial polydispersity of particle size

The effect of initial polydispersity of particle size (unimodal versus bimodal distribution) and binder characteristics on the growth kinetics and mechanism of wet granulation was studied. Wet granulation of pharmaceutical powders with initial bimodal particle size distribution (PSD) presented growth kinetics consisting of two stages: fast growth followed by slow growth. The fast stage is controlled by the amount of binder and high probability of coalescence due to the collisions of small and large particles. The second stage is characterized by slow agglomeration of powder mixtures with water content 13.6% v/w, and slow breakage of powder mixtures with water content of 9.9% and 11.7% v/w. The wet granulation of powders with initial unimodal PSD exhibited slow growth kinetics consisting of one stage, since similar particle sizes do not promote agglomeration. The experimental results were better described by a population balance equation using a coalescence kernel that favors growth rate by collision between small and large particles. In general, the probability of a successful collision increased with higher size difference between particles, smaller particle size, and higher binder content.     

Analysis of the relationship between particle size distribution of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate and compressive strength of set plaster—Using grey model

Particle size distribution (PSD) is one of the important factors associated with the strength property of cementitious materials. However, the relationship between PSD of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (α-HH) and compressive strength of set plaster is not well known. The plaster system could be regarded as a grey system and a grey model was developed to explore the relationship. The grey model shows that the compressive strength is derived from the combined action of each particle fraction, which could be divided into two groups. One works with positive effect: the particle fractions of 0-20 μm, 20-50 μm and 90-140 μm. The other works with negative effect: the particle fractions of 50-90 μm and > 140 μm. Variations of the compressive strength with the increment of specific particle fractions, which result from actions of particles on the hydration rate and the characteristics of pore structure, are in general agreement with the results given by the grey model. The availability of the grey model is restricted by the water-hemihydrate weight ratio (W/H) giving standard consistency of α-HH paste. The results indicate that the grey model could provide a potential method to evaluate the relationship.     

Synthesis of high solid content waterborne polyurethanes with controllable bimodal particle size distribution

A series of waterborne polyurethane dispersions were synthesized by one‐pot reaction and step‐wise reaction, respectively. The effects of synthetic methods and DMPA content on the particle size distribution (PSD), solid contents and viscosity were studied by laser particle size analyzer, Brookfield viscometer and TEM analysis. High solid content and low viscosity waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) with controllable bimodal PSD were prepared by one‐pot reaction using 2,2‐dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA) as the only self‐emulsifier. Meanwhile, 40% solid content WPUs with unimodal PSD were obtained by step‐wise reaction at the same formula. With the increment of DMPA content, the ratio of large particles to small particles decreased and two peaks of the particle size finally became one peak by one‐pot reaction while the PSD remained unimodal by step‐wise reaction. The reason leading to the difference of PSD between one‐pot reaction and step‐wise reaction was analyzed and the relationships among PSD, viscosity and solid content were discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40420.     

BAF-微絮凝工艺用于印染废水回用预处理

针对以活性染料为主经处理后达标排放的印染废水,采用BAF-微絮凝作为其回用预处理工艺进行研究,结果表明,BAF不仅可高效的去除废水中的浊度、SS,对废水中残余的复杂活性染料也有一定的脱除效率,当进水CODCr、SS的质量浓度分别为100、50～60mg/L,色度为40倍时,BAF对CODCr、SS、色度平均去除率分别达到46.8%、85%、25%,微絮凝处理后废水中CODCr、SS、色度的总去除率分别达到70%、97.5%、55%,出水完全满足后续深度处理系统的进水要求,且经济合理,技术可行。     

Particulate clusters and permeability in porous media

The permeability of particulate colloidal titanium dioxide, P25, was investigated during sedimentation, permeation and filtration when suspended in water at a consistent ionic strength similar to tap water. Happel's cell model of permeability was used to determine the apparent particle size during these processes, and compared with the size of particle clusters measured using laser diffraction under identical ionic conditions and varying degree of shear. The primary particle size of the P25 was determined to be 28 nm, from consideration of the surface area and density of the particles, and the cluster size during permeation and filtration was close to 100 nm. During sedimentation the cluster size was determined to be close to 10 μm, which is the same size obtained by laser diffraction when measuring under conditions of low shear. Using the above two sizes (28 nm and 10 μm) as limits in Happel's permeability model it was possible to determine an ‘operating envelope’ of permeability that matched the experimentally measured values for the sedimentation, permeation and filtration processes.     

Comparison of a sMBR and a CASP system for wastewater reclamation and re-use

The performance of a submerged membrane bioreactor (sMBR) for municipal wastewater reclamation and re-use was compared with that of a current classic activated sludge process (CASP). The average chemical oxygen demand (COD) of CASP effluent was 75 mg/l, while the average COD of sMBR filtrate was 15 mg/l. In general, COD removal was above 98%. However, the best results were obtained at a sludge rentention time (SRT) of 50 days. The total phosphorus (TP) content of the filtrate decreased to a level <1 mg/l under aerobic conditions in which aeration occurred continuously. It was shown that the filtrate TP and orthoposphate (Orto-P) concentrations increased dramatically during the periods of intermittent aeration because phosphorus is released under anoxic conditions. In the CASP effluent, the average TP and Orto-P were 7.9 mg/l and 7.1 mg/l, respectively. The filtrate was free of suspended solids (SS) and total coliform bacteria. The effluent SS in the CASP was 40 mg/l. The turbidity removal in the sMBR reached almost 99%, i.e. generally less than 1 NTU, while the average turbidity of the CASP effluent was almost 15 NTU. The removal of ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) in the sMBR was almost 99.8%. In addition, the nitrate concentration in the filtrate decreased to 2.4 mg/l under both aerobic & anoxic conditions. It was shown that both nitrification and denitrification could be successfully reduced through intermittent aeration. Average total Kjeldehl nitrogen (TKN) and NH₄⁺-N in the CASP effluent were 30.2 mg/l and 20 mg/l, respectively, i.e. the nitrification efficiency was 42.9%, and the denitrification value was not available. When these results are compared with those in the CASP, it indicated that the sMBR could be successfully used for reclamation and re-use of municipal wastewater.