Scale particle size distribution

The RDX particle size distribution must be carefully controlled to produce castable slurries of RDX and TNT having acceptable viscosity. Several classes of RDX are produced to satisfy requirements for the various pressed and cast RDX-based compositions. A continuous process for medium-scale production of RDX has been developed by Biazzi based on the Woolwich process (79,151—154). 

Particle size distribution is usually plotted on a log-probabiHty scale, which allows for quick evaluation of statistical parameters. Many naturally occurring and synthetic powders foUow a normal distribution, which gives a straight line when the log of the diameter is plotted against the percent occurrence. However, bimodal or other nonnormal distributions are also encountered in practice. 

Tantalum Compounds. Potassium heptafluorotantalate [16924-00-8] K TaF, is the most important tantalum compound produced at plant scale. This compound is used in large quantities for tantalum metal production. The fluorotantalate is prepared by adding potassium salts such as KCl and KF to the hot aqueous tantalum solution produced by the solvent extraction process. The mixture is then allowed to cool under strictiy controlled conditions to get a crystalline mass having a reproducible particle size distribution. To prevent the formation of oxyfluorides, it is necessary to start with reaction mixtures having an excess of about 5% HF on a wt/wt basis. The acid is added directiy to the reaction mixture or together with the aqueous solution of the potassium compound. Potassium heptafluorotantalate is produced either in a batch process where the quantity of output is about 300—500 kg K TaFy, or by a continuously operated process (28). 

Coefficient of Variation One of the problems confronting any user or designer of crystallization equipment is the expected particle-size distribution of the solids leaving the system and how this distribution may be adequately described. Most crystalline-product distributions plotted on arithmetic-probability paper will exhibit a straight line for a considerable portion of the plotted distribution. In this type of plot the particle diameter should be plotted as the ordinate and the cumulative percent on the log-probability scale as the abscissa. 

FIG. 20-2 Particle -size distribution curve plotted using a logarithmic scale for tbe abscissa,... 

Fig. 2. TEM images and the corresponding particle size distribution histograms of (a) 6 nm, (b) 7 nm, (c) 8 nm, (d) 9 nm, (e) 10 nm, (f) 11 nm, (g) 12 nm, and (h) 13 nm sized iron nanoparticles showing the one nanometer level increments in diameter. The scale bars at the bottom of the TEM images indicate 20 nm...

Figure 3. Particle size distribution of the gold particles after deposition in the large-scale preparation on (A) X40S and (B) XC72R.

Glicksman and Farrell (1995) constructed a scale model of the Tidd 70 MWe pressurized fluidized bed combustor. The scale model was fluidized with air at atmospheric pressure and temperature. They used the simplified set of scaling relationships to construct a one-quarter length scale model of a section of the Tidd combustor shown in Fig. 34. Based on the results of Glicksman and McAndrews (1985), the bubble characteristics within a bank of horizontal tubes should be independent of wall effects at locations at least three to five bubble diameters away from the wall. Low density polyurethane beads were used to obtain a close fit with the solid-to-gas density ratio for the combustor as well as the particle sphericity and particle size distribution (Table 6). 

These routes involve the formation of (usually) prereduced metal particles that are then adsorbed or deposited onto the support. They have the advantage that the particle size of the particles is predetermined by the chemistry of the colloids and that resulting catalysts have narrow particle size distributions. However, the colloidal particles often are surface stabilized by surfactant molecules, which can be difficult to remove once the particles are adsorbed onto the support. One further disadvantage is that the colloidal particles are prepared at high dilution (typically millimolar concentrations— for example, 0.2 g Ft 1 ), which is a disadvantage in terms of scale-up. 

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