Sauter mean diameter definition

Only a minority of systems of industrial interest contain powders with a uniform particle size, i.e. monodisperse. Most systems generally show a distribution of sizes (polydisperse) and it is then necessary to define the average dimension. There are many different definitions of particle size,1 2 the most commonly used, particularly in fluidisation, is the so called volume-surface mean or the Sauter mean diameter. This is the... 

The Sauter mean diameter has been found to be the most useful of the above definitions for characterizing the spray produced by a nozzle. It is a good indicator of a spray s performance in complex interactions with a droplet s surface and volume. Applications include spray drying, evaporative cooling, dry scrubbing, gas quenching, and gas absorption (Stavis, 1991). 

Accuracy has to be carefully defined, particularly for a (drop or particle) population containing a range of sizes. Tlie simplest description is via some appropriate mean size such as the Sauter Mean Diameter (d32, particle with the same volume /surface area ratio as ensemble of particles, sphere equivalent) or the mass median diameter (dso, size below which lie 50% by weight of the sample). The next step is to consider a second parameter describing the width of the distribution. A simple definition is a dimensionless span,... 

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