Void, fraction Pores

Solid and void fraction Pore size Backbone entity size Pore connectivity Backbone connectivity [nterfacial characteristics Backbone composition and structure... 

Despite the fact Chat there are no analogs of void fraction or pore size in the model, by varying the proportion of dust particles dispersed among the gas molecules it is possible to move from a situation where most momentum transfer occurs in collisions between pairs of gas molecules, Co one where the principal momentum transfer is between gas molecules and the dust. Thus one might hope to obtain at least a physically reasonable form for the flux relations, over the whole range from bulk diffusion to Knudsen streaming. 

The relation between the dusty gas model and the physical structure of a real porous medium is rather obscure. Since the dusty gas model does not even contain any explicit representation of the void fraction, it certainly cannot be adjusted to reflect features of the pore size distributions of different porous media. For example, porous catalysts often show a strongly bimodal pore size distribution, and their flux relations might be expected to reflect this, but the dusty gas model can respond only to changes in the... 

Since the void fraction distribution is independently measurable, the only remaining adjustable parameters are the A, so when surface diffusion is negligible equations (8.23) provide a completely predictive flux model. Unfortunately the assumption that (a) is independent of a is unlikely to be realistic, since the proportion of dead end pores will usually increase rapidly with decreasing pore radius. 

For the effective diffusivity in pores, De = (0/t)D, the void fraction 0 can be measured by a static method to be between 0.2 and 0.7 (Satterfield 1970). The tortuosity factor is more difficult to measure and its value is usually between 3 and 8. Although a preliminary estimate for pore diffusion limitations is always worthwhile, the final check must be made experimentally. Major results of the mathematical treatment involved in pore diffusion limitations with reaction is briefly reviewed next. 

The void fraction should be the total void fraction including the pore volume. We now distinguish Stotai from the superficial void fraction used in the Ergun equation and in the packed-bed correlations of Chapter 9. The pore volume is accessible to gas molecules and can constitute a substantial fraction of the gas-phase volume. It is included in reaction rate calculations through the use of the total void fraction. The superficial void fraction ignores the pore volume. It is the appropriate parameter for the hydrodynamic calculations because fluid velocities go to zero at the external surface of the catalyst particles. The pore volume is accessible by diffusion, not bulk flow. 

To evaluate the average pore length, it is necessary to recognize that the porosity sp will represent not only the volumetric void fraction but also at any cross section the fraction of the area occupied by the pore openings. If the average open area associated with each pore is assumed to be 7cr2, the definition of the porosity indicates that... 

Figure 6. Separation factor-particle diameter tehavior as a function of packing diameter for the pore-partitioning model. Parameters are the same as in Figure 3 with the exception of the interstitial capillary radius which was computed from the hed hydraulic radius (Equation 11 (7.) with void fraction = 0.358).

In real porous solids, the pores are not straight, and the pore radius can vary. Two parameters are used to describe the diffusion path through real porous solids the void fraction, e, defined as fhe ratio of pore area to fofal cross-sectional area, and the tortuosity, r, which corrects for the fact that pores are not straight. The resulting effective diffusivity is then... 

Sieve analysis using standard mesh screens is commonly used to determine particle size and size distribution of pellets and the reader is referred to standard texts for further information (61). Several types of densities have been defined for pellets based on interparticulate (void fraction) and intraparticulate pore volumes and include true, apparent, effective, bulk and tapped. The bulk and tapped densities may be obtained using simple devices, such as that used to evaluate granulations in tableting, while the true and apparent densities need more complex techniques based on mercury intrusion, gas flow, powder displacement, imaging or minimum fluidization velocity (62). 

Zeolite A. The structure of zeolite A contains two types of voids (1) the a cage, 11.4 A in diameter, and (2) the P cage (or sodalite unit), 6.6 A in diameter (7). Table I compares experimentally determined pore volumes of zeolite A with the void volume as calculated from the structure (no influence of cations considered). Since the sodium zeolite A does not adsorb normal paraffins, data are included for the calcium-exchanged form. Also shown in column 5 is the void fraction, Vi, as calculated by... 

Desig- nation Nominal Size Surface Area (m /g) Total Void Fraction Dt X 10s (cm2/sec) Average Tortuosity Factor t, Parallel-Path Pore Model r = 2K./5. (A) r Based on Average Pore Radius... 

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