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ABSTRACT
In Part I the properties and the characterization of individual particles
and particulate systems are reviewed, special emphasis being given to
particle size and shape, particle size distribution, interparticle adhesion,
porosiy, capillary action in porous media, instantand flow properties of
powders. The p~cu~~ar~ties
of particulatefoodstu~s, which become evident
through the use of special techniques for measuring these fundamental
characteristics,are considered in detail.
1.
INTRODUCTION
0260-8774/87/$03.50
- 0
Elsevier
Applied
Science
H. Schubert
PROPERTIES
OF INDIVIDUAL
PARTICLES
PARTICULATE
SYSTEMS
AND OF
10-l
10-l
10
lo2
PARTICLE
SIZE
10
PARTICLE
lo2
SIZE
lo3 Pm
loL
IO3 pm
I
loL
Fig. 1 Qualitative dependence of some individual particle and some system properties
on particle size. D is particle deposition in fibrous filters, F is adhesion force, His homogeneity of a particle, S, is surface per unit volume, W is weight of a particle, vg is terminal
settling rate, a, is particle fracture resistance.
The properties of particles do not always increase or decrease regularly with increasing particle size. An example of this is particle deposition, D, in fibrous filters. Particles of x = 1 pm are the most difficult to
collect. The deposition of small particles is promoted by diffusion, that
of larger ones by inertial, gravitational and electrostatic forces (Loffler,
1983).
Most important in particle technology is interparticle adhesion. This
usually increases in proportion to the particle size but the ratio of
particle adhesion, F, to particle weight, W, is of primary importance: this
ratio is inversely proportional
to the square of the particle size. For
particles of 1 ,um, for example, F/W is larger by a factor of lo6 than for
particles of 1 mm diameter. This fact explains why small particles adhere
much more strongly to each other and to surfaces than large particles do.
Adhesion forces are also largely responsible for the cohesive strength
of powders which, at constant porosity, is approximately inversely pro-
H. Schubert
portional to the particle size: thus fine powders show a tendency towards
agglomeration or to form lumps. Hence, the flowability of powders
increases with increasing particle size. A similar behaviour is also
observed in their wettability and dispersibility. These properties are of
importance in instant food powders.
The magnitude of interparticle adhesion forces, as compared to other
competing forces such as gravity, accounts for the difference between
cohesive and non-cohesive powders. In non-cohesive powders, interparticle forces are negligible but in cohesive powders they are significant.
The majority of dry food powders are non-cohesive (and thus freeflowing) only when the particle size exceeds about 100 pm. In wet
powders considerably
stronger adhesion forces appear and the
boundary between the cohesive and non-cohesive
occurs at larger
particle size. Since the adhesion forces may be varied over a wide range,
many powder properties may be influenced as desired.
Interparticle adhesion also influences many bulk properties. Three
examples are shown in Fig. l(b). The porosity (the void fraction of the
total volume) increases with decreasing particle size because the interparticle adhesion allows a looser structure. Very fine particles such as
flow conditioners (anticaking or free-flowing agents, dry lubricants) of a
size below lym can attain porosities of more than 95%. If they are
poured into a container of volume 20 litres, the mass of its contents may
be less than 1 kg although the density of the solid is over 2 kg/litre.
Many other properties such as mixability, colour, water-vapour sorption, flavour, etc, depend upon particle properties. Nowadays many of
these properties can be described quantitatively. Considerable advances
have also been made in the description of fluidized solid flow (Molerus,
1982) in particle transport equipment and in fluidized beds.
3.
CHARACTERIZATION
OF PARTICULATE
SYSTEMS
18qv,
g(p, - P)
(1) geometrical
characteristics
(such as linear
volumes);
mass;
i:; settling rate in a fluid;
(4) field interferences such as electrical
scattering or diffraction.
dimensions,
field interferences,
areas,
light
H. Schubert
0.5
Xmin
X50
Particle
Fig. 2
Cumulative
size
X max
x -
of particle size.
%lla
x1,2
-w(x
1 dx
(2)
%I,
Depending on the particle measuring method used, the particles are dispersed in gases (Zahradnicek, 1976) or in liquids (Koglin, 1974). Dispersion in gases is satisfactory for particles larger than 2-5 pm; finer
particles have to be dispersed in liquids by means of dispersing agents to
overcome the adhesion forces by repulsion forces. The choice of dispersing liquid is especially important for food powders since the
particles must not swell or otherwise dissolve in or react with the fluid.
After extensive experiment at the authors institute, Hoffmann has established a list of suitable dispersing liquids for all the common food
powders, in which it is still necessary to differentiate between the different particle-size measuring methods. A selection of dispersion liquids is
shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Dispersing Liquids Suitable for Use in Particle Size Analysis of Food Powders
Wheat flours
Defatted soya flour
Milk powder
Pea-protein concentrate
Protein concentrate from brewers
spent grain
Microcrystalline cellulose
Wet sieving
refraction or
scattering of
light
Sedimentation
Electrical
impedance
of particles
( Coulter
counter)
1,273
3,8, 10
12,13
2,3, 10, 11
1,1+4,3,5
3,8,11
2,13
2,3, 10, 12
6+7,8+9
8+9,10
8+9,10,14
8+9
12
12,15
2, 12
12,15
10
lo,16
H. Schubert
Fig. 3
Cumulative
10
20
Particle
size x
50
-
100
200
IJm
Even if surface roughness and deformation of the contact areas inevitable in real particles are responsible for deviations between model calculations and measured values, the calculations still provide useful
information as to how the different variables influence adhesion.
Adhesion mechanisms with and without material bridges can be
distinguished.
The most important
adhesion forces between food
particles are shown in Fig. 4. Solid bridges may be formed by sintering,
by chemical bonds and/or by crystallization. The crystallization of amor-
with
material
bridges
chemical
5
slnter
bondi-
,vithout matenal
bndges
van der
Waals
bldge
9
bonding
by
crystolllsed
soiute
liquid bridge
electrostatic
(conductor
VISCOUS bondmg
Fig. 4
Adhesion
mechanisms
10
H. Schubert
2.5
F
=
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
r\
lcrl, \;?.1oyo-ypo-3
\\,
I\
0.05
\ %
Y42
-y
010
0.15
I _-I
0.20
Fig. 5 Adhesion force F of a liquid bridge between two equal spheres - related to the
surface tension y of the liquid and the sphere diameter x - as a function of the distance
ratio a/x for complete wetting (contact angle 6 = 0). Parameter is the volume V, of the
liquid bridge related to the volume V, of the sphere.
E,x, %
11
(3)
E,E(xI+x2+2a)
(4)
Fe,,,=
m,&tiX1X2
2(x1
+ ~2)
(5)
H. Schubert
12
1
Sphere
\
\\,
(9 = 1.5 g/cm31
I
10
lo2 Pm
diameter
lo3
Fig. 6 Calculated adhesion force F between two equal spheres (as a fraction of the
weight W of one sphere) for various interparticle adhesion mechanisms vs. sphere
diameter.
TABLE 2
Densities and Bulk Densities of Some Food Powders
Food
Wheat flour
Rye flour
Corn flour
Corn starch
Potato starch
Rice, polished
Cocoa powder (10% or 22% fat content)
Sucrose
Instant dried whole milk
Instant dried skimmed milk
Solid derlsityp,
g cm --;
1.45-1.40
I.45
I.54
1.62
1.65
1.37- 1.39
1.45 or 1.42
1.60
1.3(-1.45)
1.2(-1.4)
0.55-0.65 (0.4-0.75)
0.45-0.7
0.5-0.7
0.55
0.65
0.7-0.8
0.35-0.4 or 0.4-0.55
0+x5- 1.05
0.45-0.55
0.25-0.55
Figure 6 shows on a log scale that all adhesion forces related to the
particle weight are inversely proportional to the square of the particle
diameter (F/WCCX-*), except for the electrostatic adhesion of insulators
). Particle
adhesion decreases in the order: liquid bridge
lFel,il
WCC
x-1
13
forces: van der Waals forces: electrostatic forces. The strong adhesion
between small particles is remarkable. The interparticle force between
spheres of 10 pm diameter, for instance, is in the case of a liquid bridge
2.6 x lo5 greater than the particle weight.
The dependence
of adhesion. forces upon the distance between
particles is important. Large volume liquid bridges - as Fig. 5 shows are little influenced by the distance between particles, whereas small
volume bridges formed by capillary condensation,
for instance, are
strongly affected. As eqns (3)-( 5) show, van der Waals forces decrease
rapidly with separation distance ( FvdW~ a-), whereas the decrease in
electrostatic forces with separation distance is less in the case of electrical conductors (F,,i 0~a - *) and negligible (sphere/sphere) or even zero
(sphere/plate) in the case of electrical insulators. Attraction from greater
distances is consequently due only to the electrostatic forces between
charged particles. If the particles are already in contact, the adhesion is
primarily due to solid bridges, liquid bridges and van der Waals forces.
The effect of distance on adhesion forces is of great significance in the
case of real particles in which surface roughness, which is usually
present, increases the separation distance. In the case of van der Waals
forces and very small liquid bridges, adhesion is determined almost
entirely by the size and shape of the roughness peaks. In such cases
adhesion forces between real particles are frequently smaller by more
than an order of magnitude than the values calculated for perfectly
smooth model solids.
This effect can be illustrated by using the model of a very small sphere
which has been placed between two equally large spheres, as shown in
Fig. 7. Such finely divided solids are added to food powders, for
instance, as flow conditioners to reduce interparticle adhesion and hence
improve flowability (Hollenbach and Peleg, 1983). However, the interstitial sphere may also be regarded as a model for a roughness peak.
Figure 7 shows the ratio of adhesion force F between two spheres of
diameter x2 = 10 ,um and the weight W of one of these spheres (p, = l-5 g
cm-) vs. the diameter x, of the interstitial sphere. According to eqn (3),
the van der Waals force between the two spheres of diameter xx is
Here a, is the distance between the interstitial sphere and the large
sphere in contact, again assumed to be 0.4 nm. For a given x2, the
adhesion force FvdWpasses a minimum at
x: = $x,a$
- 2U
(7)
14
3
Fig. 7
lo5
3
0.1
3 1o-2
Diameter x1 of the interstitiat
pm
sphere
Calculated
15
ties a, = 0.5 and 0.8. The related adhesion force decreases rapidly with
increasing diameter x1 of the interstitial sphere until finally the liquid
bridge becomes unstable (Schubert, 1982) and breaks (dotted line in Fig.
7). Thereafter the related adhesion force increases with increasing
diameter x1 proportionally to x1 and practically independently of a,; in
this case liquid bridges have formed between the sphere of diameter
x2 = 10 ,um and the small sphere (x1).
The liquid bridge forces caused by capillary condensation hence may
decrease by a factor of more than 1000 (cf. Fig. 7) as compared to
perfectly smooth particles without the interstitial sphere. This illustrates
the effect of flow conditioners on powders which are stored in moist
atmospheres (see also Schlitz and Schubert, 1980).
Since the size and shape of actual roughnesses, in contrast to the
model considerations in Fig. 7, are largely unknown, it is necessary to
measure the adhesion forces between real particles if quantitative information is required. Such measurements generally yield adhesion force
distributions over a wide range even with equal-size particles. This is due
to roughnesses of different size which are irregularly spread over the surfaces. Hence, depending on the random contact, the geometry of the
contact area changes in the micro-range. Adhesion force distributions
often range over more than one order of magnitude even for monosize
particles (Schlitz, 1979).
In addition to the above influences there are many other factors to be
taken into account such as adhesion force enhancement due to inelastic
deformation
of the contact areas of the adherents. Interactions of
particles in liquids where repulsive and attractive forces frequently compete with each other also belong to the field of interparticle adhesion.
Review papers provide a survey of the entire field (Schubert, 198 1 a, c). A
research project at present attracting much attention is the adhesion of
microorganisms
to solid surfaces (Ellwood, 1979; Notermans and
Kampelmacher,
1983). Much of classical particle adhesion knowledge
may be used in this field. The same applies to particle adhesion involved
in surface fouling in food processing (Hallstrom et al., 1981).
3.2 Characterization
of powders
H. Schubert
16
In eqn (S), V>is the solid volume. If the particles themselves are porous
(particle porosity EJ then
Fl
(9)
where the bulk porosity E,, is the ratio of void volume between particles
to the total volume. The bulk density of a powder is also frequently used:
Ph=(I-&p)(l-&b)Pu=(l-&)P,
(IO)
where p, is the solid density. Table 2 lists the bulk densities of some food
powders. In the case of bulk material made up of closely sized, nonporous particles, if adhesion forces may be neglected, i.e. if the particles
are sufficiently large, the porosity is about E = 0.4. If interparticle
adhesion is significant, porosity increases. Especially in wet powders, or
upon exceeding the relative humidity (RH) at which capillary condensation may take place (frequently at RH > 0.6-0.7) porosity increases, or
the bulk density decreases as compared to the dry condition. Scoville
and Peleg (1981) and Moreyra and Peleg (198 1) studied and quantified
these effects in model substances and various food powders.
Bulk density is of importance because consumers expect that the mass
indicated on the package corresponds to a volume filling the package
almost completely. This frequently presents difficulties in food processing. In many cases producers wish to offer powders combining a large
volume with a small mass. As may be recognized from eqn (lo), this can
be accomplished by producing porous particles. In practice, porous
particles may be produced as hollow spheres or by instantizing fine
particles to larger agglomerates of the desired porosity sp. The following
example demonstrates the wide range of variability in bulk density. A
beverage powder (sugar-cocoa mix) which is sold direct to consumers is
usually expected to show a bulk density of p,=O.30-0.35
g cmm3. A
powder of the same composition intended for use in vending machines,
however, is required to have a bulk density of pb = 0.5-0.6 g cmm3 (Kniel,
1980).
3.2.2 Capillar?, action in powders, pore size distribution
Many food powders are obtained from the wet phase and have to be
dried, frequently after mechanical dewatering. Prior to consumption, or
in the course of further processing, most of the powders have to be
rewetted. Both dewatering and reconstitution - mostly with water are governed by capillary behaviour. It is therefore necessary to characterize powders with regard to their capillary properties. For this reason
capillary pressure curves (Schubert, 1982) have been established which
indicate the capillary pressure p, in a porous medium as a function of the
liquid saturation S; S is the ratio of liquid volume to void volume of the
w -- 4 Y
(11)
&X1,2
-0 i,
0.2
Ok
Liquid
0.6
saturation
0.8
Fig. 8 Capillary pressure of a bulk material (glass spheres, weighted mean diameter
.*11.2
= 79 ym, porosity E = 0.38) vs. degree of liquid saturation (p,(S) = capillary pressure
curve).
18
H. Schubert
(y = surface tension of the liquid; X,,z see eqn (2)). The constant was
found to be b = 6-8 (Schubert, 1972). According to eqn (1 l), the capillary pressure increases with decreasing particle size.
Although the capillary pressure curve holds a key position for the
understanding of the capillary action in porous systems, and is necessary
also for the quantitative description of wetting and dewatering processes,
it is not sufficient to describe capillary processes completely. In wetting
of powders, a dynamic capillary pressure may play an important role in
addition (Schubert, 1978~). This wetting behaviour is of importance for
instant powders: it is discussed below in section 3.2.3.
The capillary pressure so far has been assumed to be a suction pressure, i.e. liquid is sucked into the pores by capillary action. This is indeed
always correct for sufficiently small contact angles, i.e. powders having
good wettability. Mercury, however, which forms a contact angle of
6 = 140 with most solids, behaves differently. In this case mercury must
be pressed into the pores to overcome the capillary pressure. This effect
is used in the so-called mercury porosimetry to determine the pore size
distribution. Since, because of the lower capillary pressure, large pores
are filled first, followed by finer pores which are subsequently filled
under increasing applied pressure, it is possible to deduce from the capillary pressure curve the pore size distribution. To evaluate the measured
results, pore models are required: usually, a cylindrical model is preferred. The excess pressure which is identical with the capillary pressure
p,, and the pore diameter dare correlated by the equation
4Y
p<.= / cos b
(12)
Food particle
technology
Part I
19
20
H. Schubert
well. However, the method is not suitable for the majority of food
powders. This underlines the fact that it is not always possible to apply
methods of general particle technology directly to foods.
As far as food powders are concerned it is essential that, following a
short dispersing phase, soluble particles be dissolved as completely as
possible and the remaining particles be suspended in the liquid for a
sufficiently long time, i.e. neither deposit on the bottom of the receptacle
nor accumulate at the surface*. In accordance with a measuring method
(Mel, 1978) standardized by the International Dairy Federation (IDF) to
characterize the instant properties of dried milk, the following dispersibility value (which also includes the wetting properties) may be defined:
pc;d
cmt
(13)
Q=h
I.
(14)
If the dispersed total sample is divided according to the IDF test into
residual mass and dispersed mass, the following correlation between D,
and D, is obtained:
D
125QU +a
99D,+ 151
(15)
The constants 125,99 and 15 1 are obtained from the standardized division ratio according to IDE
In the IDF method the concentrations
c,,,~ and c,,,~are determined
gravimetrically or from the sample weight. The time required for the
determination
of dispersibility is thus 4-5 h. A rapid photometric
method has now been developed in which the concentration is related to
the loss in light transmission T according to the Lambert-Beer
law:
In TK c,. This law is valid only at sufficiently low concentrations and
*This requirement is not sufficient for the dispersion of certain other particles such as
colour pigments. The dispersion test described here is hence not suitable for all instant
powders, only for food powders.
21
(16)
orfromeqn(15)
D
125% 1 + D,r)
99D,,+ 151
(17)
transmission
Fig. 9
Instrument
for measuring
the dispersibility
transmission.
The instrument has been tested on nearly all instantized food powders
and has been found useful. Figure 10 shows the results for various commercial instant dried skimmed and whole milk products. Four samples of
each product were measured and the standard deviations determined
(indicated by bar-lines in the figure). The photometrically-determined
22
H. Schubert
(II
2
.-
o instant dried
skimmed milk
T=
33
iii
gO.8-
instant dried
whole milk
-0
+
C
.E
;
,/
0.6.
I
CL 0.2V
0.L
0.2
Gravimetrically
Fig. 10
WJ
I
0.6
determined
I
0.8
dispersibility
1
D,
Comparison
between the photometrically
and gravimetrically
dispersibility of instant dried skimmed and whole milk.
determined
23
example, does not increase linearly with height, but tends towards a
maximum value. Only fluidized beds show some similarity to liquids.
Jenike ( 1970) established the fundamentals of powder mechanics,
allowing the flowability of particulate solids to be characterized and bins
and hoppers to be designed reliably. Only a brief explanation will be
given here; for details see the original work by Jenike (1970), the survey
papers by Schwedes (1970) and, with regard to food powders, by Peleg
(1977). To obtain the first reliable data as a basis for statements of
general applicability, Jenike developed a shear cell which is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 l(a). After consolidation to a certain porosity E,
or bulk density ,ob, the powder is subjected to different normal loads N
and caused to shear by the force S in the horizontal direction. If N is
plotted vs. S, or the normal stress o = N/A,vs.
the shear stress r = S/A,
an experimental yield locus as shown in Fig. 12 is obtained indicating the
yield point of the powder at a particular porosity E. If the yield point of
the same powder is required at a lower porosity, the experiment is
repeated at a higher consolidation degree. In this case the experimental
yield locus would be above that shown in Fig. 12. There is an individual
termination E to every yield locus; at this point steady-state flow is
reached, i.e. no changes in stress or volume take place.
cover
ring
powder
base
b1Annular
shear cell
-loading
ring
powder
shear tr *ough
I-
C-R, -j
Ra
&
Fig. 11
Devices
for measuring
H. Schubert
24
tension
Fig. 12
Experimental
compression
Normal
stress
u ---
The stress condition of each point on the yield locus may be decribed
by Mohr stress circles, Two Mohr stress semi-circles which are characterized by special properties are shown in Fig. 12. The larger semi-circle
characterizes the stress conditions during steady-state flow since it is
passing through point E. This stress circle intersects the axis at the two
principal stresses o1 and 02, O, being the major, or the consolidation
stress, and ~7~the minor principal stress. The smaller semi-circle shown
in Fig. 12 is characterized by the fact that the minor principal stress
becomes zero; the major principal stress, f,, is called the unconfined
yield strength by Jenike. Since the minor principal stress is zero, fc represents the compressive strength of the powder at the particular porosity.
Jenike showed that a powder flows more easily out of a bin the greater
the consolidation stress, o,, relative to the unconfined yield strength f,.
The ratio flC= a,/fc is called the flow function ff,; it characterizes the
flowability of powders, an important property in designing bins and
hoppers. According to Jenike, powders may be classified according to
their flowability, as shown in Table 3.
It should be noted that whilst the flow function 8: is a useful guide to
the flowability of powders, it does not completely describe the flowing
behaviour of particulate solids. A complete description is possible only
by means of the yield loci measured at various porosities.
By using the Jenike shear cell, however, only a certain region of the
yield locus curve can be determined experimentally. This region is indicated in Fig. 12 by a bold line, the remaining curve by a dashed line. The
Flowability
fs,<2
2<ff,<4
4<fs,<lO
10 <ffc
TABLE 3
of Powders, Classified According
Flow Function #c = a,/fc
25
to the Jenike
Cohesive
powders
Easy-flowing
Free-flowing
Non-cohesive
powders
1 + sin &
a,=l-sin~r
(18)
which is interpreted by Jenike as a general law describing the steadystate flow of powders.
Many food powders tend to consolidate with time under the action of
static pressure. Interparticle adhesion increases with time, and flowability decreases correspondingly.
This effect is of importance for the
discharge of material from bins after intervals of time during which the
material may consolidate. The increase in adhesion force with time is
H. Schubert
26
ldk
al
Fig. 13
MASS
FLOW
bl PLUG
FLOW
27
When the cone angle 8 5 8,, mass flow occurs. For the particulate
solid flow out of the bin, the outlet must have a minimum diameter
d, otherwise the material forms a stable arch. According to Jenikes
stability criterion, a stable arch is possible only for 0; <f,; a; is the major
principal stress acting at the abutment of an arch and which may be
calculated from the equation (see Jenike, 1970)
(20)
The flow factor fl, as a function of 8, 9, and #w, may be taken from
the diagrams of Jenike ( 1970). The condition ai =f, supplies the
critical stress a,, which acts at the abutment of an arch (see Fig. 14) from
which, by means of equation
(21)
the critical minimum diameter d, of the outlet can be determined. In eqn
(2 1), pb is bulk density, g is acceleration due to gravity; H( 0) is a function
of the geometry of the hopper given by published diagrams (Jenike,
1970). If d > d,, the formation of a stable arch which would prevent the
material from being discharged is avoided. Details of Jenikes theory are
beyond the scope of this paper; the reader is referred to Jenikes original
publication (1970) or to an excellent review paper presented by Arnold
et al. (1979).
Fig. 14
Graphical
construction
to determine
the critical
explanation
see text).
diameter
of a bin outlet
(for
28
H. Schubert
R;)
(22)
29
(23)
is well proven, where pb and pbo are the bulk density at pressure p, and
the reference pressure p,, (p, = ambient pressure), respectively; b is a
constant called compressibility. There is a clear correlation between b
and the cohesiveness. Powders showing a high compressibility have poor
flowing properties. The change in loose bulk density may also serve as a
measure of the effectiveness of anticaking agents, for example (Hollenbath et al., 1982). This is explainable physically from the influence of
interparticle adhesion on porosity or bulk density as mentioned above. If
quantitative information
regarding flowability is required, however,
shear tests are necessary.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Many of the results reported in this paper were obtained within the
framework of research projects which were kindly supported by the
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft,
Bonn.
REFERENCES
Arnold, P. C., McLean, A. G. and Roberts, A. W. (1979). Bulk Solids: Storage,
Flow and Handling, TUNRA Ltd, The University of Newcastle, New South
Wales 2308, Australia.
Borg, L. ter (198 1). Erfahrungen aus Scherversuchen
mit Schiittgiitern der
Chemie. Chem.-Ing-Tech., 53 (8), 662-3.
Davis, K. W. and Hawkins, A. E. ( 1979). Harmonic descriptors of particle shape:
their role in discrimination. Proc. PARTEC, 2nd Eur. Symp. on Particle
Characterization, Niirnberg, 582-99.
Downton, G. E., Flores-Luna, J. L. and King, C. J. (1982). Mechanism of stickiness in hygroscopic, amorphous powders. Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam., 21 (4),
447-51.
30
H. Schubert
31
32
H. Schubert