Sieving

Sieve analysis is the one of the oldest techniques for measuring particle size distribution, it is also one of the few methods that can also be used for fractionation. Particle Technology Ltd has a full range of sieves from 20µm to 3000µm, which can be stacked on a sieve shaker that is capable of running in both wet and dry modes. All of the sieves are regularly calibrated to ensure reliable and accurate results.

Sieve analysis is a very robust method and is very useful for obtaining accurate data from the extremes of a distribution, i.e. the very large or very small particles. Most other methods such as laser diffraction or electrical sensing zone use relatively small amounts of sample (<1g), therefore there are inherent errors due to sampling. Sieve analysis can use a much larger sample, tens of kilos can be used if desired, meaning that the information on the very largest or very smallest particle is of much higher accuracy.

Using dry sieving is only practical down to around 75µm, although where the limit of the practicality lies is dependant upon the material being sieved. To perform sieving at or below this size, wet sieving is employed. Instead of solely relying on vibration and gravity to move the particles through the sieves, a liquid, most commonly water, is sprayed through the sieves, the water passes through the sieves carrying through the particles until they get retained on the correct sieve. The sieves are then dried and weighed and the particle size distribution is calculated.

Please phone us or email info@particletechnology.com for any extra information on this or any other service.