FST3840 - Experiment 1 - Milliing and Sieving

EXPERIMENT 1
MILLING AND SIEVING
(Particle Size Distribution Following Milling)
Objective
(a) To study the particle size distribution of ground rice produced using hammer mill
and blade mill.
Theory
Grinding is done in a mechanical grinder. The resulting ground material is sieved

through a series of sieves of increasingly smaller screens, to give a series of particles classified
into size ranges.
The results are to be presented as the cumulative fraction (F) of particles smaller than a
particular mesh size or aperture (D) of sieve, as a function of sieve aperture. The cumulative
fraction is the weight fraction of the material which passes through that and larger sieves (the
sum of all particles smaller than the particular sieve of interest).
In this unit operation of separation, restraint is imposed on some of the particles by

mechanical screens which prevent their passage. This is done successively using increasingly
smaller screens to give a series of particles, classified into size ranges. The material is shaken
or agitated above a mesh or cloth screen, so that particles of smaller size than mesh openings
can pass through under the force of gravity.
The nature and shape of the particles, the frequency and the amplitude of the shaking,
the methods used to prevent sticking or bridging of particles in the apertures of the sieve and
the tension and physical nature of the sieve material all affect the rates of throughput of the
sieves.
The results of a sieve analysis can be presented in various forms, perhaps the best being
the cumulative analysis giving F(D) as a function of the sieve size (D).
Cumulative function F is denoted by F(D), which indicates that F is a function of (or F
is dependent on) D, the aperture. Thus F = F(D).
For an infinitesimally small change of D, which results in a similar change in F, the

differential coefficient
dF
is denoted by F '(D)
dD
dF
= F '(D) ……………………………… [1]
dD
F '(D) is the differential coefficient or the derivative of F(D) with respect to D. It is

also the gradient or slope at any point on the F(D) vs D curve. By drawing tangents at various
points on the F(D) graph, the gradients of the tangents are calculated and a plot of the slope
[F'(D)] vs D is made.
Therefore dF = F '(D).dD
D2 D2
and ∫D1 dF = ∫D1 F '(D).dD ……………………………………………[2]
Left hand side of equation 2 gives the cumulative fraction between two sizes D 1 and D2
which is also that fraction passing through sieve size D2 (larger) and caught on that of D1, right
hand side gives the area under the derivative F'(D) graph or the graph F '(D) vs D, between the
apertures D1 and D2. (Hence the size distribution can be obtained from F'(D) vs D graph).
Therefore the cumulative fraction between any two sizes D1 and D2 is obtained from the
fraction of the area under the F'(D) graph between D1 and D2 to the total area under the F '(D)
curve. Several methods can be used to determine the area under the curve. One method is by
counting the squares.
Equipment
®
(a) A laboratory size electrically operated mill ( POLYMIX PX-MFC 90 D Hammer mill/
Blade mill)
(b) Test sieves ranging from 50 microns - 1800 microns
(c) Sieve shaker (vibrator)
Procedure
(a) Weigh 100 g of rice.
(b) Make sure the hammer or blade grinding attachment and 2-mm sieve are in place.
(c) Feed a portion of the rice sample to the milling chamber after switching the grinder on to
about 1000 rpm. Gradually increase the speed to about 2000 rpm while grinding.
(d) Feed the remaining portions intermittently.
(e) Switch off the grinder when the grinding is complete.
(f) Collect the ground sample completely including the powder adhering to the grinder.
(g) Weigh the ground material.
(h) Stack the sieves provided with the largest sieve at the top and the smallest one at the
bottom. Fit the receiver pan below the smallest sieve.
(i) Place the ground material on to the top sieve.
(j) Operate the sieve shaker for 5 minutes.
(k) Weigh separately the fractions retained on each sieve and in the receiver pan.
Report
Essential items:
(a) Plot as a percentage of the cumulative fraction F(D) i.e. the sum of all particles smaller
than the particular sieve of interest, as a percentage, vs the sieve aperture (cumulative
size analysis). Join the points as a smooth curve.
(b) From your smoothed graph of cumulative size analysis, calculate the slope (draw
tangents at all points and calculate the slope of the tangents) at all points. Plot F '(D) vs
aperture D (particle size analysis). Smooth this curve also.
(c) Comment on the results obtained, noting any difference between the two grinding
attachment and the possible reasons for obtaining the observed size distribution for
ground rice using this particular laboratory mill.
(d) Discuss the percentage of yield obtained.
Laboratory Report Format (Total marks: 100 marks)
1. Objective:
Clear statement of what the experiment sets out to achieve. (5 marks)
2. Results:
Make use of graphs or tables to present the results. (30 marks)
3. Discussion: (35 marks)

Include discussion of literature that is pertinent to your results. (15 marks)
Compare results with any available in the literature. (7.5 marks)
Suggest reasons for apparent differences between your results and those from literature.
(7.5 marks)
Discuss any errors you made that may influence results. (5 marks)
4. Conclusions:
State the main results obtained according to the objective of the experiment. Do not
introduce any new material. (10 marks)
5. References
List references in alphabetical order of principal author and note them and year of
publication at point of reference in the text or use numbers to refer to references in the
text and provide a numbered list of references in the reference section.
(10 marks)
6. Appendix
Show procedure used for calculations and raw data in Appendix. (10 marks)
7. Avoid plagiarism.

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EXPERIMENT 1

MILLING AND SIEVING

(Particle Size Distribution Following Milling)

Grinding is done in a mechanical grinder. The resulting ground material is sieved

In this unit operation of separation, restraint is imposed on some of the particles by

For an infinitesimally small change of D, which results in a similar change in F, the

F '(D) is the differential coefficient or the derivative of F(D) with respect to D. It is

3. Discussion: (35 marks)

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