Techniques for granule sizing: Sieve analysis

摘要

Sieve analysis was one of the earliest established particle sizing techniques and remains in practice across industry because of its perceived low cost and simplicity. It is useful for the measurement of relatively coarse particles, up to several centimetres in size, but is more limited in the sub-100μm range where the strength of interparticle forces can result in agglomeration. This leads to poor reproducibility and/or sieve blocking. Using sieves to measure the feed to a granulation or assess its early progress may therefore be impractical. Wet sieving techniques can address this limitation, though at the cost of increasing measurement times.