Continuous segregation of homogeneous binary mixture of solids by a liquid fluidised bed classifier

Continuous segregation of homogeneous binary mixture of solids was experimentally investigated in a liquid fluidised bed with water as the fluidising medium. Experiments were conducted to study the influence of operating variables such as feed rate of solids, feed composition and liquid superficial velocity on pressure drop, entrainment and discharge rates of solids, and purity of top and bottom products. The fluidisation phenomenon was observed through pressure drop measurements and the liquid velocity range for the classification of solids was identified. Correlations are proposed for the entrainment rate of solids, and purity of top and bottom products. When solid particles are in a fluid-like state, there exists an equilibrium between released flotsam component and residual jetsam component at steady state.