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Cheresources.comCommunity CommunityBlog Ankur's_Chemical_Engg_Blog CalculatingPhysicalPropertiesOfSlurries

CalculatingPhysicalPropertiesOfSlurries
15March2013

Postedbyankur2061inTechnical

Today'sblogentryaddresseshowtocalculatethephysicalpropertiesofslurries.Beforewegointothedetailsletusunderstandthebasicconceptof
aslurry.

Aslurryconsistsofsolidparticlessuspendedinaliquid.Aslurrypipelineisusedtotransportslurriesfromthesourcesuchasacoalminetoits
destinationsuchasacoalpowerplant.Inthiscasethecoalslurrywillbeamixtureofcoalandwater,whichisatransportationmediumusedto
propelthecombinedsolidliquidmassthroughthepipelineusingcentrifugalpumpstoprovidetherequiredpressure.

Slurriesmaybenewtonianornonnewtonianinnature.Whentheparticleconcentrationofsolidwithintheliquidislessthan10percentbyvolume,theslurrymaybe
considerednewtonian.Whentheslurryconcentrationishigherthan10percent,itisgenerallyregardedasnonnewtonian.

PhysicalPropertiesofaSlurry:

Sincetheslurryconsistsofsolidparticlessuspendedinaliquid,thepropertiesofaslurrymixturewilldependuponthoseoftheconstituents.Thedensityofslurrycan
becalculatedfromthefollowingequation:

m=100/(Cw/s)+[(100Cw)/L]

where:

m=densityofslurrymixture,kg/m3
Cw=solidsconcentrationbyweight,%
s=densityofsolidinmixture,kg/m3
L=densityofliquidinmixture,kg/m3

ThevariableCwrepresentstheamountofsolidinthemixturebyweight.ThetermCvisacorrespondingvalueintermsofvolume.ThusCwmaybe50percentsolids
byweight,whereasCvmaybe15percentsolidsbyvolume.ThetermvolumefractionrepresentedbythesymbolisequaltoCv/100.Thetermvolumeratio
representstheratioofthevolumeofsolidtothevolumeofliquid.Thuswegetthefollowingequationsforthevolumefractionandvolumeratio:

=Cv/100

VolumeRatio=/1

where:
Cv=Concentrationofsolidsbyvolume,%
=Volumefraction

TheconcentrationofsolidsbyvolumeCvandtheconcentrationofsolidsbyweightCwarerelatedtothesoliddensityandthemixturedensitybythefollowingequation:

Cv=Cw*(m/s)

where:
Cv=solidconcentrationbyvolume,%

Theviscosityofadilutesuspensionconsistingofsolidsinaliquidcanbecalculatedapproximatelyfromthevolumefractionandtheviscosityoftheliquidusingthe
followingequation:

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12/25/2016 CalculatingPhysicalPropertiesOfSlurriesCheresources.comCommunity
m=L*(1+2.5)

where:

m=viscosityofslurrymixture,cP
L=viscosityofliquidinslurrymixture,cP

Theprecedingequationofthemixtureviscosityappliesonlytolaminarflowandtosphericalparticles.Alsotheequationdoesnotapplyforsolidconcentrations
exceeding1percentbyvolume.

ForhigherconcentrationsuspensionstheviscosityofthemixturecanbecalculatedusingamodifiedformoftheaboveequationattributedtoD.G.Thomas.

m=L*[1+2.5*+10.05*2+0.00273*exp(16.6*)]

wherethetermsareasdefinedabove

Someexamplecalculations:

Example1:
Aslurrymixtureconsistingofmagnetiteinwaterhasaconcentrationof65percentsolidsbyweight,andthespecificgravityofthesolidsis5.2.Calculatethespecific
gravity,volumefraction,andvolumeratiooftheslurrymixture.

Calculations:

Inputs:
Cw=65%
s=5.2

Results:

SGm=100/(65/5.2)+(35/1.0)=2.10
Cv=65*(2.1/5.2)=26.25%
=26.25/100=0.2625
VolumeRatio=0.2625/(10.2625)=0.3559

Example2:

Aslurryconsistsofrawsaltinabrinesolution.Experimentsindicatethatthisslurryweighs1522kg/m3).Calculatetheconcentrationofsolidsbyweightandbyvolume
andthevolumeratio.Use2082kg/m3forthedensityofsaltand1281kg/m3forthedensityofbrine.

Calculations:

Input:
SlurryDensity,m=1522kg/m3
LiquidDensity,L=1281kg/m3
SolidDensity,s=2082kg/m3

Results:
1522=100/(Cw/2082)+[(100Cw)/1281]

Cw/2082+100/1281Cw/1281=100/1522

Cw*((1/2082)(1/1281))=100*((1/1522)(1/1281))

Cw*(0.0003)=0.0124

Cw=41.2%

Cv=41.2*(1522/2082)=30%

VolumeFraction=30/100=0.3
VolumeRatio=0.3/(10.3)=0.4286

Example3:

Calculatetheviscosityofaslurrymixtureconsistingofsalt(50percentbyweight)insaturatedbrineassuminganewtonianfluid.Theviscosityofbrineis2.0cP,and
thedensityofbrineis1200kg/m3andthatofsaltis2082kg/m3.

Calculations:

Inputs:
LiquidDensity,L=1200kg/m3
SolidDensity,s=2082kg/m3
Cw=50%

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12/25/2016 CalculatingPhysicalPropertiesOfSlurriesCheresources.comCommunity
Results:
m=100/(50/2082)+(50/1200)=1522kg/m3
Cv=50*(1522/2082)=36.55%
=36.55/100=0.3655
m=2.0*[1+2.5*0.3655+10.05*(0.3655)2+0.00273*exp(16.6*0.3655)]=8.9cP

Toconclude,theabovemethodscanbeusedtocalculatethedensity,viscosity,volumefractionandvolumeratioofslurries.

HopingtohavequiteafewcommentsandfromthemembersofCheresources.

Reference:Chapter10,Slurry&SludgeSystemsPiping,"PipingCalculationsManual"byE.ShashiMenon

Regards,
Ankur

Ankur

S.R.Shah Blogisveryhelpful.fordecidingslurryphysicalpropertiesforheatexchanger
Apr30201309:48PM
Pleasealsoaddthermalconductivity.

SRShah

HiAnkur,

ericdayo26 Ispaperstock(whitewater)consideredaslurry?
Dec21201303:40AM Ifso,wouldthatmeanthatitsconsistency(%)isequaltoCwinyourequation..?

ericdayo26,on21Dec20133:50PM,said:

ankur2061
HiAnkur,
Dec21201301:02PM

Ispaperstock(whitewater)consideredaslurry?
Ifso,wouldthatmeanthatitsconsistency(%)isequaltoCwinyourequation..?

ericdayo26,

Idon'tknowmuchaboutthepulpandpaperindustry,hencecannotprovideyouadefinitiveanswer.Youmaylookatthelinksbelowtofindan
answer:

http://books.google....wtonian&f=false

http://www.pumpfunda....com/help9.html

Regards,
Ankur

AnkurtheEinsteincorrelationforsuspensionviscosityisgenerallyokforsuspensions/emulsionsuptoabout2%dispersedphase.The
GuthSimhaequationcanhandleuptoabout6%,andtheThomasequationisonlymoderatelybetterthan10%.Concentratedslurriedoften
TechnicalBard begintoexhibitdramaticallydifferentrheology(nonnewtonian)andIknowofnogenericviscosityfunctionthatwouldapply.
Mar30201408:44PM

Ankur

asad.humam Thank's,thisblogisveryhelpful.
Sep30201610:22PM
Pleasegiveinformation/referenceifanyanotherequationsfordeterminationanotherpropertiesofslurry.(specificheatcapacity,thermal
conductivity,etc.)

Regards
Asad

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