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Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 1999, 38, 1911-1916 1911
Statistics and experiments reveal that the mechanical failure of a spherical catalyst under single-
particle crushing strength and bulk crushing strength tests are both brittle fracture and the
fact that the single particle strength data follow a Weibull distribution. A model is proposed for
the packing of spherical particles, which assumes tetrahedral contact and force transmission
between the spheres. A deduction from this packing is that the broken percentage of spheres
during bulk strength measurement follows the relationship of the Weibull equation. Experimental
results confirm this conclusion, which relates the single particle property and the bulk behavior
of the packed bed of catalytic materials.
F1 )
x3
2 (
Pdp2 1 +
2δ
dp) 2
(5)
B ) β0 [x2
4
φdp2 f
δ
dp ( )]
m0
(11)
( ) ( )( )
The force F1 from each of the three adjacent top layer δ 2δ 2
2δ2 2δ 1/2
spheres, in turn, applies force F2 at three contacts of a f ) 1+ 1- - (12)
second layer sphere. dp dp dp2 dp
F1
( 2δ2 2δ
) Equation 9 gives the relationship between the applied
1/2
F2 ) 1- - (6) pressure and fracture probability of each sphere in the
x6 dp2 dp packing. Consequently, the broken percentage (i.e.,
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Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 38, No. 5, 1999 1913
ln ln ( 1
1 - F(F) )
) m ln F + ln β (14)
3.1. Samples Used. Three spherical samples were The total pressure P and percentage broken dm/m can
used in this work. One is γ-alumina (denoted as sample be measured. The parameters M and B can also be
A); the other two are 3A zeolite with different physical obtained by linear least-squares regression.
properties (denoted as samples B and C). Their geomet-
ric size and texture properties are listed in Table 1. 4. Results and Discussion
Their texture properties and the pore size distribution
were obtained by an Autopore 9220 II porosimeter. 4.1. SPCS. In the SPCS test, brittle fracture hap-
3.2. Apparatus. A scale permitting one to measure pened suddenly and completely, with the sphere break-
two decimals after millimeters was used to get the ing into several fragments. In some cases, the fragments
diameters of the spheres. SPCS measurements were were nearly hemispherical, while fracturing to many
carried out with a ZQJ-II strength tester made in segment-shaped pieces was more frequent. The surface
Dalian, China. A balance used for the determination of of the section was not smooth but rather irregular and
the weight has one decimal of precision after grams. The has the features of typical brittle fracture, similar to
BCS tests were performed using a typical device de- that of cylindrical tablets after the same measure-
signed by Beaver.3,4 The schematic diagram of the ment.12,17
apparatus is shown in Figure 3. The cylindrical sample Table 2 lists the results of the SPCS tests on the three
container is 54.26 mm in diameter and about 100 mm samples. It can be seen that the SPCS data have a large
in depth. The piston diameter is nearly equal to the scattering range, which is the inevitable result of the
inside diameter of the container. The piston and con- brittle fracture. For catalysts, they are porous and full
tainer are both made of stainless steel. of defects, dislocations, and discontinuations in the bulk
3.3. Experimental Method. SPCS Measurement. phase; these are in the same range of size and nature
The particle was loaded diametrically until failure as the microcracks defined by fracture mechanics, which
between the two anvils of the strength tester. The load are the origins of the stress concentration and lead to
at which fracture of the sample occurred was recorded. the scattering of the data.
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1914 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 38, No. 5, 1999
exact solution of the elastic equations for the multipoint (5) Dart, J. C. AIChE Symp. Ser. 1974, 70, 5; Chem. Eng. Prog.
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directly the percentage of failed particles in a bed under Industrial Catalysts; Hydrocarbon Process Press: Beijing, 1990;
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Standards; American Society for Testing and Materials: New
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Standards; American Society for Testing and Materials: Easton,
Acknowledgment MD, 1993; Vol. 5.03.
(11) National Standard of China. Determination of granular
The financial support for the catalyst mechanical crush-strength for fertilizer catalyst, molecular sieve and adsorbent;
strength issues from the NSF of China, Ministry of GB-3635-83; National Standard Bureau: Beijing, 1983.
Education, and SINOPEC Technology Co. is gratefully (12) Li, Y. D.; Chang, L.; Li, Z. J. Tianjin Univ. 1989, 3, 9.
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