Particle Professor: Breaking up is not that hard to do!
Chemical reactions, agglomeration, and, most of all, attrition change the particle size distribution from what we know is entering the system to what discharges, and this can become a product quality or process operation problem.
Because attrition can be unpredictable, it tends to be a big issue in handling and processing bulk solids. The smallest change in feedstock or process operating conditions can produce unexpected and undesirable results. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By understanding particle attrition, we can manage it and possibly even capitalize on it.