Alfano, F. O. D. R., Alberto; Di Maio, Francesco Paolo; Ghadiri, Mojtaba. "Computational analysis of triboelectrification due to aerodynamic powder dispersion," Powder Technology Vol. 382, 2021, pp. 491-504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2021.01.011. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032591021000188)
Abstract: Triboelectric charging can strongly influence bulk powder flow behaviour, and hence its characterization is of great interest for safe manufacturing operations. In a recent development, the use of an aerodynamic disperser, employing a pressure pulse to disperse a small powder quantity, shows a great potential for inducing triboelectric charge transfer. We analyse this process by coupled Discrete Element Method and Computational Fluid Dynamics (DEM-CFD) simulations, incorporating triboelectric charge transfer. The simulations are based on property data of glass ballotini as model particles, together with those of ?-lactose monohydrate (?-LM) and aspirin, as powders of practical interest. The characteristics of particle-particle and particle-wall collisions are analysed in detail. The analysis shows that pharmaceutical particles charge significantly more than glass ballotini. The charge-to-surface area ratio is remarkably constant and close to its equilibrium value for each test material. Overall, the analysis provides a great insight on the triboelectric charging by aerodynamic dispersion.
Keywords: Triboelectric charging; Powder dispersion; Computational modelling; Pharmaceutical powders; Discrete element method; MFIX-DEM