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Vibration influence in the agglomeration of compressed powders

Project Description

For aluminous cement manufacturers, the raw materials are becoming scarcer due to the depletion or loss of natural resources. The extraction of the raw material, its conditioning and transport generate dust, which is largely not reused at present.

KERNEOS Aluminate Technologies wishes to recycle these bauxite fines by compacting them with the ambition of creating a new recycling process for fine mineral particles. All the partners in the PARC project contributed to the development of a new compaction technology.

Example of PFC3D sample

Itasca's Role

Develop the appropriate discrete numerical models (PFC3D) in order to:

  • Understand the physics of powder compression and compacted stacking.
  • Improve powder compaction processes to achieve targeted
  • Improve powder compaction processes to achieve targeted density, porosity and compressive strength: loading/unloading cycles, addition and optimization of a vibration phase (frequency and maximum acceleration) to reduce compressive force.
  • Reproduce the compaction/vibration tests carried out by the Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne and extrapolate it to an industrial scale.

Project Results

Experimentally observed trends are found: the effect of acceleration on compactness is qualitatively reproduced.

Project Image(s)

Evolution of the compactness during sinusoidal vibration as a function of maximum acceleration (for a given frequency)
Compactness after few sec. vibration, depending on frequency and maximum acceleration
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Office

France
Itasca Consultants S.A.S.

Industries

Client Name

KERNEOS Aluminate Technologies

Location

France

Software

PFC