S Eparation C Haracteristics of F Ly a Sh P Articles in H

Graded fly ash particles have many useful industrial applications due to its fineness and spherical shape. However, grading of fly ash in an industrial scale is a challenging task. The possibility of using hydrocyclones for this purpose has been demonstrated here based on carefully conducted laboratory experiments. The primary objective of this research is to study the effectiveness of a classifying hydrocyclone to produce graded fly ash particles. To do this the principal challenge is on the optimization of the process and the design variables to generate graded fly ash particles of various size ranges. The experimental data reveals that the ratio between the underflow and the overflow discharge openings, popularly known as cone ratio, of a hydrocyclone actually controls the particle size separation behavior in a hydrocyclone. Finally, the study reveals that the grading of fly ash particles at desired size ranges is possible by properly controlling the cone ratio at an appropriate level of feed inlet pressure.