Numerical Simulation of Fine Particle Deposition in Layering Granulation

Abstract

There is a great demand for understanding the layering granulation of coarse and fine iron ore particles. For the understanding, a numerical simulation can be powerful approach. We here proposed a numerical simulation method, by which the deposition of fine particles with water on the surface of a coarse particle can be simulated. In the proposed model, surface of a coarse particle was modeled as a flat surface. The fine particles and water droplets were then deposited on the flat surface with minimizing the surface energy of the liquid and potential energy of the particles, resulting in a bed of the deposited particles with water under the equilibrium state with considering the influence of the physicochemical properties of the particles and liquid. First, an experiment of the deposition of spherical polymer beads with water droplet on the flat polymer sheet was performed. The simulation results showed an agreement with the experimental result, demonstrating the validity of the proposed simulation method. Second, influences on the liquid amount and contact angle (i.e., wettability) of the particles were analyzed. The simulation results suggest that the smaller contact angle (good wettability) can result in more rigid bed with less ungranulated particles.