granulometrianalyser

A granulometrianalyser is an instrument or software system used to determine the granulometry, the particle size distribution, of a granular material. It integrates several measurement principles under one framework, including sieve analysis for coarser sizes, laser diffraction (laser granulometry) for a wide range of particle sizes, dynamic image analysis, and other optical or acoustic techniques. The selection of method depends on material properties, required resolution, and throughput.

Sieve-based granulometry uses a stack of progressively finer screens. The material is passed through the stack, and the mass retained on each sieve is measured to construct a cumulative and differential size distribution. Laser diffraction estimates particle sizes from the pattern of light scattered by a dispersed sample, applying models such as Mie or Fraunhofer theory to convert scattering data into a size distribution. Image-based granulometry analyzes high-resolution images of dispersed particles to measure dimensions and infer distributions, often capturing shape information as well.

Outputs typically include a size distribution curve, percent finer or coarser than a given size, and statistics such as D10, D50, D90, mean size, and distribution span. Applications span soils and aggregates in civil engineering, pharmaceuticals, mining and mineral processing, food and pigments, and any field requiring quantitative grain size data.

Accuracy depends on dispersion quality, particle shape, and method assumptions. Calibration with reference materials and adherence to standards (for example sieve standards and laser-diffraction guidelines) are essential for comparability across laboratories.