sõelanalüüsi

Sõelanalüüs, also known as sieve analysis, is a method used to determine the particle size distribution of a granular material. It involves passing a sample of the material through a series of sieves with progressively smaller mesh openings. The sieves are typically stacked in order from coarsest to finest, and the material is shaken or agitated to ensure that all particles that can pass through a given sieve do so. After shaking, the amount of material retained on each sieve is weighed. By comparing the weight of material retained on each sieve to the total weight of the sample, a percentage of material within each size range can be calculated. This information is often presented as a cumulative weight percentage or a frequency curve. Sõelanalüüs is a fundamental technique in many fields, including civil engineering for analyzing soil and aggregate properties, mining for ore processing, and in the food industry for classifying powders. The accuracy of the analysis depends on factors such as the type of sieves used, the duration and intensity of agitation, and the care taken in weighing the retained material. Standards organizations like ASTM and ISO provide guidelines for conducting sõelanalüüs to ensure consistency and comparability of results.