Bulk density according to DIN EN ISO 60

 

The performance of adsorption plants, whether in energy or process engineering, depends largely on the mass of adsorbed fluid: The mass of adsorbed fluid increases when more sorbent is used. On the other hand, performance decreases if the installation space and thus the "inert" (metal) mass increases. In the sorption systems engineering group, we therefore often pursue the goal of accommodating as much sorbent as possible into a small installation space.

The bulk density of granular sorbent material is a simple quantity to determine and yet very relevant for extrapolating from small-scale experiments to large-scale industrial plants. In the laboratory, the sorption group therefore has an apparatus for determining the bulk density according to DIN EN ISO 60. The bulk density is given in g/cm³ and is also referred to as the "apparent" density. Compared to the actual density, voids between the granules reduce the bulk density, which are filled by the fluid flowing around them. The bulk density is therefore particularly high for small granulate and decreases for larger granulate.

A high bulk density in adsorption plants ensures a high mass of sorbent in a small installation space and is thus beneficial for the performance of adsorption plants in the first instance. However, this useful relationship reaches its limits in adsorption plants with dynamic flow, when the bulk density becomes too high and the fluid can hardly reach the voids between the granulate and high pressure losses occur in the adsorption plant. Therefore, in addition to the pure adsorption properties, the particle size must also be optimized with regard to the application.

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