Segregation in binary and ternary liquid fluidized beds

The mechanism underlying segregation in liquid fluidized beds is investigated in this paper. A binary fluidized bed system not at a stable equilibrium condition, is modelled in the literature as forming a mixed part—corresponding to stable mixture—at the bottom of the bed and a pure layer of excess components always floating on the mixed part. On the basis of this model; (i) comprehensive criteria for binary particles of any type to mix/segregate, and (ii) mixing/segregation regime map in terms of size ratio and density ratio of the particles for a given fluidizing medium, are established in this work. Therefore, knowing the properties of given particles, a second type of particles can be chosen in order to avoid or to promote segregation according to the particular process requirements. The model is then advanced for multi-component fluidized beds and validated against experimental results observed for ternary fluidized beds.