Segregation potential in binary gas fluidized beds

Some smoothly fluidized binary mixtures exhibit no tendency to segregate un der a particular combination of solids and fluid volume fractions. In these cases the equilibrium mixture remains stable, even in the absence of mixin g forces. The conditions corresponding to segregation potential free mixtur es can be theoretically predicted from the physical properties of the syste m, and have been validated for liquid fluidized systems. This paper shows t hat the same approach may be applied to gas fluidized beds of fine particle s. Experimental results of different binary mixtures in gas fluidized beds are reported to support the theory. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All righ ts reserved.