Particle sizing in dense, rapidly flowing KCl suspensions by photon migration techniques

The first experimental measurement of particle-size distribution (PSD) from uni-diluted rapidly flowing potassium chloride (KCI) suspensions using con tinuous-wave photon migration techniques is presented. PSDs were obtained f rom a laboratory simulation of production-line slurries used in the chemica l fertilizer industry. Spectral measurements of concentrated, rapidly flowi ng slurry containing 25 - 40% KCI particles were used to calculate the susp ensions' reduced scattering coefficient and PSD using inverse algorithms. O ur PSD results agree excellently with sieving measurements. Refractive inde x is important in the calculations of the PSD and the suspensions' reduced scattering coefficient.