Measurement of Charge Transfer due to Single Particle Impact

Abstract

Abstract In the processing of particulate solids, interparticle and particle‐wall collisions can generate electrostatic charges. This can lead to a variety of problems ranging from fire and explosion hazards to segregation, caking and blocking. For a fundamental understanding of the particle charging, it is essential to study the charge transfer due to single particle impacts on a target. A new experimental rig that can measure charge generation due to a single impact between a particle and a target plane has been designed and constructed. In this study, pharmaceutical particles were tested by impacting against a stainless steel target. The amount of charge transfer due to impact can be described as a function of impact velocity and impact angle as well as initial charge. It is noted that for a given material, initial particle charge for which no charge transfer occurs, is independent of impact velocity and impact angle.