Effects of Particle Size Distribution of Low-Density Particles on Gas-Solid Behavior in Fluidized Beds

Three hollow borosilicate glass particles 7040S-R, 7040S-F1, and 7040S-F2 with different particle size distributions were prepared. The size of fluidized particles of 7040S-F2 was similar with that of the primary particles such as fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), while the bed height was more than twice the static bed height. The small bubbles were uniformly dispersed in the bed, and the high magnitude of the particle velocity different from that of the FCC was observed. The Geldart A particle 7040S-F2 could help solve the unavoidable problems with superfine particles 5070S, leading to poor fluidization through repeated and/or long-term operations. 7040S-F2 would serve as guidance for designing new particles to provide the favorable fluidization expected from catalytic fluidized-bed reactors with high contact efficiency.