Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.51, No.25, 8661-8668, 2012
Hydrodynamics of Electrostatic Charge in Polypropylene Fluidized Beds
Experiments were performed in a double jacket gas-solid fluidized bed to investigate the process and degree of electrification in polypropylene fluidized beds. Five copper rings attached to the inner column wall were connected to a picoammeter for measuring the electrical current at the different vertical levels. It was found that both positive and negative electrical currents were traced in the whole bed. The magnitude of positive current value was observed at the bottom of the bed while at the top part of the bed the magnitude of negative current value was found. The influence of initial bed height, fluidization velocity, and gas temperature on the degree of electrification was investigated. The effect of gas temperature played a significant role in the charge dissipation. Also, the degree of electrification increased with initial bed height and gas velocity.