Numerical investigation of powder aerosolization in a rotating drum apparatus

Essential to estimating the potential exposure from dusts of toxic, hazardous or irritant powders is the evaluation of the dustiness of the powders being handled. Dustiness is the tendency of a powder to aerosolize with a given input of energy. Evaluating dustiness of a manufactured powder can alert to a potential exposure to workers. It can also aid in the selection of manufacturing processes/operations which generate less dust for a particular substance and can provide vital information to guide selecting/creating powders which generate less dust. A widely used (but marginally understood) instrument to evaluate powder dustiness is the Rotating Drum. Using computational fluid dynamics, we have numerically investigated the flow inside the Rotating Drum dustiness tester during its operation. A complete description of the flow aerodynamics associated with operation of this instrument will assist in the interpretation of dustiness measurements conducted with this instrument. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.