Investigation of Electrostatic Charging in Various Gas-Solid Processes with Applications in Petrochemical, Pharmaceutical and Waste Management Industries

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In many gas-solid processes, electrostatic charges are generated during particle handling, transport and processing in which resulting in particle-wall adhesion, particle agglomeration, and generation of high-voltage electrical fields causing explosions. The significant negative impact of electrostatic phenomenon has been reported in industries such as petrochemical where a fouling incident could result in major economic losses of nearly $1.0M/day, and pharmaceuticals where drug powder agglomeration and deposition inside dry powder inhalers (used by those who suffer from lung illnesses such as asthma) reduces the efficiency of the inhaler by limiting the emitted dose. In contrast, beneficial application of electrostatics can be found in solid separation process used in waste management sector. The overall goal of this research program is thus to determine ways to prevent or eliminate electrostatic charging in industrial polyethylene gas-solid fluidized bed reactors, as well as shed some light on particle charging mechanisms in different gas-solid processes such as those of particles separation and pharmaceuticals. A comprehensive experimental program will develop: a) Static control strategies to eliminate and reduce fouling in industrial gas-solid fluidized bed reactors. A unique custom-made pilot plant gas-solid fluidization infrastructure will be used in this study that is recently commissioned and is able to operate at high pressures of up to 25atm and houses a novel electrostatic charge measurement technique. b) A computational fluid Dynamic (CFD) model enabling the prediction of particle charging in various gas-solid processes including those of fluidized beds. c) A thorough understanding of effective charging of solids in gas-solid fluidized beds to achieve greater separation efficiencies in separation processes. d) A comprehensive study of drug powder charging in dry powder inhalers to improve drug delivery efficiency from such devices. Involvement of graduate and undergraduate students trained in this multi-disciplinary research program will assist in direct impacts of the research in pharmaceutical, petrochemical and waste management industries, sectors of vital importance to the Canadian and world economies.