Name: Mcdonald Kudakwashe Juma

Student Number: N0163337C

Course Code: EMR 3205

Course Name: Practical Metallurgy

Lab Report 1

Sieve Analysis
Abstract

The particle size analysis is performed in order to determine the percentage of grain sizes contained
within a soil or ore sample. After the experiment, this report concludes that the soil sample that we
analyzed is ……………… Errors in the experiment are assumed negligible because of the environment
and the type of machine is calibrated to high precision.

Performed by Mcdonald Juma

Submitted by Mcdonald Juma

Date performed April 26. 2019

Date submitted May 03. 2019

1) Title
Sample analysis of 1000g of soil
2) Aim

The sieve analysis determines the gradation (the distribution of aggregate particles, by size, within a
given sample) in order to determine compliance with design, production control requirements, and
verification specifications. The gradation data may be used to calculate relationships between
various aggregate or aggregate blends, to check compliance with such blends, and to predict trends
during production by plotting gradation curves graphically, to name just a few uses. Used in
conjunction with other tests, the sieve analysis is a very good quality control and quality acceptance
tool. In practice, each fraction contains particles between definite limits, these being the openings of
standard test sieves. Before sieving, the soil should be air dried in order to avoid lumps of fine
particles and also to prevent clogging of the finer sieves. Sieves should also be cleaned before use.
The actual sieving operation can be done by hand or as in modern laboratories by a sieve shaker.
Grading curves with the ordinates representing cumulative percentage passing and the abscissa the
sieve opening to logarithmic scale can be drawn to study the results of sieve analysis of soil. By using
these curves, it is possible to see whether the grading of a given sample conforms to that specified
or is too course or too fine, or deficient in a particular size. The size distribution is often of critical
importance to the way the material performs in use. A sieve analysis can be performed on any type
of non-organic or organic grander materials including sands, crushed rock, clays, granite, feldspar,
coal and soil, a wide range to manufactured powders, grain and seeds, down to a minimum size
depending on the exact method. Being such a simple technique of particle sizing, it is probably the
most common.

3) Objectives
 To acquire the particle size distribution of the soil sample
 to represent the results of the sieve test in the form of different graphs i.e. the
GaudinSchumann plot, the Rosin-Rammler plot and the Log- Probability plot
 Discuss the results and indicate the model which they best fit, and estimate the defining
values for that model (i.e. size modulus and dispersion modulus).
 Comment on the assumption made, and the accuracy of the sampling method compared
with other manual sampling.
4) Theory
In practice, each fraction contains particles between definite limits, these being the openings of
standard test sieves. Before sieving, the soil should be air dried in order to avoid lumps of fine
particles and also to prevent clogging of the finer sieves. Sieves should also be cleaned before
use. The actual sieving operation can be done by hand or as in modern laboratories by a sieve
shaker. Grading curves with the ordinates representing cumulative percentage passing and the
abscissa the sieve opening to logarithmic scale can be drawn to study the results of sieve
 analysis of soil. By using these curves, it is possible to see whether the grading of a given sample
conforms to that specified or is too course or too fine, or deficient in a particular size.

5) Apparatus used
 Scale
 Sieves
 Sieve shaker
Material used – 1000g soil

6) Methodology
a) A lump of soil of 4kg soil to be prepared shown

b) 500g of sample were obtained from quartering process

c) Arrange the sieves in ascending order of the apertures

d) Place the all the sieves, and the receiver, on the sieve shaker (i.e. 2360um ………1400nm,
down to 90um).
 e) Set the timer to shake the sieves for 15 minutes, this should allow all material the coarse
range to be fractionated
f) Once sieving has ended, remove the top sieve and tap the material retained into a
bowl…. which has been tarred on the balance (i.e. when the empty bowl is on the
balance, the … reading is zero). Gently brush the underside of the sieve to remove any
near size material and record the total mass retained
g) Repeat for each of the sieves in the first nest
h) When sieving has ended, weight the fractions in the manner described above, NB. The
fine aperture sieves are extremely gently)

7) Safety precautions

I. Loose clots may be broken with hands or rubber tipped pestle.

II. Wear goggles to avoid eye irritation

III. The whole set of sieves should be shaken in each direction.

IV. Weigh the retained soil on each sieve carefully.

V. Soil should be oven dried at 100 +- 5°C for 24 hours before sieve analysis

8) Results
Initial mass = 1000g

Sieve Size in µm Amount of soil retained in each sieve(g)

2360 396.1
1700 106.7
 1400 59.4
850 110.9
600 68.6
425 50.4
355 27.8
250 45.6
150 46.1
90 34.7
Collecting Pan 36.5
Total mass collected 982.8
Table 1

Table 1 is tabulated by using the data collected by weighing the mass of the retained soil in each
sieve. The total of the mass collected (982.8g) is different from the initial mass (1000g) because
some of the mass is lost as dust and some is lost cause some grains are left stuck on the sieve
apertures

% retained on each sieve (Residue cumulated(R)) = Weight of soil retained /M*100

% finer (passing) than any sieve size = 100 – Cumulative of %Retained

Sieve size in µm Passing Residue 100/R Log (100/R) Log.

cumulated in cumulated in Log(100/R)
%(P) % (R)
2360 59.6967847 40.3032153 2.481191618 0.394660305 -0.403776552
1700 48.84004884 51.15995116 1.954653938 0.291069878 -0.536002736
1400 42.7960928 57.2039072 1.748132337 0.242574306 -0.615155202
850 31.51200651 68.48799349 1.460109939 0.164385557 -0.784136342
600 24.53194953 75.46805047 1.325064042 0.122236868 -0.912797786
425 19.4037444 80.5962556 1.24075243 0.093685134 -1.028329318
355 16.57509158 83.42490842 1.198682766 0.078704261 -1.104001755
250 11.93528694 88.06471306 1.135528596 0.055198075 -1.258076068
150 7.244607245 92.75539276 1.078104432 0.032660831 -1.48597277
90 3.713878714 96.28612129 1.038571278 0.016436307 -1.178419576
0 0 100 1 0
 Sieve size in µm Passing cumulated in Log(x) or log of sieve Log(P) or log of
% (P) in 10 basis passing in 10 basis
2360 59.6967847 3.372912003 1.77595094
1700 48.84004884 3.230448921 1.68877609
1400 42.7960928 3.146128036 1.631404121
850 31.51200651 2.929418926 1.498476058
600 24.53194953 2.77815125 1.389732063
425 19.4037444 2.62838893 1.287885545
355 16.57509158 2.550228353 1.219466937
250 11.93528694 2.397940009 1.076832864
150 7.244607245 2.176091259 0.860014845
90 3.713878714 1.954242509 0.569827716
0 0

9) Results analysis
 Rosin - Rammler - Bennett distribution (RRB):
The conventional RRB function is described by:
𝑥 𝑚
−( )
𝑅 = 100𝑥𝑒 𝑎

Where:
R = mass retained in %
x = size in microns
m = slope of the plot
 RRB y = 0.9331x - 3.5258
0 R² = 0.9919
-0.2 0 1 2 3 4
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
RRB
-1
Linear (RRB)
-1.2
-1.4
-1.6
-1.8
-2
The distribution is related by the equation y=0.933x-3.525 and R2 = 0.991
Analysis
According to the linear equation of a line y= mx + c and from the line equation of the
Rosin - Rammler - Bennett distribution we can deduce the following
The gradient of the line is 0.9333 and the y intercept c = -3.525
Discussion
 Gaudin - Shuhmann distribution:
The Gaudin-Schumann equation used to determine the size distribution is as follows:
P = mass passing (%)
x = particle size in microns
k = size modulus - size when P = 100
m = distribution modulus

Gaudin - Shuhmann y = 0.8162x - 0.9172

R² = 0.9797
2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2 Gaudin - Shuhmann
1
0.8 Linear (Gaudin -
0.6 Shuhmann )
0.4
0.2
0
0 1 2 3 4

Analysis
  Grain Size Distribution Plot

The linear distribution of the graph is described by the equation y=0.025x+5.562

10) conclusion
11) recommendations