1

PETE 220 Laboratory Report

Experiment:

Grain (Sieve Analysis)

Experiment No.:

Group Number:

13

Group Members:

Date:

13/11/2015

Table of Contents

Introduction, Purpose & Theory

Procedure & Experimental Set-up

Calculations & Results

Discussion & Conclusion

References

Introduction, Purpose & Theory

The main aim of this experiment is to observe and separate different grain sizes
from a sand mixture. We use sieve analysis using a set of sieves and a shaker
for this purpose.

Procedure & Experimental Set-Up

The procedure and experimental setup as observed can be described in the
following manner;
1. We take a sand sample consisting of grains of different sizes. Therefore,
it is basically a sand mixture.
2. Weigh the sand mixture using an electronic balance and record the mass
of the sand mixture.
3. Our sand mixture would then be added to a set of stacked sieves. These
sieves have openings of different sizes and they are arranged from
coarsest to smallest from top to bottom respectively.
4. These stacked sieves would then be placed into a machine called a sieve
shaker. The sieve shaker would shake the sieves and allow the flow or the
movement of the mixture through the sieve.

Stacked Sieves

Sieve Shaker

5. After separation, we will reweigh the separated particles using an

electronic balance. We will reweigh the components of each sieve
individually and record the readings.

Calculations & Results

From the experiment conducted, we obtained the following results;
Initial Mass (g)
282.348
Entry No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Sieve No.
10
14
20
35
50
80
100
160
Remaining

Opening Size
2.0 mm
1.19 mm
841 m
500 m
297 m
177 m
149 m
88 m
-

Measured Mass (g)

136.82
5.640
38.85
37.1
21.356
7.315
4.563
3.760
3.760

Using the data given above, we will plot a sub-logarithmic graph of % finer
than vs the particle size (log scale).
We have used the following method to calculate the % finer than for the data;
For Sample Number 1 (Sieve 10)
(Total Mass Mass Recorded)/Total Mass x 100
(282.348-136.82)/282.348 * 100 = 51.5%
For Sample Number 2 (Sieve 14);
(282.348-136.82-5.640)/282.348 * 100 = 42.22%.
This calculation has been continued and the results are as shown below (Also
available as raw data on the Excel Sheet);

Using this data, we plot a sub-logarithmic graph of % finer vs the Particle Size
(log scale); (raw data available in the Excel worksheet)

In the table, the last reading indicates the mass of particles that tend to pass
through all the sieves.

Discussion & Conclusion

In this experiment, our main aim was to separate a mixture into different groups
according to their size. This was done by using a set of sieves with different
opening sizes which would filter the particles according to various diameters. The
technique of sieving is a traditional method that has been in use for a large amount
of time. Sieving can be used in order to separate flour, filter tea, etc. Our
experiment is quite analogous to the scenarios mentioned above.

The following points have to be taken into consideration;

1. Sieve analysis is a traditional method. In our experiment, the openings
were able to filter out particles to a diameter of 75 m. This is a very
method. However, we must be vary of the fact that sieve analysis has been
replaced by modern techniques such as the use of microscopic imaging,
laser diffraction etc. Despite its convenience, the sieve is becoming archaic
over time as its range is not very high.
2. When carrying out sieve analysis, the particles are prone to deformation.
This can change the shape (hence, the size) of particles and it can give us
results that are quite anomalous.
3. There is a minute change in the initial measured mass and the mass of the
sample after separation. This is as a result of the loss of particles during the
different stages of the experiment. For instance, a small, microscopic
amount can be lost during the transference of the sand sample from one
place to another. Furthermore, some particles can also be lost along the
surface of the shaker during sieving. These factors contribute to this minute
loss.

4. The mesh on the sieve can easily get deformed over time, and this can
affect the size of the grains passing through the system.
Overall, the experimental results were as expected. The observations given
above can help us get a deeper insight into the process of separation and it
can also help us avoid the small errors that might creep into the experiment.
The graph that we plotted shows the expected trend. However, the
downward slope is not perfect and this attributes to the minor (but
significant) errors that we encountered while performing this experiment.

References
METU Petroleum Lab Manual
Stacked Sieves & Sieve Shaker ("Gradation Test" 1 July 2011.
http://www.pavementinteractive.org
<http://www.pavementinteractive.org/article/gradation-test/> 13
November 2015)