This course provides students with the scientific and engineering foundations needed to design, scale up, and select equipment for handling and processing particulate materials in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Powders and granules are among the most common forms in which raw materials, intermediates, and finished products appear in these sectors, yet their behaviour is often far less intuitive than that of fluids. The course aims to bridge this gap by consistently linking the physical and chemical principles underlying each process to the properties of the materials being processed, so that design choices rest on a sound understanding rather than on empirical rules alone.
The course opens with an overview of particulate materials as they occur in food and pharmaceutical production, followed by a detailed treatment of their properties and characterization. Particular attention is given to solid–solid and solid–fluid interactions and to the concept of distributed properties, such as particle size and shape distributions, which govern much of the behaviour of particulate systems.
A central part of the course is devoted to the mechanics of granular solids. Students learn to analyse stresses in bulk solids and apply this analysis to the design of silos and hoppers, using the flow function and flow factors to ensure reliable discharge. Both kinematic and dynamic aspects are addressed, including the rheology of granular materials and powders.
The course then moves on to the main unit operations involving particulate solids. Mixing and segregation are discussed together with the operating principles of industrial mixers and the statistical and practical issues of sampling. Size enlargement is examined through the mechanisms of
wet agglomeration and the design and operation of industrial granulators. Size reduction is covered from the physical principles of
comminution to the criteria for choosing appropriate milling equipment. Finally, classification by size is presented in terms of the physical principles of separation and the design criteria for separation units.
Teaching combines lectures with laboratory activities led by the instructor, allowing students to observe the behaviour of real particulate systems and to apply the methods introduced in class. The laboratory work is assessed and contributes to the final grade. The final examination is written and includes both numerical exercises and theoretical questions. Assessment focuses on the student's understanding of the topics covered and on their ability to master and apply the concepts and methodologies presented throughout the course.
Categoria DIPARTIMENTO DI INGEGNERIA INDUSTRIALE - DII / A.A.2026 - 2027 / Laurea Magistrale / IN2925 - CHEMICAL AND PROCESS ENGINEERING
