Sieve Analysis Particle Size Distribution

Purpose

This procedure is used to determine the particle size distribution of plastic material as received from the source. It may be used on samples of incoming resin or flake used in recycling operations.

Description

A dry plastic sample is placed into a series of sieves that are arranged into a column in order of increasing fineness. The sieves are then shaken to allow the material to separate into it’s weight distribution according to the sieve sizes. The weight of sample on each sieve is determined after shaking and the particle size distribution is reported.