A Study of Force Response in Pellets of Herbal Spa Salts using Discrete Element Method (DEM) Computer Simulation.
Advancing the chemical engineering fundamentals
Transport Phenomena in Porous/Granular Media (T2-7P)
Keywords: Discrete Element Method, Force Response, Herbal Spa Salts
A Study of Force Response in Pellets of Herbal Spa Salts using
Discrete Element Method (DEM) Computer Simulation.
Tawiwan Kangsadan1 and Sarunya Promkotra2
1 Chemical and Process Engineering Program,
The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering,
King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology North Bangkok 10800, Thailand
Corresponding author: Tel. 662-943-2500 ext 1039, Fax 662- 586-7805,
E-mail: tkangsadan@yahoo.com
2 Geotechnology, Faculty of Technology
Khon Kaen University, Thailand
E-mail: sarunya@kku.ac.th
Keywords: Discrete Element Method, Force Response, Herbal Spa Salts
Abstract
The world famous spa salt production is from the Dead Sea and the salts from this location are used widely in the spa business. These spa salts can be used as the scrub salts and the bath salts. Even though the spa popularity in Thailand has been increased, but the spa business is still small and has to import the spa salts from foreign countries. However, there are large sources of rock salts in the north-eastern region of Thailand that can be modified and produced as spa salts for the spa business providing added-value of salts. In addition, this can be farther developed into the herbal spa salt which can be sold as a higher value product. Besides, the people in the community can earn extra income from this production.
The spa salts are normally sold in a viscous-creamy liquid or a pellet in a spherical or an ellipsoid shape. Due to the inhomogeneities of material comprising of herbs and spa salts, the force interaction between these two materials would influence the distribution of force. It has been known that the mechanical properties depend on the force distribution, especially in the fracture of material during the compression (making pellets). By predicting the location of the fracture or the force distribution in the pellet and how the fracture is propagated, the production condition can be obtained and farther adjusted to produce the spa salt pellet without any defects.
Therefore, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) computer simulation technique will be used as a study tool to observe and investigate the dynamic and static behaviors of the spa salts and herbal spa salts.
Presented Monday 17, 13:30 to 15:00, in session Transport Phenomena in Porous/Granular Media (T2-7P).
