A particle shape-based segmentation method to characterize spray dried materials by X-Ray microtomography

For accurate description of particle structure, single particle properties are required so that the properties of interest can be expressed as distributed parameters. X-Ray microtomography of the powder bed with subsequent particle separation can be used for this purpose. In this paper, a new algorithm for X-Ray microtomography images of spray dried particles was introduced since standard methods tend to fail if the particle size distribution is broad. The algorithm is based on 2D shape classification and subsequent 3D reconstitution of the particle using only a shape classifier as free parameter. The proposed algorithm was validated successfully. Using the algorithm, single particle porosities were obtained, which ranged from 0 to 70%. Prerequisites for the application of the algorithm are that a shape classifier can be set and that the 3D shape is regular.(c) 2023 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.