Advantech L3P Series, Operation/Setup Manual, Page: 21 / 47

CHAPTER 3
GLOSSARY OF SIEVING TERMINOLOGY
Sieving terminology is frequently used
and abused in writing specifications for
materials. Listed below are some of the
most frequently used terms and a general
discussion of their meaning:
Agglomerate:
natural tendency of
materials to clump or ball together. This
condition is very common in materials with
high moisture, fat or oil content or those
with fibrous or extremely irregular
topography.
Blinding: plugging of the screen openings
with particles either exactly the same size
as the sieve opening or by fine particles
which build up on the wire mesh and
eventually close off the openings.
Frequently referred to as pegging. (Photo
Page 4)
Cover: stamped or spun lid that tightly
covers the top of a sieve to prevent the
loss of the material sample during sifting or
mechanical agitation.
Electrostatic charges: accumulation of
electrical charges on the particles and sieve
components causing clinging,
agglomeration or blinding. This condition is
frequently seen in hydrocarbon-based
materials, plastics, reactive metals, paint
pigments and powders with a large fraction
finer than 20 micrometers.
Extended rim pan: a sieving pan with a
skirt designed to nest within a sieve stack,
allowing multiple tests to be performed
simultaneously. Frequently called a nesting
pan or spacer.