Particle size distribution of ground ITP washed precipitate for estimating filter box radioactive cesium release during transfer

Synthetic washed ITP slurry (200 g) was oven dried for three days at 60--65{degrees}C in a pan, to a hard solid that stuck to the pan bottom. Between the cracks that formed were a few small particles of unknown size. The solids that were stuck to the pan bottom were pried free and repetitively ground in a mortar and pestle until they all passed through a 40 mesh sieve. This product was then sieved into 50, 80, 100, 170, 200, 325 sieve fractions and the results plotted. A protion of the fines passing the 325 sieve were further separated by air flotation in a glass tube with fritted bottom. Increasing amounts of air were passed up through the tube that floated out increasing fractions of particles after weighing. ITP washed precipitate, ground and dried, had a particle size distribution versus cumulative weight fraction curve between Powered coal and Filter sand. The minimum particle size was about 20 microns.