How do you calculate particle-size yield?

Divide in-spec particle-size mass by total classified or sampled mass and multiply by 100. With 820 kg in-spec out of 1,000 kg classified, yield is 82%.

What is a good particle-size yield for anode graphite?

A well-controlled air classifier on spherical graphite typically holds 85-93% PSD yield. The 82% in this example sits 3 points under an 85% target, which is acceptable but flags the classifier for cut-point review.

What does the yield gap to target tell me?

It is your PSD yield minus the target. Here 82% against an 85% target gives a 3-point gap, meaning you are recovering 3 percentage points less in-spec mass than the plan assumed, roughly 30 kg per 1,000 kg classified.

Why is particle-size distribution so critical for anode powder?

PSD controls tap density, coating rheology and the electrode's porosity. Excess fines raise irreversible capacity loss and surface area, while oversize creates coating defects, so both tails are deliberately classified out.

Particle-size yield vs first-pass milling yield, what is the difference?

First-pass milling yield covers all losses from a milling cycle including mass not recovered. Particle-size yield is narrower: it measures only how cleanly the classified or sampled mass meets the PSD window.

How do I close a 3-point particle-size yield gap?

Tighten classifier wheel speed and air-flow to sharpen the cut, check for screen wear or blinding, and confirm feed rate is not overloading the classifier, which broadens the recovered distribution.

Graphite, Anode & Battery Materials Processing calculator

Particle Size Yield Calculator

Particle-size yield is the share of classified graphite powder whose particle-size distribution falls inside the D10/D50/D90 window your anode spec demands. Battery materials quality engineers and classifier operators use it to judge how cleanly an air classifier or sieve is separating in-spec powder from oversize and fines. It matters because anode PSD drives electrode coating uniformity, calendaring density and ultimately cell rate capability, so off-spec mass is either downgraded, reclassified or scrapped. Tracking yield against a target makes drift in classifier cut points visible before it costs a coating run.

What this calculator does

Calculate the share of graphite or anode powder that meets the particle-size specification after milling, spheroidization, sieving, or air classification.
Use it when quality, production, or R&D needs to compare accepted in-spec D10, D50, D90, or classification-cut material against total classified material.
It computes the percentage of total classified or sampled mass that meets PSD spec, then reports how far that sits above or below your target yield.

Formula used

Particle-size yield rate = in-spec particle-size mass ÷ total classified or sampled mass × 100
Particle-size yield gap to target = particle-size yield rate - target PSD yield

Inputs explained

In-spec particle-size mass:
Total classified or sampled mass:
Target PSD yield:

How to use the result

Use it on each classification batch or sampling interval to verify the classifier is hitting the target PSD recovery before powder moves downstream.
It is a mass-fraction metric and says nothing about which tail (oversize vs fines) is failing, so a passing yield can still hide a shifting D50 that a full PSD curve would catch.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for copper and brass mill shapes stands at 559.593 (BLS, May 2026), up 76.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move. Global copper trades at $13,484 per tonne (IMF via FRED, May 2026).
The U.S. has 5,397 electrical equipment and appliances establishments employing about 369,437 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate particle-size yield? Divide in-spec particle-size mass by total classified or sampled mass and multiply by 100. With 820 kg in-spec out of 1,000 kg classified, yield is 82%.
What is a good particle-size yield for anode graphite? A well-controlled air classifier on spherical graphite typically holds 85-93% PSD yield. The 82% in this example sits 3 points under an 85% target, which is acceptable but flags the classifier for cut-point review.
What does the yield gap to target tell me? It is your PSD yield minus the target. Here 82% against an 85% target gives a 3-point gap, meaning you are recovering 3 percentage points less in-spec mass than the plan assumed, roughly 30 kg per 1,000 kg classified.
Why is particle-size distribution so critical for anode powder? PSD controls tap density, coating rheology and the electrode's porosity. Excess fines raise irreversible capacity loss and surface area, while oversize creates coating defects, so both tails are deliberately classified out.
Particle-size yield vs first-pass milling yield, what is the difference? First-pass milling yield covers all losses from a milling cycle including mass not recovered. Particle-size yield is narrower: it measures only how cleanly the classified or sampled mass meets the PSD window.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.