AbstractAccurate information on the size distribution of fly ash is needed to determine its role in the radiation transfer process in pulverized coal combustors. The Coulter Multisizer was used to determine the size distribution in the particle diameter range 1–200 μm. To size over such large diameter ranges, data must be obtained using several orifices, and then combined. In order to use the smaller orifices, the larger particles have to be removed from the sample. A wet‐sieving apparatus, designed for accurate separation of the particles by size, is described. A scheme for combining data obtained using orifices of different diameters is presented. It appears from this study that the lower limit of size measurement using an orifice is set by sensitivity, rather than by signal/noise. A lognormal distribution function, truncated outside the measurement limits, fits the size distribution data well. This function allows detailed size information to be stored compactly using four parameters. Size parameters for six fly ashes representative of U. S. coals are prese