FT4 Powder Rheometer

The Influence of Particle Size and Shape on Flow Properties

The size and shape of the particles within a powder are important factors in influencing behaviour, and many well-established techniques exist for measuring these properties. However, over a range of different processes, the relationship between these two parameters and flow properties is less well-understood, and due to the varying demands powders are subjected to by […]

Developing a Design Space for a Die Filling Operation

Filling is a common operation across all industries, although fill weights and tolerances vary widely. The pharmaceutical industry often requires milligram doses to be filled accurately and at high speed, in order to meet the stringent criteria and high throughput requirements of tablet manufacture. By contrast, the bulk chemicals and minerals industries may load powders […]

Quantifying Caking Using The FT4 Powder Rheometer®

Many materials in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, from raw materials, additives and intermediates through to manufactured products, are supplied as relatively free-flowing powders suitable for the manufacturing process or final application. These materials are often stored for extended periods, during which time some powders will gain strength due to particle/particle interactions. This is […]

What Is Cohesion?

Cohesive Behaviour Cohesion is regularly regarded as one of the most influential properties to bulk powder flowability and is often blamed for powder processing issues. In a cohesive powder, particles attract to each other to form clumps or agglomerates that can cause blockages and inconsistent feeding and dosing, leading to wastage and inefficient processing. Cohesive […]

Profitable Powder Processing – Enhancing Efficiency with the FT4 Powder Rheometer

In powder processing, analytical data is a primary driver of progress towards better products and more efficient manufacturing practice. Instruments that deliver novel, unique and relevant information enable an enhanced understanding of powder behaviour making it possible to solve problems that are otherwise intractable, potentially transforming profitability. For nearly twenty years, we’ve learned about some […]

Optimizing Li-Ion Battery Electrode Manufacturing – Yield Case Study

The FT4 Powder Rheometer® is a versatile instrument that can be used in both wet and solid li-ion battery electrode manufacturing processes. The comprehensive powder flow analysis provided can help improve battery efficiency, optimize the electrode packing density, lead to longer battery life, and in wet processes; control slurry agglomerates and dispersibility. This application note […]

Understanding Batch Variability in Spray Coating Applications

Introduction In spray coating applications, a fine powder, typically a polymer, is drawn from a storage device before being fluidised and ejected through a charged nozzle onto a substrate. It is essential that the powder can be effectively and consistently fluidised, without the formation of agglomerates that may block the nozzle and affect the charging […]

Enhance Powder Flow Understanding with Direct Measurements of Powder-Air Interactions

The ease with which air can flow through a powder bed reflects the strength of particle-particle interactions, and specifically highlights cohesive interparticle forces. Because air accounts for a large volume fraction of any bulk solid, specific characterization of powder-air interactions can lead to improved understanding of packing behavior in bulk solids and flow of bulk […]

Powder Caking: Understanding Different Caking Behaviors and the Influence of Humidity Cycling

Caking affects many powder processors, particularly where large volumes of powder are stored or transported for long periods, or where interaction between the powder and the environment are prevalent. However, caking is not a simplistic process and does not present itself equally throughout a powder bed, instead forming distinct patterns and modes as a function […]