Application Studies / Powder Caking & Compaction

Powder Caking & Compaction

Industry:

Powders

Pharmaceutical

Food

Cosmetics

Attributes measured:

hardness

firmness

compaction work

cohesion work

Background

Accurately predicting powder flowability from a limited amount of representative sample has historically been extremely difficult. Stable Micro Systems’ Powder Flow Analyzer, in conjunction with the TA.XTPlus Texture Analyzer, quantifies powder flowability precisely and repeatably in a variety of ways. Powder flowability is critical to how powders are formulated, blended, formed into molds, transported, packaged, scaled up for production, dispensed, aerated, etc. Vendors and users alike complain about not being able to obtain consistent, predictable, and quantifiable powder flow measures. For many applications the standard methods of shear testing or using angle of repose are adequate. Particularly for bin design & conveying issues these standard methods have been used for years and can discriminate powder flow differences well. For a great many powders, however, the standard methods are too variable, too operator dependent, and do not adequately discriminate differences between powders.