Do you have powders that do not discharge reliably from storage hoppers/ silos, or powders that flow erratically through production/ processing lines? Have you ever tried to calculate the costs of lost production resulting from poor powder flow?
If you suffer from powder flow problems the economically priced Brookfield Powder Flow Tester launched in Jan 2010 may be able to help you.
Hopper/ silo flow problems usually occur because the converging angle and outlet size are incompatible with the flow properties of the cohesive powders they are used to store. A powders cohesive strength is strongly influenced by the magnitude of the stress that it experiences during static storage. However for a given powder the cohesion increases as the particle size reduces and or as the free moisture content increases (to the point of saturation).
The Brookfield powder flow tester is a user-independent machine that, in trained but unskilled hands, can generate repeatable measurements of the flow properties of your powder and quantify the magnitude of the cohesive strength. The tester requires a sample volume of 263cc, and the standard test times vary between 10 and 35 minutes, depending on the number of measurements taken. The key measurement generated by the Powder Flow Tester is the approximate arching dimension, a measure of the minimum hopper outlet size required to ensure reliable gravity flow.
The measurements generated by the Powder Flow Tester can be used in a number of ways;
1. If you are developing a new powdered product, it can be used to optimise the constituents of a blend, or evaluate changes in the particle size, moisture levels, on the flow properties.
2. If you are purchasing raw materials or blends from suppliers on a lowest cost basis, it can be used to compare their relative flow properties so that good flowability can be factored into purchasing decisions.
3. If you are in need of new processing equipment, it can be used to determine the geometry required for reliable gravity flow.
The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology
- 02083318646
- wolfson-enquiries@gre.ac.uk
- http://www.bulksolids.com
- University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB GB
About us
Our Mission: To help industry to get it's powders and bulk materials to behave in the way they need them to!
Our Services:
- Consultancy
- Research
- Short Courses
Our Clients:
Industries involved in the processing of powders, particulates and other bulk solids materials from across the spectrum including (but not limited to) food and drink, pharmaceuticals, minerals, renewable energy, chemicals, plastics, recycling, metals, household goods, paper, cosmetics, textiles and rubber.
Ranging from small local companies to international conglomerates.
Our industrial-scale pilot plant is available to test a processing step, or mock up a whole handling process or logistics chain, at full scale or near full scale. This can be used to find and solve the problems off-line, then when you transfer the same process or material to your own or your customers' plant, you can be confident it will work!
Our Experts have over one hundred man-years of experience in solving bulk materials handling problems. Along with a team of Researchers they concentrate on nothing else but the needs of Industry – and are at your disposal.
Our location offers excellent transport links within the UK and EU enabling us to provide a prompt and flexible response to site visit requests and client meetings.
Contact us for advice – don't pick up a hammer – pick up the phone. +44 (0) 20 8331 8646
Where we supply to
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater
