Does your powder cake or crust? Freeman Technology releases new experimental work exploring the mechanisms of caking
A new peer-reviewed paper from Freeman Technology highlights the unique value of dynamic powder testing for the elucidation of caking mechanisms, focusing on non-homogeneous caking or crusting.
The paper is particularly helpful for engineers looking to understand the causes and impact of caking, and how they may influence storage solutions for raw materials and products. It can be accessed at: https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1cFUZ5ygqNT1Qx
During storage, many powders have a tendency to cake, especially as a result of exposure to moisture. This can detrimentally impact flow properties, processing performance, product quality and value. Caking may be preventable and can be a relatively minor problem if it is easily reversed.
However, it can also be irreversible, producing material that is not easily returned to a usable state. Combatting caking relies on quantifying the sensitivity of a powder, and the factors that are most influential.
“The measurement and quantification of caking in excipients and food products with emphasis on the non-homogeneous interaction with ambient moisture” is an important contribution to the study of caking behaviour. It includes detailed experimental work that shows how both homogeneous and non-homogeneous caking can be detected and quantified using powder rheology. A key focus is showing how to apply dynamic testing to differentiate the caking behaviour of powders, enabling informed decisions to be made on storage and handling strategies.
Dynamic powder testing quantifies powder flowability from measurements of the axial and rotational forces acting on a blade, or impeller, as it is rotated down through a powder sample. This means that it can detect changes in powder properties as a function of bed height making dynamic testing uniquely valuable for studies of non-homogeneous caking, or crusting.
With dynamic testing it is possible to track the impact of moisture migration through a bed, to assess the effect of humidity cycling, to determine whether caking is reversible or not, and to directly quantify the strength of aggregated material developed at any point in the bed.
To find out more about how dynamic testing can help you to solve caking and crusting problems take a look at the new article at: https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1cFUZ5ygqNT1Qx
Freeman Technology and Powder Rheometer are registered trademarks of Freeman Technology Ltd.
Freeman Technology
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About us
Freeman Technology specialises in systems for measuring the flow properties of powders and has nearly 20 years' experience in powder flow and powder characterisation.
The company invests significantly in R&D and applications development, and provides detailed know-how to support its range of products. Expert teams guide and support users around the world in addressing their individual powder challenges, focusing on delivering the most relevant information for the process. The result is world-leading solutions for understanding powder behaviour - in development, formulation, scale-up, processing, quality control, or anywhere that powders have a role.
Freeman Technology’s solutions include the FT4 Powder Rheometer®, a uniquely universal powder tester, and the Uniaxial Powder Tester, a complementary tool for quick and robust powder assessment. Systems are installed around the world in the chemical, pharmaceutical, toners, foods, powder coatings, metals, ceramics, cosmetics, and many other industries. They deliver data that maximise process and product understanding, accelerating R&D and formulation towards successful commercialisation, and supporting the long term optimisation of powder processes.
Founded in 1989 as a developer of automated testing systems for materials characterisation, the company has focused exclusively on powders since the late 1990s and in 2018 became part of Micromeritics Instrument Corporation. The company’s R&D, manufacturing and commercial headquarters are in Gloucestershire, UK, with operations and distribution partners in key global territories. In 2007 the company received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation and in 2012 the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
Where we supply to
UK Ireland, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Chemicals, Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries
