Latest Research Improves Powder Processing Equipment Selection
New collaborative research carried out by Freeman Technology (Tewkesbury, UK) and Gericke AG (Zurich, Switzerland) demonstrates how to achieve faster, more reliable equipment selection in the powder processing industries.
Through experimental study, experts from the two companies have identified easily measurable powder properties that can be used to predict screw feeder performance for any given powder. The resulting correlations support optimised feeder selection for a new powder on the basis of testing a small quantity of powder.
“For Gericke AG, selecting the best screw feeder for a given powder is an essential aspect of our business, and something our customers rely on us to do well,” said Daniel Büchi, Process Engineer at Gericke. “This study shows that, with the FT4 Powder Rheometer®, we can measure powder properties that will streamline this task. Being able to predict feeder flow performance from quick tests that require just a small amount of sample is potentially very valuable for us and for the wider industry.”
The joint research was undertaken by powder characterisation specialists, Freeman Technology, and Gericke AG, a leading developer and manufacturer of powder processing equipment for chemical, food, pharmaceutical and mineral handling.
In the study, tests were carried out using two different Gericke screw feeders – one compact and versatile for high accuracy feeding, the other a self-cleaning twin screw extruder for low capacity applications, especially well-suited to materials with poor flow characteristics. The volumetric flow rate delivered by each feeder was found to correlate with different powder properties in each case, but always with dynamic rather than shear or bulk powder properties.
“We designed the FT4 Powder Rheometer to measure dynamic, shear and bulk powder properties,” said Tim Freeman, Managing Director of Freeman Technology. “This multi-faceted testing approach produces a database of powder properties that allows the detection of parameters that are most relevant to any given process. We often find that it is dynamic properties that correlate most closely with in-process behaviour, as in this study. For both screw feeders we identified simple, robust correlations between flow rate and just one or two dynamic powder parameters.”
Freeman Technology
- +44 (0)1684 851 551
- info@freemantech.co.uk
- https://www.freemantech.co.uk
- 1 Miller Court Severn Drive Tewkesbury Gloucestershire GL20 8DN GB
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
