Characterization and flow of food and mineral powders : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
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Date
2016
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Massey University
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Abstract
Powders are important commodities across different industries, such as the food and
pharmaceutical industries. In these industries, powders are usually made, mixed, milled,
packaged, and stored; these operations require the powders to move and flow under desired
conditions and different stress levels. Failure to flow will cause hindrances to production;
therefore knowledge of powder flow or flowability is important. There is a constant demand for
accurate, reliable, and robust measurement and characterization methods for powder flowability.
Powders behave differently under varying conditions; the behaviour of a powder is
influenced by particle size distribution, and powder handling and processing conditions. There is
to date no one “standard” method to characterize powder flowability; it is common to use a
variety of methods and devices to measure flow properties and provide insight into the behaviour
and flow characteristics of powders under different conditions.
The flow properties of model food and mineral powders were measured and assessed by
shear testing, compression via tapping, fluidization, and powder tumbling. Shear testing was
done with an annular shear cell following Jenike (1964) and Berry, Bradley and McGregor
(2014). Compression via tapping was performed according to a procedure in the dairy industry
(Niro, 1978) and the European Pharmacopoeia (Schüssele & Bauer-Brandl, 2003). Fluidization
was used to measure powder bed expansion and bed collapse following the powder classification
framework provided by Geldart and co-workers (Geldart, 1973; Geldart, Harnby, & Wong, 1984;
Geldart & Wong, 1984, 1985). Powder tumbling was performed in a novel Gravitational
Displacement Rheometer, GDR, which measured the motion and avalanche activity of powders
that moved under their own weight when rotated in a cylinder at different drum speed levels.
The flow data from each characterization method were evaluated individually with regards to
particle size distribution and then assessed collectively. The findings presented and discussed
include the i) demonstration of the dominant influence of surface-volume mean particle diameter
on powder flow properties, ii) characterization of flowability based on Jenike’s arbitrary flow
divisions, iii) development of new correlations for the estimation of powder cohesion and bulk
density at low preconsolidation stresses, iv) demonstration of hopper outlet diameter as a
measure of flowability, v) demonstration of the limited utility of Hausner ratio as a flowability
index, vi) substantiation of von Neumann ratio as a sensitive and useful indicator for identifying
the onset of bubbling in fluidized beds using bed pressure fluctuation data, and vii) demonstration
of the utility of standard deviation of the GDR load cell signal as an indicator of powder
avalanche activity. These findings provide improved understanding and knowledge of powder
flowability; they can be used to assist and facilitate the development of new techniques and
solutions relevant to the handling and processing of powders especially in the food and
pharmaceutical industries.
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Keywords
Powders, Powders (Pharmacy), Bulk solids flow, Fluidization, Research Subject Categories::TECHNOLOGY