Prediction of Bulk Flow Properties Using Mechanical Surface Energy Tester

Synopsis

Particle adhesion force plays a critical role in powder handling operations and processes. There are many widely used methods, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and centrifugal detachment. However, most methods have limitations when the measurements are correlated to the bulk behaviour of powders, such as powder flow with varied particle size distributions. The study focuses on a unique test technique for measuring forces between particles and surfaces using cohesive powders, which includes a mechanical surface energy tester developed at The Wolfson Centre. The work focuses on predicting the powder flow function using a novel technique in conjunction with common particle attributes, with the goal of predicting flowability problems at an early stage of formulation using only a small amount of powder sample.