By Tim Freeman, Managing Director, Freeman Technology
There are many variables that influence powder behaviour. In this article I’m going to take a look at the importance of a another critical particle parameter - shape. Many powder processors recognise that particle shape influences powder behaviour, perhaps most significantly flowability, but until relatively recently it has been difficult to access any form of quantitative correlation. However, modern advances in shape measurement, as well as those in powder characterisation, have changed that situation and so understanding in this area is now advancing rapidly.
The mechanisms of powder flow
For a powder to flow, the particles within it have to move relative to one another. Many factors influence the ease of this movement, with shape being one of the easiest to understand in a qualitative way. The particles in the figure below have a highly irregular form that makes them prone to mechanical interlocking. This means that they can slot together like pieces of a jigsaw to exert significant resistance to particle-particle movement, an effect that will inhibit powder flow.
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