Home > Powder Flow Analysis > Why Measure the Flow Properties of Powders?

It is estimated that over 50% of all materials used in all industries are, at some stage, in powder form.

An objective measure of powder, wet mix, and granule flow can:

• Allow customers to avoid the extensive costs and time involved in unloading powders that will not flow out of storage containers
  

• Reduce the cost of raw materials
  
• Help achieve the best formulation
  
• Reduce the cost of process development and processing
  
• Improve the quality and consistency of the product
  
• Save costs by optimising storage, packing, handling and transportation

Product Substitution

• Cheaper - same specification from different supplies, but is it "the same"
  

• Does it convey and flow after storage in the same way?
  
• How does moisture and temperature affect it?
  
• Will it dry mix in the same way?
  
• Is it really cheaper or will factory costs increase as a result of having to spend time unblocking processes and silos?

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Formulation Development

• What is this new drug substance like? How do we process it?
  

• What is the optimum amount of lubricant?
  • Too little - product sticks
    
  • Too much - end product deterioration and costly waste
• Where is the mixing end-point and how can we scale-up from laboratory size to larger mixers

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Process Development

Knowledge of a powder's characteristics before and during its processing enables:

• The formulation and key process steps to be optimised when conveying, mixing, tabletting and storage of powders
  

• Cost effective controlled operation of the process
  
• Product quality to be a process function, rather than a finished product inspection task

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Improve Quality

• Rank and relate powder measures to process and end product features
  

• Measure batch and source variation
  
• Many common ingredients are natural products, and have wide variation in properties: e.g. micro crystalline cellulose, lactose, drug substance, cocoa powder, diced coconut, flour, pigments
  
• Measurement enables objective accept / reject decisions, and the processing to be varied and optimised

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Product Handling

Measurement of powder flow, enables assessment of behaviour:

• when in Conveyors, Chutes, Silos, Air lifts
  

• when filling packs, bottles and capsules to a minimum weight
  
• while in Transportation - separation, settlement, use

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Authority Requirements - EMEA, FDA, Weights and Measures

• Pharmaceutical - Flow behaviour effects tablet hardness and capsule fill weight, both strictly controlled to tight specifications

• Weights and Measures - Flow behaviour during automated bottle and package filling

Understanding and improving the variation in fill weights due to tighter control of the flow properties of the powder, allows reduction in waste and subsequently improves profit.

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