SUBJECT

Bulk Solids Characterization

Publications on the measurement and interpretation of bulk powder properties relevant to flow, storage, handling, processing, and product performance.

PUBLICATIONS

Browse publications

Explore PTI articles, Insights, Know How, and technical publications related to this subject.

  • Technical illustration of loss in weight feeder drift showing refill driven packing density and aeration changes at the screw inlet
    7 March 2026

    Loss in Weight Feeder Drift After Refill: The Refill Shock Mechanism and How to Diagnose It

    Loss in weight feeder drift often starts at refill, not at tuning. [...]

    Insights

  • Porosity in food powders
    28 February 2026

    Functional Importance of Porosity in Food Powders

    Article updated February 2026 Porosity controls hydration speed, dissolution, compressibility, and [...]

    Feature Article

  • Square hero image showing a powder quality release workflow: sampling, test limits, and a one page lot release decision sheet.
    28 February 2026

    Powder Release Protocol: Sampling Rules and Acceptance Criteria Guide and Check-List

    A powder release protocol is an incoming gate that protects your operating [...]

    Know How

  • Deaeration lag in powders, hopper cutaway showing aerated bed with trapped air bubbles versus compacted bed, causing pause and surge discharge rate
    14 February 2026

    Deaeration lag, why “easy flowing” powders still surge

    Deaeration lag in powders creates a timing mismatch between how fast your [...]

    Insights

  • Powder discharging into a receiving hopper with a small dust cloud at the transfer point, illustrating why universal dust explosivity criteria depend on dispersion conditions.
    7 February 2026

    The Search for Universal Dust Explosivity Criteria

    Universal dust explosivity criteria fail because explosibility depends on dispersion, turbulence, ignition, [...]

    Feature Article

  • Wall friction drift in hoppers, shown as clean wall flow versus film driven ratholing.
    31 January 2026

    Wall Friction Drift in Hoppers: Why Discharge Degrades Over Time

    Many hopper issues are boundary-limited. Wall friction drifts upward over time, so [...]

    Insights

  • Illustration showing water activity in powders versus moisture content, with internal water inside particles and surface water forming liquid bridges at particle contacts.
    24 January 2026

    Water Activity in Powders: Why Moisture Content Misleads in line drifts during production

    Water activity in powders predicts caking, sticking, and flow loss better than moisture [...]

    Insights

  • Clipboard showing a t0 vs t24 powder strength table next to a shear tester and stacked bags, used to separate caking from compaction.
    17 January 2026

    Powder Caking vs Compaction Test: That Tells You Which Problem You Have

    Powder caking vs compaction can look identical in production. However, they need [...]

    Insights

  • Powder permeability dosing instability in a hopper feeding a loss in weight feeder.
    27 December 2025

    Powder Permeability, The Hidden Cause of Dosing Instability

    Powder permeability dosing instability often starts with trapped air. Low permeability traps [...]

    Insights

  • Hopper bridging arch forming across the outlet of a conical powder hopper
    29 November 2025

    Hopper Bridging: Why One Hopper Always Bridges First

    Hopper bridging is rarely random. It points to a mismatch between powder [...]

    Insights

  • Technician testing incoming powder in a small hopper beside printed certificates of analysis in a lab.
    22 November 2025

    Powder Certificate of Analysis vs Reality: Why Incoming Tests Matter

    A powder certificate of analysis (CoA) confirms identity and basic properties, but [...]

    Feature Article

  • Flowing powder in a stainless vessel forming an S shape, illustrating the powder plateau S-phrase
    8 November 2025

    Powder Plateau S Curve: How to Win When Physics Limits You

    The powder plateau S-curve explains why progress is incremental and why expectations [...]

    Feature Article