SUBJECT

Flowability

Publications on powder flow, flowability testing, cohesive behavior, and the material and process factors that influence reliable handling and discharge.

PUBLICATIONS

Browse publications

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

  • Co-processed excipient powder sample tested for flow and compaction near a continuous direct compression feed frame
    12 September 2026

    Co-Processed Excipients in Continuous Manufacturing: How Particle Engineering Changes Powder Flow and Compaction Performance

    Co-processing engineers particle morphology, density, and surface structure into a single composite excipient particle. Flow function and compactibility testing show what that buys formulators on continuous direct compression lines, and where it does not.

    Feature Article

  • Jenike shear cell vs ring shear tester comparison diagram for hopper design decisions
    5 September 2026

    Jenike Shear Cell vs Ring Shear Tester: Matching the Method to the Hopper or Silo Decision

    Jenike shear cells and ring shear testers measure the same yield locus through different mechanics. Here is how their sample, stress range, and time differences map onto the mass-flow versus funnel-flow hopper design decision, plus a checklist for choosing between them.

    Know How

  • Copper powder feedstock being loaded into a laser powder bed fusion machine for additive manufacturing
    5 September 2026

    GRCop-42 and the Copper Powder Feedstock Problem in Laser Powder Bed Fusion

    Copper reflects most near-infrared laser light and conducts absorbed heat away faster than almost any other engineering metal. GRCop-42's move into commercial powder catalogs shows how feedstock morphology, oxide content, and particle size distribution are being engineered around that problem rather than worked around it.

    Feature Article

  • Machine learning flowability prediction workflow showing particle property inputs feeding a classifier next to a shear cell confirmation test
    29 August 2026

    Machine Learning Flowability Prediction: What Constituent-Property Models Can and Can’t Replace

    A Pharmaceutical Research study trained Random Forest and XGBoost classifiers on particle size, shape, surface energy, and silica dry-coating data to predict powder blend flowability category. The accuracy holds up as a screening tool and breaks down in specific, predictable places.

    Insights

  • Cold spray nozzle depositing metal powder onto a substrate, illustrating cold spray critical velocity and bonding
    29 August 2026

    Cold Spray Powder Deposition: Particle Velocity, Oxide Layers, and Why Some Powders Won’t Bond

    Cold spray coatings form only when particles clear a critical impact velocity, a threshold set by material properties, particle size and morphology, and native oxide condition. This article looks at what powder-side QC can flag before a spray trial, and where it stops short of predicting deposition efficiency.

    Feature Article

  • Technician checking blend uniformity data in a pharmaceutical cleanroom relevant to FDA hub-and-spoke distributed manufacturing rule
    15 August 2026

    FDA’s Proposed Hub-and-Spoke Distributed Manufacturing Rule: What It Means for Blend Uniformity and Granulation Consistency

    FDA's proposed hub-and-spoke registration rule treats geographically separate manufacturing units as one establishment. The registration paperwork is new; proving that blend uniformity, granulation endpoints, and moisture behavior actually match between sites is the older, harder problem.

    Feature Article

  • Two stainless steel powder hoppers showing contrasting mass flow and funnel flow behavior.
    8 August 2026

    Powder Spreading in Powder Bed Fusion: What Recoater Interaction Reveals About Layer Defects

    Powder spreading in powder bed fusion is a recoater-powder interaction shaped by cohesion, particle size distribution, and particle shape. This article maps streaking, short-feeding, and layer non-uniformity back to their underlying mechanisms and separates powder-driven causes from blade wear and spreading speed.

    Feature Article

  • Technical illustration of dynamic powder testing, showing a rotating blade moving through a powder bed to compare confined flow energy, low-confinement specific energy, and aeration-sensitive behavior.
    1 August 2026

    Dynamic and Aerated Powder Testing: What Flow Energy Adds Beyond the Shear Cell and Hausner Ratio

    Dynamic and aerated powder testing measures basic flow energy and specific energy to fill the gap between shear cell consolidation data and Hausner ratio screening, particularly for fluidized processing and rapid-refill feeding.

    Know How

  • Virgin and recovered Ti-6Al-4V powder hoppers connected to a metal PBF-LB system for controlled aerospace powder reuse qualification.
    1 August 2026

    Virgin-to-Reused Powder Blend Ratios in Aerospace PBF-LB Qualification: Where the Decision Actually Sits

    As aerospace metal additive manufacturing capacity expands, more reused powder is going back into qualified builds. The virgin-to-reused blend ratio decision depends on PSD shift, satellite formation, and morphology drift, and cannot be settled by a single powder check disconnected from the part's stress state.

    Feature Article

  • Diagram showing roller compaction ribbon solid fraction governed by mass feed rate, nip angle and roll force
    25 July 2026

    Roller Compaction Ribbon Solid Fraction: Why the Same Roll Force Can Produce Different Granules

    Two lots that pass the same incoming flowability spec can still granulate differently after roller compaction. The reason usually traces to ribbon density, which responds to roll force, gap width, and feed screw speed as an interacting set, not to roll pressure in isolation.

    Insights

  • Technical illustration comparing how different cosmetic powder particle shapes affect packing and pressed-cake performance.
    18 July 2026

    Preparing for an EU Talc Ban: What Mineral and Starch Alternatives Need to Match

    Talc's expected EU restriction is forcing cosmetic formulators toward mica, kaolin, silica, and starch. None of them reproduce talc's platelet slip, oil absorption, and low dustiness at the same time, and each substitution changes flow and compaction behavior in pressed powder products differently.

    Insights

  • Industrial fluidized bed processor with powder moving behind a circular sight glass.
    11 July 2026

    Fluidized Bed Processing in Powder Technology: Granulation, Coating, and Drying Through a Powder Behavior Lens

    Geldart classification, minimum fluidization velocity, bubble dynamics, droplet-to-particle size ratio, and permeability all determine whether a fluidized bed process delivers controlled granule growth, uniform coating, or consistent drying at production scale.

    Feature Article