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.

  • 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

  • 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

  • Permeability collapse in hopper discharge shown in a two-panel hopper diagram, with a pressure drop and rathole in Panel A, then rathole collapse, entrained air, and a discharge surge in Panel B.
    7 February 2026

    Permeability Collapse in Hopper Discharge Causes “Random” Ratholes and Sudden Flooding

    Permeability collapse in hopper discharge often triggers instability before cohesion becomes the [...]

    Insights

  • 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

  • Gloved hand placing a labeled powder sample vial beside a pressure titration chart for laser diffraction PSD.
    5 January 2026

    Laser Diffraction Troubleshooting: Pressure Titration for Reliable PSD

    Laser diffraction troubleshooting often points at the powder, not the method. A [...]

    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

  • Winter powder quality control sampling graphite to prevent flow issues during the Christmas rush
    20 December 2025

    Graphite Under the Tree

    In the Holiday rush, winter humidity shifts and faster throughput can break [...]

    Feature Article

  • Triboelectric charging in powders at a pneumatic conveying transfer point, showing fine powder flow near grounded stainless steel piping and an electrostatic field sensor.
    13 December 2025

    Triboelectric Charging in Powders: The science, failure modes, and industrial controls

    Triboelectric charging forms when powders contact and separate, creating a shifting charge [...]

    Feature Article

  • 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

  • Hand scooping infant formula powders into a baby bottle on a wooden board.
    29 November 2025

    The complexities of infant formula powders

    Infant formula powders are far more demanding than simple food powders. Safe [...]

    Feature Article