FT4 powder rheometer

The FT4 powder rheometer is a fully automated universal powder tester for the comprehensive characterization of powder flowability. The new permeability module uses a pressure transducer to measure pressure drop across the height of a powder bed in the system’s test vessel while the air velocity through the powder is controlled. Importantly, conditioning of the sample before evaluation ensures a homogeneous, stress-free and reproducible packing condition. Permeability measurements using the FT4 can be conducted in a variety of ways to suit specific requirements. These include: measuring pressure drop vs. air velocity at zero bed compression stress; using a porous piston to apply specific compression stresses to the sample while maintaining a fixed air velocity through it and measuring pressure drop as a function of the applied bed compression stress; or maintaining a specific bed pressure drop and measuring the air velocity vs. bed compression stress.