Deposition of particulate materials into confined spaces - New tester development and experimental results

The filling of particulate material into confined spaces such as dies (typical volume a few cubic centimeters) presents problems that affect the quality of the final product. Some researchers have studied the effects of filling method on fundamental particulate, properties, and load distribution in large storage systems such as bins and silos. However, there is a lack of quantitative analysis of the process of deposition of particulates into small storage systems such as dies. A low-cost tester capable of acquiring real-time data has been developed for experimental analysis of the process of filling of dies. A literature review and preliminary study of the effect of die filling methods (funnel fill and sieve fill) impact on spatial fill distribution (for spray-dried Alumina) in a cylindrical die have been carried out. Cumulative mass profile plots show that the load cells record a flatter profile in the case of sieve fill than the funnel fill case. This suggests a more uniform powder fill for the sieve filling method compared to the funnel fill method.