The Uniaxial Powder Tester (UPT) delivers automated, highly repeatable measurement
The Uniaxial Powder Tester has been developed in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh
Freeman Technology's latest powder tester is the Uniaxial Powder Tester (UPT), a stand-alone uniaxial tester for simple, sensitive and cost-efficient powder characterisation.
Developed in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and a major industrial powder processor, the new tester delivers automated, highly repeatable measurement and provides a cost effective alternative to traditional powder testing techniques, the Tewkesbury, UK-based firm says.
'Uniaxial powder testing is a simple and intuitive method that measures an intrinsic property of a bulk solid,' said Tim Freeman, Managing Director of Freeman Technology. 'The UPT draws on our in-depth understanding of powders and the precision engineering that underpins the worldwide success of the FT4 Powder Rheometer. The result is a completely new, repeatable, versatile, low cost and robust powder tester for process development, troubleshooting and QC.'
This new tester has a number of innovative features that are crucial to ensure reproducible measurement for a wide range of powders
The new instrument measures unconfined yield strength (UYS), a parameter typically derived indirectly through biaxial shear cell analysis, which is widely used to assess and rank the flowability of powders. Uniaxial testing involves the construction of a consolidated powder column, which is then fractured through the application of a vertical stress to directly measure UYS, also known as σc. Fundamental to the successful implementation of the technique is the construction of a uniformly consolidated powder column, and subsequent removal of the containing sleeve with minimal disturbance of the compacted column.
'This new tester has a number of innovative features that are crucial to ensure reproducible measurement for a wide range of powders, including a unique and novel system for the application of double-ended compression,' said Freeman. 'Extensive in-house research has shown that the UPT can successfully measure and rank σc, compressibility and density of many industrially relevant powders, even those that are relatively free-flowing.'
The new instrument is available in either a manual or advanced version. Both deliver the same data with the same high repeatability, while the advanced version also offers increased automation and reduced operator input.
