The Effect of High Process Temperature on the Flow Behaviour of Zeolite Powders

Zeolite powders are used in various applications, and their flow behaviour can be affected by processing conditions. Temperature is a crucial process condition that changes during manufacturing and can alter particle properties, affecting powder flow properties. Therefore, it is necessary to test the powder flow properties under the process conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to test the powder flow properties under the process conditions. The flow properties of two types of zeolite powders, Z302 and T804, were evaluated at temperatures of 150, 300, and 500 °C under normal consolidation stresses ranging from 1 to 8 KPa using an Anton Paar shear cell. The two materials exhibited distinct flowability behaviours, even at the lowest temperature tested. At 500°C, the temperature has a more significant effect on the T804 zeolite than on the Z302 zeolite. The flow function of T804 zeolite falls into the cohesive range. In contrast, the flow function of Z302 zeolite changes only for large values of consolidation stresses, falling entirely within the very cohesive range. To explain the disparate behaviour of the two materials under changing temperature and consolidation stress, we developed a theoretical framework that considers the differing particle size distributions of the powders. The analysis supports the effectiveness of the general approach, which involves estimating the average material fabric to provide averaged estimates of contact forces. This approach can explain the different behaviours of temperature and consolidation changes shown by powders. Additionally, a new analysis of flowability is introduced, which calculates a structural length to account for different powder bulk densities.