Flow Properties and Pattern Flow Prediction of Food Industrial Powders

Abstract

More and more industries are faced with new products that need to be stored in silos which, in general, require knowledge of their physical properties and, above all, flow. Food industries are among those using powders as raw materials likely to develop functional problems. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the flow properties of six food powders using equipment called Powder Flow Tester, and the results were compared with those recommended by the Eurocode 1 Part 4 international standard. Wide range of variation in the flow properties responses was observed, suggesting that their expression through a single average value may not be suitable for vertical silos. It was concluded that only the bulk density of products is in accordance with the standard. In relation to flow, only flaked corn is able to flow without possibility of obstruction in the discharge with higher discharge outlet dimensions, being also recommended for flaked oat.

Effect of conditioner and moisture content on flowability of yellow cornmeal

“…Hence, a material with good flow characteristics is one that flows consistently without assistance. However, flowability is not an inherent property of a material, so it can never be expressed as a single value or index but rather as a combination of material's physical properties that affect flow (Goodridge, Tuck, & Hague, ; Lopes Neto, Meira, & do Nascimento, ). Additionally, flowability is affected by particle size distribution, particle shape and density, chemical composition of the particles, moisture, and temperature, among other factors (Aulton & Taylor, ; Barbosa‐Canovas, Harte, & Yan, ; Fitzpatrick, Barringer, & Iqbal, ; Ganesan, Rosentrater, & Muthukumarappan ; Opalinski, Chutkowski, & Stasiak, ; Sandler & Wilson, ; Schulze, ; Sokhansanj, Mani, Stumborg, Samson, & Fenton, ).…”