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The FT4 was designed with one purpose in mind: to characterize the rheology of powders, or powder flow properties. This is still the primary function, but the instrument, accessories and methodologies have been continuously developed to the point where the FT4 is now considered a universal powder flow tester.
The FT4 powder tester is unique in many ways. Below are some critical features for assessing industrial value:
Freeman Technology, developers of the industry-leading FT4 powder rheometer, became part of the Micromeritics family in 2018. In 2025, Micromeritics and Freeman joined Malvern Panalytical, bringing powder flow expertise into the wider materials characterization portfolio.
The FT4 is a truly universal powder flow tester offering four categories of methodologies: Bulk, Dynamic Flow, Shear (in accordance with ASTM D7981) and Process.
![[Freeman FT4 - methodologies diagram.jpg] Freeman FT4 - methodologies diagram.jpg](https://dam.malvernpanalytical.com/f1c2f038-0e68-4b82-9104-b2b300928d0e/Freeman%20FT4%20-%20methodologies%20diagram_Original%20file.jpg)
The behavior of the powder influences the electrode manufacturing in both wet and dry process. In wet processes, powders with optimal flow and dispersion properties ensure consistent slurries, improving battery performance and manufacturing efficiency.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) relies on precise powder performance to ensure consistency and quality in 3D-printed components. Effective powder spreading and distribution are crucial, as variability can lead to defects like inconsistent density and poor surface finish.
Powder coatings are environmentally friendly as they eliminate solvent use and volatile organic emissions. However, their application is challenging due to the need for smooth powder flow, especially as demand for thinner films requires smaller particles with increased interparticle forces.
Powder processing involves various conditions, from high compaction stresses in hoppers to dynamic fluidization. Understanding how a material behaves across these conditions is crucial for designing and monitoring unit operations and transfer systems.
Toner formulations, often proprietary, are milled into fine powders with sizes <10 μm, making them prone to cohesion and agglomeration. Proper powder flow is crucial to ensure even dispersion and effective adhesion to paper, with additives used to prevent clumping and improve performance.
Cosmetic compacts, made from blends of emollients, pigments, fillers, and binders, must have good powder flow for effective processing. Proper flow ensures consistent quality, ease of application, and cost-effective production at high throughput.
Dry powder pressing is a flexible and cost-effective method for making ceramic components. Identifying the right powder blends and characterization methods is essential for effective process development.
In the food and nutraceutical industries, understanding powder properties and flow behavior is essential for efficient processing. Even small amounts of moisture can drastically affect powders, turning them from free-flowing into clumps or solid masses, which impacts flowability and can lead to reduced efficiency and increased costs.
Powder processing is crucial in pharmaceutical manufacturing, where controlling powder behavior enhances efficiency and quality. Key processes include wet granulation to create uniform, free-flowing granules; die filling; predicting flow performance in screw feeders; and developing dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations.
| System | FT4 Powder Rheometer intended for use in a laboratory environment for measuring the rheological properties of powders, pastes and semi-solids. |
|---|---|
| International standards | EMC specifications and ASTM International standards:
Certificates of conformity are available on request. |
| Dimensions | 306 x 306 x 760mm |
| Weight | 22kg net |
| Force | +/- 50 N maximum
0.0001 N resolution
+/- 900 mNm resolution |
|---|---|
| Torque | 900 mNm maximum
0.002 mNm resolution |
| Vertical travel | 185mm |
| Rotor speed | 120 rpm maximum |
| Axial speed | 30 mm/sec maximum |
| Residual energy level in air | < 2mJ |
| Working zone | 316 stainless steel |
|---|---|
| Materials in contact with sample | 316 stainless steel
Borosilicate glass
Delrin and Peek plastics |
| Supply Voltage | 90 - 264 VAC |
|---|---|
| Input current range | 1.6A at 120 VAC
0.8A at 230 VAC |
| Input frequency range | 47 Hz to 63 Hz |
| Minimum fault protection limit | 30mA |
| Humidity | 20-80% non-condensing |
|---|---|
| Operating temperature (°C) | 10˚C to 40˚C |
| Storage temperature | 0˚C to 50˚C |
| Vessels | Precision bore, borosilicate glass tube. Standard sizes:
|
|---|---|
| Blades | Hardened stainless steel blades. Standard sizes:
|
The FT4 employs unique technology for measuring the powders' resistance to flow whilst the powder is in motion.
A precision ‘blade’ is rotated and moved downwards through the powder to establish a precise flow pattern. This causes many thousands of particles to interact, or flow relative to one another, and the resistance experienced by the blade represents the difficulty of this relative particle movement, or the bulk flow properties.
The dynamic principle of the FT4 requires that the blade rotates and moves vertically, both downwards and upwards.
As a result, it will experience a resistance to rotation and a resistance to vertical movement.
The FT4 measures both rotational and vertical resistances, in the form of Torque and Force, respectively. Both signals need to be measured, as it is the composite of these two signals that quantifies the powder’s total resistance to flow.
Image: Torque and force are measured simultaneously as the blade moves down a helical path through the powder.
Excluding either Torque or Force signals would result in misleading data, as the calculated Flow Energy value would not represent the powder’s total resistance to flow.
Due to the rotational nature of the technique, approximately 90% of the total resistance is contributed from the Torque signal, with the remaining 10% from the Force component.
This highlights the importance of measuring Torque as well as Force when evaluating rheological properties.
Fully automated test programs and data analysis |
Conditioning mode provides unparalleled repeatability |
Range of sample sizes: 10 ml - 160 ml (plus 1 ml Shear Cell option) |
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Easy, fast powder flow and rheology characterization with automated analysis. Advance your powder behavior testing.
