The ability to accurately measure a variety of particle characteristics throughout testing in the Innovation Center is a key component in ensuring agglomerates meet their desired specifications and ultimately, the requirements of their intended use.
In addition to indicating product performance, the ability to look at particle characteristics allows process experts to examine how the process is performing overall, and where adjustment may be needed.
While the Innovation Center has long been able to measure a number of characteristics during testing, a new tool is helping to improve the efficiency and accuracy of particle measurement.
FEECO is working with Microtrac, a leader in particle characterization, to bring advanced analysis capabilities to the Innovation Center. The addition of the bench top Microtrac will help customers to gain a deeper understanding of their material and process through imaging. The unit currently being utilized has already shown strong value, with plans to offer continuous in-line testing underway.
How the Microtrac Works
The PartAn3D Pro from Microtrac, which measures particles ranging in size from 15 microns to 35 millimeters, utilizes state-of-the-art 3D dynamic image analysis (DIA) to measure and gather a variety of data points on material.
As material passes through the Microtrac machine, images are taken of the moving material via a high speed, high resolution camera. The machine then analyzes these images at a rate of 100 images per second for a variety of data points based on the known size and location of the pixels in each image.
This patented DIA technology allows the machine to not only gather data on the size and shape of the material, but it can also gather thickness data as well.
Measurable Characteristics
The Microtrac tool is capable of measuring and gathering a range of data points in one seamless analysis. This includes 32 morphological parameters. Among them:
- Size
- Shape
- Surface roughness
- Density
- Transparency
- 3D capabilities
The points of data can also be customized and filtered, to allow only the most pertinent data to be shown.
How Microtrac will Improve Material Testing
Traditionally, particle characteristics have been taken by hand, where a process engineer would remove a sample of material every so often and run it through a variety of tests to gather the necessary data. While effective, this manual process caused potential lag time in identifying process swings and was only indicative of a small sample size at a given time, potentially giving an incomplete picture of the data.
Once an in-line Microtrac unit is integrated, FEECO will be able to monitor particle characteristics in real-time during processing, automating the particle characterization process and allowing process engineers to know exactly when a product falls out of spec. In addition, this automation reduces the need to manually gather material samples, increasing overall productivity and safety.
This will result in faster, more accurate particle characterization, and ultimately, improved process and product optimization throughout the testing process. The improved transparency will provide a better understanding of the material, the steady state process conditions, and upset conditions.
Conclusion
Particle characterization is a critical part of process and product design in the Innovation Center. The new Microtrac particle characterization unit will automate particle characterization during testing, allowing for more data to be gathered and improving the accuracy and precision of particle analysis, as well as the overall process and product development testing stages.
FEECO is committed to bringing our customers the best in process and product design services through testing in the Innovation Center. This includes the continual improvement and advancement of our testing facility.
For more information on material testing in the Innovation Center, contact us today!