Assessment of agitation and detection of deposits in mechanical solids mixers

New methods have been developed to assess agitation and powder flow in a small horizontal mixer. Heat transfer and electrodynamics techniques involving triboelectric currents are used to characterize the agitation intensity and various flow phenomena such as compaction. The effects of rotation speed and powder bed level were also investigated. Heat transfer or light transmission was the method used to detect the deposition of powder on the impeller.