Validation of surface coating with nanoparticles to improve the flowability of fine cohesive powders

Abstract

Fluidization of fine cohesive powders is seriously restricted by the strong interparticle cohesion. The rational combination of nanoparticles with fine cohesive powders is expected to obtain composite particles with improved flowability. In this work, we firstly reviewed the sandwich and three-point contact models regarding the fundamental principles of nano-additives in reducing cohesiveness. Based on these previous models, the effects of the size of nanoparticles, their agglomeration and coverage on the surface of cohesive powders in reducing interparticle forces were theoretically analyzed. To validate the theory effectiveness for the irregularly shaped cohesive powders, an extreme case of cubic powders coated with silica nanoparticles was fabricated, and the flowability of the composite particles was determined experimentally. Ultimately, based on force balance of a single particle, a semi-theoretical criterion for predicting the fluidization behavior of coated powders was developed to guide the practical applications of improving the flowability of cohesive powders through structural design and modulation.