Wet Mass Consistency Reported by In-Line Drag Force Flow Sensor Compared With Powder Rheology and Shaft Amperage

Abstract The force exerted by wet mass in a granulator on a thin cylindrical probe called the drag force flow (DFF) sensor reflects wet mass consistency and is indicative of the granule densification. Comparison of flow force during wet granulation of batches with different binder concentration indicated good correlation with the granulation's resistance to flow and interparticulate interactions measured by the FT4 Powder Rheometer. This indicated that the force pulse magnitude (FPM) measured by the DFF sensor was indicative of fundamental material properties (e.g., shear viscosity and granule size/density). In addition, the time-profile of the FPM signal from the DFF sensor compared well with that of the impeller amperage, with consistent differentiation between different formulations.