Flowability

Flowability, also known as powder flow is a property that defines an ability of a powdered material to flow, related to cohesion.^[1]

Powder flowability depends on many traits:^[1][2]

• the shape and size of the powder particles due to intermolecular force,
• porosity
• electrostatic activity
• hygroscopy
• bulk density
• angle of repose
• presence of glidants
• oxidation rate (of a metallic powder)
• humidity

ISO 4490:2018 norm (and its precedent, ISO 4490:2014) standardizes a method for determining the flow rate of metallic powders. It uses a normalized/calibrated funnel, named Hall flowmeter.^[3]

See also

• Fluid mechanics
• Soil mechanics
• Cohesion (geology)
• angle of repose