Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-11DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121647
Guanguo Ma , Guanghui Cai , Zhenjiao Sun , Lianjun Chen , Hui Ma , Kang Gao
{"title":"Effects of material properties on pneumatic conveying flow characteristics of stiff shotcrete materials","authors":"Guanguo Ma , Guanghui Cai , Zhenjiao Sun , Lianjun Chen , Hui Ma , Kang Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study employs a coupled CFD-DEM approach to systematically investigate the influence of key material properties—maximum particle size (MPS) and true density (TD) of coarse aggregates, as well as the fine-to-coarse aggregate ratio (F/C Ratio)—on the pneumatic conveying characteristics of stiff shotcrete materials (SSM). The results indicate that increases in MPS and TD significantly elevate the conveying pressure drop, intensify particle sedimentation and aggregation, and reduce conveying stability. In contrast, a moderate increase in the proportion of fine aggregates improves particle suspension and flow uniformity; however, an excessively high F/C Ratio may lead to particle agglomeration and localized accumulation after pipe bends. Particle velocity analysis further reveals that a higher fine aggregate content enhances acceleration performance and flow stability, while larger and denser coarse aggregates reduce conveying efficiency. These findings provide theoretical guidance for optimizing process parameters in industrial shotcrete applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121647"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-11DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121640
Chenghao Li , Shuai Huang
{"title":"A simple numerical strategy for generating loose granular packings in DEM simulations","authors":"Chenghao Li , Shuai Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Granular packings with large porosity are common in laboratory or field processes, but generating loose granular packings for discrete element method (DEM)-based numerical simulations is not a trivial task. The objective of this study is to provide a brief review on the approaches of generating loose granular packings in DEM, and to develop and address the performance of another simple option – a particle deletion approach – for such a task. In this approach, initial packings are first generated using the rain-falling method; and then, a portion of particles at random positions are deleted to create cavities within the packings to thus enhance the packing porosity. Based on the results of granular packings generated with different particle deletion fractions, it is confirmed that the particle deletion approach can increase the packing porosity by as much as approximately 7 % (after a deletion of 10 % particles), comparing to the original rain-falling method. The packing characteristics including particle coordination number, and fabric anisotropy in the contact orientations, contact normal force, and contact shear force were analyzed as well.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121640"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121636
Ali N. Alagha , Emilio Galindo , Martin Conlon , José Muñiz , Kamran Azari , Evan Butler-Jones , Mathieu Brochu
{"title":"Surface chemistry analysis of aluminum powders through triboelectric charging: Effect of composition, particle size distribution and moisture adsorption","authors":"Ali N. Alagha , Emilio Galindo , Martin Conlon , José Muñiz , Kamran Azari , Evan Butler-Jones , Mathieu Brochu","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work explores the interactions between particle size distribution (PSD), specific surface area (SSA), and relative humidity levels (RH; as received, 20–60 % RH) on the triboelectric charging behavior of two aluminum alloys, namely AlSi10Mg and AlSi9Cu3. The results, validated via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), demonstrate that the SSA strongly influences surface chemical composition and its evolution under humid conditions through the newly developed triboelectric charging methodology. Higher SSA promoted moisture adsorption and surface hydroxylation. In the as-received condition, WF values varied between 4.43 and 4.64 eV, with Si-rich powders exhibiting higher values than those richer in Al₂O₃. Higher RH progressively lowered the WF due to moisture-driven surface dipoles and led to up to 51 % reduction in charge density. Compositional differences between AlSi10Mg and AlSi9Cu3 produced distinct surface species under humid conditions. In AlSi10Mg, the formation of the surface hydroxides (AlO(OH) and SiO(OH)<sub>2</sub>) promoted faster triboelectric charge dissipation. In contrast, besides the hydroxides present in AlSi10Mg, the copper content in AlSi9Cu3 powders resulted in reduced charge density due to the formation of an additional surface hydroxide specie (Cu(OH)<sub>2</sub>), contributing to localized charge retention. Modeling the charging behavior showed that the n-exponent decreased with RH for AlSi10Mg (from ∼1.04 to 0.92) but increased for AlSi9Cu3 (from ∼0.72 to 0.91) at equivalent SSA, underscoring the distinct effects of Si- and Cu-hydroxides on charge relaxation. These findings highlight that triboelectric charging is influenced by surface chemistry and particle size distribution, variables to be considered in the analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121636"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121635
Da Li , Xue Xue , Qingshan Zhu , Jun Li , Hongzhong Li
{"title":"A energy balance model for predicting agglomerate size during the fluidization reduction of CuO with the assistance of Fe microspheres","authors":"Da Li , Xue Xue , Qingshan Zhu , Jun Li , Hongzhong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Since the previous fluidization and agglomeration models failed to describe the enhanced fluidization of ultrafine powders with the addition of microspheres, a novel energy balance model coupled with collision probabilities between agglomerates and Fe microspheres has been proposed to elucidate the intensification mechanism and to predict the agglomerate size. The intensification effects are mainly attributed to the spatial isolation and the collision effects between Fe microspheres and agglomerates. Furthermore, the calculated agglomerate sizes agree well with the experimental data. The model can provide a guidance for the addition of microspheres and the regulation of agglomerates in the fluidized bed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121635"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121642
Qiming Zhuo , Decheng Chen , Zenan Wang , Wei Han , Yongming Song , Wenli Liu , Peng Xi
{"title":"Enhancing copper–molybdenum separation: The role of DMTD in flotation processes","authors":"Qiming Zhuo , Decheng Chen , Zenan Wang , Wei Han , Yongming Song , Wenli Liu , Peng Xi","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121642","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121642","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The separation of chalcopyrite and molybdenite in porphyry copper–molybdenum ores is challenging owing to their similar floatabilities, making the use of depressants necessary. Inorganic depressants are commonly employed in the flotation industry to increase the difference in hydrophobicity between chalcopyrite and molybdenite; however, these depressants pose significant environmental risks. Recently, novel organic depressants have attracted considerable interest because of their abundance and low toxicity. This study investigated the use of 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMTD), an activator recently employed in copper oxide flotation, as a depressant for the separation of chalcopyrite and molybdenite. Micro–flotation experiments demonstrated that DMTD exhibits a notable selective depression effect, significantly suppressing the flotation of chalcopyrite without adversely affecting the flotation of molybdenite. Furthermore, DMTD maintained its depression effect on chalcopyrite flotation even in the presence of xanthate. Contact angle measurements were used to analyze changes in hydrophobicity, corroborating the micro–flotation results, while SEM-EDS elemental distribution maps further confirmed the selective adsorption of DMTD on the chalcopyrite surface. XPS and AFM analyses were conducted to elucidate the microscale interaction mechanism between DMTD and chalcopyrite. The specific interaction sites on the chalcopyrite surface were identified through changes in elemental binding energies, while the evolution of surface morphology revealed how DMTD interacts with chalcopyrite in the xanthate system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121642"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121639
Haiyan Liu , Xiaoxuan Fan , Lingyu Wu , Ying Li , Hongbo Qu , Xianmei He
{"title":"Experimental study on static horizontal pressure of three-compartment silo wall and dynamic overpressure characteristics of material discharge","authors":"Haiyan Liu , Xiaoxuan Fan , Lingyu Wu , Ying Li , Hongbo Qu , Xianmei He","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The three-compartment silo with a fan-shaped cross-section has caused problems in accurately calculating the depth of the silo based on the traditional height-to-diameter ratio. This paper designed a three-compartment acrylic silo model with a height of 2000 mm and a diameter of 1000 mm, and completed six different storage height feeding-settling-discharging experiments. Combining the deep and shallow silo theories in Chinese standards, this paper analyzed the distribution patterns and influencing factors of static and dynamic horizontal pressure.The criteria for classifying three-compartment silos into deep and shallow silos are provided. When the height of the silo is greater than or equal to its diameter, a three-compartment silo with a sector-shaped cross-section should be considered a deep silo design. When the height of the silo is less than its diameter, it should be considered a shallow silo design.Static horizontal pressure increases with increasing storage height, and the static pressure value of cement is higher than that of ceramic beads. The deviation between the test values and the standard deep silo calculation values is within 30 %, verifying the safety of the standard. Dynamic horizontal pressure reaches its peak at the beginning of discharge, and the overpressure coefficient of ceramic beads is significantly higher than that of cement.The study revised the horizontal pressure calculation formula based on experimental data and the classification criteria for deep and shallow warehouses, introduced correction factors of 1.1 and 1.45, and proposed a revised formula.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121639"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-08DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121621
Mingming Li , Xihong Chen , Keren Guo , Weijie Kong , Lei Shao , Lin Li , Ren Chen , Zongshu Zou
{"title":"A computational study on melting behavior of hydrogen direct reduced iron pellets in a simulated steel bath","authors":"Mingming Li , Xihong Chen , Keren Guo , Weijie Kong , Lei Shao , Lin Li , Ren Chen , Zongshu Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogen direct reduced iron (H-DRI) is expected to constitute the principal iron feedstock for future fossil-free virgin steel production, and its melting behavior plays a key role in furnace productivity, which, however, has not been fully understood. This study developed a computational heat transfer model for H-DRI pellets melting in a steel bath, to investigate the pellets melting behaviors and evaluate the effects of physicochemical properties of pellets on melting. It is found that frozen steel shells inevitably form around pellets initially immersed in steel bath, and have dominate influence on complete melting time in spite of its much small size in comparison with pellet, while the pellets likely play no role. The “soft-boiled pellet” phenomenon occurs in frozen steel shell re-melting process, which explains the independence on pellet itself of complete melting time. Initial pellet diameter has most influence on pellet melting behaviors, followed by initial pellet temperature and porosity. Metallization ratio (MR) plays insignificant role on pellet melting. The interface resistance to heat transfer across pellet and frozen steel shell has a great influence on pellet melting and enables to alter pellet melting mechanism. The pellet melting process can be divided into two stages: (i) the development of frozen steel shell, and (ii) the simultaneous melting of the frozen shell and the wrapped pellet in the shrinking frozen steel shell.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121621"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-08DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121628
M. Saravana Kumar , Che-Hua Yang , N.S. Ross , Valentin Romanovski , Bashir Salah
{"title":"Data-driven machine learning optimization of DLMS parameters for sustainable AlSi10Mg powder reuse and superior part performance","authors":"M. Saravana Kumar , Che-Hua Yang , N.S. Ross , Valentin Romanovski , Bashir Salah","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121628","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121628","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) process, up to 96 % of the powder is left unused in the build chamber, while just a tiny percentage of the entire powder is fused to make the component. Due to the high cost and energy demands of powder production and atomization, the ability to collect, recondition, and reuse unfused powder in subsequent builds is essential for improving the environmental and economic sustainability of DMLS operations. Although powder reuse reduces production costs and material waste, ongoing research is still needed to determine how many reuse cycles can be performed without compromising component quality. Therefore, this research explores key process parameters such as built-up thickness of 30, 45, and 60 μm and exposure duration of 90, 130, and 170 μm that influence powder reutilization, aiming to determine the optimal reusability for maintaining powder quality and enhancing the performance of DMLS-manufactured parts. Moreover, this research also highlights how the reutilized AlSi10Mg powders influenced the micro-voids, tensile strength and reduced modulus of DMLS parts. To understand the linearity of the received responses, two ensemble models (Bagging and Random Forest) were compared. The confirmation by the ensemble models leads to finding the optimal variable for printing. The experimental validation confirms 5 times reutilization of AlSi10Mg power has enhanced the tensile strength by 55.4 % and reduced modulus by 68.26 %. The influence of clustered particles on the fracture nucleation was also examined based on the reduced modulus mapping and fractography analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121628"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145027358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synergistic chalcopyrite depression by combined Na2S-CL-2 in CuMo flotation: Insights into Na2S-induced CL-2 conformational changes","authors":"Guanyu Liang , Luzheng Chen , Song Zhang , Yongjun Xian , Lianbing Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121630","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121630","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving efficient chalcopyrite depression in Cu<img>Mo flotation with minimal reagent consumption is critical for sustainable mineral processing. This study systematically investigates the synergistic depression mechanism of a sodium sulfide (Na<sub>2</sub>S) and calcium lignosulfonate (CL-2) system, which enables exceptional chalcopyrite depression (Cu recovery: 10.0 %) while preserving molybdenite floatability (Mo recovery: 96.7 %) at reduced dosages. The synergy originates from Na<sub>2</sub>S-induced conformational expansion of CL-2, as evidenced by integrated experimental and simulation approaches. Dynamic light scattering and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that Na<sub>2</sub>S enhances electrostatic shielding, expanding CL-2's radius of gyration from 3.86 Å to 4.18 Å. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy confirms this molecular unfolding at chalcopyrite surfaces, facilitating improved depressant coverage and hydrophilic group exposure. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry demonstrate that the Na<sub>2</sub>S-CL-2 system promotes xanthate desorption from chalcopyrite, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurements verify unaffected molybdenite hydrophobicity. These findings collectively establish that Na<sub>2</sub>S: (1) modulates CL-2's polyelectrolyte conformation to enhance surface adsorption, and (2) selectively weakens xanthate-chalcopyrite interactions without compromising molybdenite recovery. The elucidated mechanism provides a molecular-level framework for designing reagent-efficient depression strategies in sulfide mineral separations, aligning with the industry's demand for environmentally conscious processing technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121630"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powder TechnologyPub Date : 2025-09-07DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121629
Ann Kathrin Schomberg , Lars Wagner , Jan Henrik Finke , Arno Kwade
{"title":"Development of a model to predict die filling under suction on different rotary tablet presses","authors":"Ann Kathrin Schomberg , Lars Wagner , Jan Henrik Finke , Arno Kwade","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Die filling is a key step in tableting, as it directly affects tablet weight. However, the relationship between process parameters, material properties and filling performance remains poorly characterized, often requiring extensive experimentation and material use during formulation process development as well as scale-up. This study investigates suction filling of eleven different commonly used excipients using two production-scale rotary presses with single paddle feed frames. As a basis, differential pressure inside the dies, generated during the punch pull-down, is calculated based on rational assumptions. Following, a correlation between this differential pressure and the volume flow rate into the dies was identified and used to develop a process model. This model builds up on a previously developed approach for gravity filling, aiming to predict the minimal paddle speed for complete die filling under suction based solely on material properties and process parameters. Powder permeability emerges as a key factor, with lower permeability amplifying the suction effect. The model predicts critical paddle speeds with medium accuracy, generally within 20 % error providing a robust basis for future process design and optimization. Importantly, it demonstrates that a complex filling mechanism can be reliably predicted using only simple and widely available powder characterization methods without the need of experiments on rotary presses. This makes the approach particularly valuable for industrial application, as it reduces the reliance on extensive trial-and-error experiments and accelerates the efficient development of feasible formulations and robust manufacturing processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":407,"journal":{"name":"Powder Technology","volume":"468 ","pages":"Article 121629"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}