Powder Caking

Why Powder Caking Testing?

Caking results when particles agglomerate and form solid lumps or masses. Typically caking is undesirable, resulting in customer complaints, rejected product, and additional processing steps needed to delump the material.

• Particle size, distribution and shape
• Moisture content and migration
• Particle hardness, surface chemistry

• Temperature (constant, cycle)
• Storage at rest
• Consolidating pressure
• Relative humidity

• Direct shear strength: effect of pressure, temperature, moisture, 
chemistry, particle size or shape, and time at rest
• Moisture sorption/desorption: effect of water vapor uptake (hygroscopicity)
• Morphology: observation of particle shape and size using microscope
• Surface energy: characterization of bulk solid’s surface

• overview of caking test method and complete results
• qualitative observations of unique caking behavior
• conclusions and recommendations to avoid powder caking