Agglomeration processes controlling powder compaction

Chemical engineers could also work to devise processes to improve the flow characteristics of powders after they are formed. Such research would help control agglomeration of particles in subsequent processing steps as well as facilitate the production of compacted ceramic preforms. For example, gas-solid chemical reactions might be used to tailor the chemical composition of powders. As another example, better methods of componnding powders with binders might be achieved by processes that mix powders with suitable binders in a liquid and then spray dry the resulting suspension. 

The powder is characterized by chemical (purity), physical (grain size, size distribution, shape, agglomeration, etc.), and technological properties (fluidity, compaction density, etc.), which are influenced by the production process and which can be controlled—to a certain extent— by the process parameters. 

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