Apparatus for measuring the spreadability of powders and granular materials

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for measuring the spreadability of powders and granular materials for applications that require powders to be spread in a thin layer. The apparatus consists of a test surface or powder bed for receiving a material sample layer, one or more spreading devices that form a layer of material sample on the test surface or powder bed when there is relative motion between the test surface or powder bed and the spreading device, and one or more scraping blades that remove the layer of material sample created by the spreading device from the test surface or powder bed and move it to one or more measuring devices to determine the amount of material in the layer of the material sample. The amount and consistency over time of sample material removed by the scraping blade from the test surface or powder bed indicate the spreadability of the material sample.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.