A Review of Bulk Powder Caking

The handling and storage of bulk powders is common in many industries such as detergent, pharmaceutical, bulk chemical and food. A lot of materials are susceptible to changes with time that may lead to bulk powder caking, resulting in an unmanageable powder and process downtime, which impacts upon profitability. In this review the current state of the art related to powder caking is explored. The relevant interparticle interactions are discussed with respect to elastic and plastic deformations and the development of liquid and solid bridges due to capillary condensation, sintering and solvent evaporation. The environmental, i.e. temperature and humidity, and the mechanical conditions can heavily influence the transformation of a bulk powder and a number of studies are available that attempt to relate these conditions to caking. A significant amount of work related to the caking behaviour of amorphous powders is available in the literature. Amorphous materials are susceptible to caking due to environmental conditions influencing the glass transition temperature. Once the temperature of amorphous powders exceeds the glass transition, viscous flow occurs and cake strength increases. Crystalline solids may undergo transformations leading to caking. It can take a considerable time and cyclic environmental conditions for caking to occur. However, little research focuses on cyclic conditions and there is limited predictive capability. Finally the options available for attempting to reduce caking propensity are briefly covered and a section that discusses the available caking test methods is given

Modelling of auto-agglomeration of cohesive powders

Fine particles in the micron size range or smaller are usually so cohesive that they cannot exist as individual entities and are in cluster form, the size of which depends on the stress history. During handling, transportation or storage, the powder is subjected to mechanical vibration and/or agitation and, as a result of which clumping of particles or “snowballing” can occur even without the presence of any binder. This is an undesirable feature, as it is responsible for poor flow behaviour, cohesive arching, segregation of lumps and inducing flaws in products. Nevertheless, the mechanism of auto-agglomeration of cohesive powder has not received due attention and the conditions under which such clusters/lumps form, their size, structure and strength has not been analysed extensively. In this work we present a preliminary model to predict the equilibrium cluster size based on two separate energy balances to predict the granule solid fraction and equilibrium size, respectively. Despite some broad approximations, this approach can capture the trend of variation of the agglomerate size with the vibration intensity for some data reported in the literature. The proposed model also identifies the mechanism controlling the growth of the agglomerates as the balance between the cohesive energy of the particles and the disruptive energy of vibration

Analysis of screw feeding of faceted particles by discrete element method

Reliable and consistent powder flow in screw feeders is of great interest to a wide range of industries, particularly for continuous manufacturing of pharmaceutical powders. However, analysis of flow of cohesive powders with sharp corners and edges, as commonly found in the case of crystalline solids, presents a great challenge due to complexity of shape and its influence on flow. In the present work, the influence of particle shape and cohesion on phenomena such as cohesive arching in hoppers and screw feeder pitches is analysed by numerical simulations using the Discrete Element Method, and their impact on the outlet mass flow rate is evaluated. Faceted and spherical particles with different cohesion levels are generated and allowed to settle in a hopper on top of a screw feeder. The screw is then rotated, thus feeding the particles through the barrel. Particle interactions are analysed numerically for the hopper region, a predominantly slow-flow regime, and for the pitches of the screw feeder, where a speed-dependent regime prevails. Paracetamol crystal shape is taken as a model faceted shape. Its parameters such as the coefficients of restitution and friction, needed for the simulations, are calibrated by experimental work. Transient arching occurs as the level of cohesion is increased. The frequency of formation and collapse of arches within the hopper region increases, and eventually, permanent arching is observed. Analysis of stress and strain rate in the screw barrel region shows that the shear stress is a weak function of the shear rate with a power index of around 0.3, which is independent of particle shape. The flow rate is influenced considerably by particle shape, whilst increased cohesion causes an increase in void fraction and affects transient arching

DEM analysis of the effect of particle shape, cohesion and strain rate on powder rheometry

Discrete Element Method (DEM) is used to simulate the flow of particles addressing the influence of shear strain rate, particle shape and cohesion on the flow characteristics. For this purpose, the dynamics of particle motion in the Freeman Technology FT4 rheometer is analysed. The simulations are first validated by comparison with experiments with cohesive particles, i.e. silanised glass beads, from the literature. Particles with faceted shapes, sharp corners and edges are then simulated and found to require significantly higher energy to flow compared to spherical particles. The presence of truncated vertices, typical of active pharmaceutical ingredients, influences the flow behaviour drastically. The results of this analysis therefore reveal the importance of considering the actual particle shape in DEM simulations when faceted particles are considered. Finally, a rheological model describing the relationship between the dimensionless shear stress and the inertial number for several particle shapes, cohesion values and blade tip speeds is proposed. The outcome of this study may lead to a unified rheological description of powder flow, which incorporates the effect of cohesion, shape and shear strain rate

Electrocoalescence of water droplets in sunflower oil using a novel electrode geometry

Electrocoalescence is an energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly process for breaking water-in-oil emulsions. It has been used extensively in the oil and petroleum industries. However, the current technology requires long residence times, giving rise to bulky vessels for industrial scale operations and making it less attractive for offshore application. It is also highly desirable to develop compact devices for down-the-well use. In this study, the performance of a novel electrode geometry, a ladder-shaped set of electrodes through which the emulsion flows, is assessed for enhancing the electrocoalescence, hence providing the potential for a compact design. The electrodes are formed into a V shape, with the apex pointing towards the direction of flow. This configuration enables nesting a series of electrodes in a compact form. Furthermore, the water-in-oil emulsion flows through the electrodes rather than passing by them, thus maximizing the effect of the electric field for coalescence. The system under study uses dispersed water droplets in sunflower oil, flowing in a narrow rectangular duct through the electrodes, providing essentially a two-dimensional flowing stream. The performance of this design is investigated for different electrical parameters (i.e. electric field intensity, frequency and waveform), fluid physical properties (i.e. conductivity and water content) and residence time. Of the three types of electric field waveform (i.e. half-sinusoidal, square and sawtooth), sawtooth performs best at high conductivities. Experiments reveal the existence of optimal values of electric field intensity, electric field frequency, salt concentration and water concentration, where the coalescence efficiency is maximum for the current design. Numerical simulation of the electrocoalescence process is conducted to assess the influence of various geometric and process parameters on the coalescence mechanisms of the V-shape electrodes. The outcome of this work is potentially useful for optimizing the design of compact and efficient oil–water separators

Reflecting on Hybrid Events: Learning from a Year of Hybrid Experiences

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sudden shift to virtual work and events, with the last two years enabling an appropriated and rather simulated togetherness - the hybrid mode. As we return to in-person events, it is important to reflect on not only what we learned about technologies and social justice, but about the types of events we desire, and how to re-design them accordingly. This SIG aims to reflect on hybrid events and their execution: scaling them across sectors, communities, and industries; considering trade-offs when choosing technologies; studying best practices and defining measures of "success"for hybrid events; and finally, identifying and charting the wider social, ethical, and legal implications of hybrid formats. This SIG will consolidate these topics by inviting participants to collaboratively reflect on previous hybrid experiences and what can be learned from them

Prediction of Ideas Number During a Brainstorming Session

International audienceIn this paper, we present an approach allowing the prediction of ideas number during a brainstorming session. This prediction is based on two dynamic models of brainstorming, the non-cognitive and the cognitive models proposed by Brown and Paulus (Small Group Res 27(1):91–114, 1996). These models describe for each participant, the evolution of ideas number over time, and are formalized by differential equations. Through solution functions of these models, we propose to calculate the number of ideas of each participant on any time intervals and thus in the future (called prediction). To be able to compute solution functions, it is necessary to determine the parameters of these models. In our approach, we use optimization model for model parameters calculation in which solution functions are approximated by numerical methods. We developed two generic optimization models, one based on Euler’s and the other on the fourth order Runge–Kutta’s numerical methods for the solving of differential equations, and we apply them to the non-cognitive and respectively to the cognitive models. Through some feasibility tests, we show the adequacy of the proposed approach to our prediction context

GPER mediates the angiocrine actions induced by IGF1 through the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway in the breast tumor microenvironment

The G protein estrogen receptor GPER/GPR30 mediates estrogen action in breast cancer cells as well as in breast cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are key components of microenvironment driving tumor progression. GPER is a transcriptional target of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and activates VEGF expression and angiogenesis in hypoxic breast tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, IGF1/IGF1R signaling, which has angiogenic effects, has been shown to activate GPER in breast cancer cells. We analyzed gene expression data from published studies representing almost 5000 breast cancer patients to investigate whether GPER and IGF1 signaling establish an angiocrine gene signature in breast cancer patients. Next, we used GPER-positive but estrogen receptor (ER)-negative primary CAF cells derived from patient breast tumours and SKBR3 breast cancer cells to investigate the role of GPER in the regulation of VEGF expression and angiogenesis triggered by IGF1. We performed gene expression and promoter studies, western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis, gene silencing strategies and endothelial tube formation assays to evaluate the involvement of the HIF-1α/GPER/VEGF signaling in the biological responses to IGF1. We first determined that GPER is co-expressed with IGF1R and with the vessel marker CD34 in human breast tumors (n = 4972). Next, we determined that IGF1/IGF1R signaling engages the ERK1/2 and AKT transduction pathways to induce the expression of HIF-1α and its targets GPER and VEGF. We found that a functional cooperation between HIF-1α and GPER is essential for the transcriptional activation of VEGF induced by IGF1. Finally, using conditioned medium from CAFs and SKBR3 cells stimulated with IGF1, we established that HIF-1α and GPER are both required for VEGF-induced human vascular endothelial cell tube formation. These findings shed new light on the essential role played by GPER in IGF1/IGF1R signaling that induces breast tumor angiogenesis. Targeting the multifaceted interactions between cancer cells and tumor microenvironment involving both GPCRs and growth factor receptors has potential in future combination anticancer therapies

GPR30, the Non-Classical Membrane G Protein Related Estrogen Receptor, Is Overexpressed in Human Seminoma and Promotes Seminoma Cell Proliferation

BACKGROUND: Testicular germ cell tumours are the most frequent cancer of young men with an increasing incidence all over the world. Pathogenesis and reasons of this increase remain unknown but epidemiological and clinical data have suggested that fetal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) with estrogenic effects, could participate to testicular germ cell carcinogenesis. However, these EEDs (like bisphenol A) are often weak ligands for classical nuclear estrogen receptors. Several research groups recently showed that the non classical membrane G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER/GPR30) mediates the effects of estrogens and several xenoestrogens through rapid non genomic activation of signal transduction pathways in various human estrogen dependent cancer cells (breast, ovary, endometrium). The aim of this study was to demonstrate that GPER was overexpressed in testicular tumours and was able to trigger JKT-1 seminoma cell proliferation. RESULTS: We report here for the first time a complete morphological and functional characterization of GPER in normal and malignant human testicular germ cells. In normal adult human testes, GPER was expressed by somatic (Sertoli cells) and germ cells (spermatogonia and spermatocytes). GPER was exclusively overexpressed in seminomas, the most frequent testicular germ cell cancer, localized at the cell membrane and triggered a proliferative effect on JKT-1 cells in vitro, which was completely abolished by G15 (a GPER selective antagonist) and by siRNA invalidation. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that GPER is expressed by human normal adult testicular germ cells, specifically overexpressed in seminoma tumours and able to trigger seminoma cell proliferation in vitro. It should therefore be considered rather than classical ERs when xeno-estrogens or other endocrine disruptors are assessed in testicular germ cell cancers. It may also represent a prognosis marker and/or a therapeutic target for seminomas