An experimental study of die filling using positron emission particle tracking

Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) is a non-invasive technique which enables quantitative information on the position and 3D motion of a tracer particle during processing to be determined at high frequencies. This technique has been successfully used to investigate powder behaviour during mixing, fluidization, granulation, etc. In this study, PEPT was employed to examine the flow behaviour of powders during die filling. Time histories of displacement and velocity of traced particles were determined. It has been found that the measured displacement and velocity in the moving direction of the feed shoe corresponds very well with the specified shoe motion, demonstrating that the motion of particles during die filling can be accurately determined using PEPT. This will provide useful information to fully understand the die filling process.