High-throughput automatic batching equipment for solid state ceramic powders

Rev Sci Instrum. 2019 Aug;90(8):083904. doi: 10.1063/1.5114839.

Abstract

We describe the design, fabrication, and use of a ceramic bulk preparation system, applied to the very high-throughput batching and molding for solid ceramic powders. Through the principle on precise volume controlling of powder materials, up to 100 ceramic block samples with maximum 6 components could be prepared in one time through 100 channels with Φ5 × 5 mm forming molds. The automatic control stage has been built to fill the target powder in a limited size and discrete small volume range. Here, we have designed a mechanical structure and software program so that rotary silo powder feeding amount could be controlled at 5-100 ml/time and the feeding precision can reach 0.005 g. Finally, the equipment is verified by preparing several infrared ceramic samples of different components.