Freeman Technology of Malvern, Worc., UK, has received the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2007 for the development, commercialisation and sales success of its patented FT4 powder rheometer, which the company states is a new way to measure the flowability and processability of powders, including metal and alloy powders.

The Freeman Technology approach is said to differ from all existing technologies because it sets out to establish a reproducible dynamic flow condition that more closely resembles the way that powders move during handling and processing.

These reproducible flow conditions are used to evaluate how different powder samples compare in relation to factors such as moisture content, level of aeration, particle size range, or merely different batches of the same material.

The technique is said to be highly sensitive to detect rheological changes and is capable of measuring the rheology of powders and complex semi-solids.