Carney Flowmeter Funnel Calibration Powder Now Available

The MPIF/MPPA Standards Committee approved MPIF Standard 75 - Determination of Flow Rate of Metal Powders Using the Carney Flowmeter Funnel (available from MPIF in the 2022 edition of Standard Test Methods for Metal Powders and Powder Metallurgy Products), a new test method standard for measuring the flow rate of non-free-flowing metal powders using the Carney flowmeter funnel. To date, no Carney funnels have been calibrated for testing flow rate—they have only been supplied for testing the apparent density of non-free flowing metal powders. The committee has recently approved a standard calibration powder to be used to calibrate Carney funnels.

The new calibration powder is a 316L stainless steel that was tested extensively for stability and repeatability of flow time. The flow time for 150 grams of the calibration powder to flow through the master funnel utilized in the program and held at Kymera International is 31.0 seconds.

Kymera International has 200 gram quantities of this standard calibration powder available for purchase. The next step in the development of the Carney flow test method is for companies to acquire this standard calibration powder to check the flow time for the calibration powder through their Carney flowmeter funnels—a new funnel should have a flow time of 31.0 ±0.5 seconds for 150 grams of the powder. Funnels with a flow time of less than 28 seconds are invalid.

The MPIF/MPPA Standards Committee will be coordinating an interlaboratory test program to determine the precision of the Carney flow rate test method. A valid flowmeter funnel will be required for participation in the study. For information about participating in the interlaboratory study email Dora Schember at dschember@mpif.org.