Delft Solids Solutions bv
About us
Delft Solids Solutions is a contract research organization founded in 2002. We provide high-quality services aimed at solid matter analysis through research & development, courses & seminars and consultancy. Our core activities are powder, particle and porosity research suitable for a wide variety of powders, granules and related materials. A good description of particles at the micro level provides a better understanding of the behavior, control and application of the product at the macro level.
In addition to investigation of the more-fundamental properties such as particle size, particle shape, porosity, surface area and density, we are well equipped to investigate powder behavior: storage, caking, flow behavior, silo design, stickiness, mixing and separation, strength and breaking behavior of particles, dust behavior also in relation to regulations European Commission, influence of moisture and temperature on the above.
In this way a good correlation can be obtained between the physical properties of solids and their behavior during storage, transport, processing and an optimized application.
We also have Powder Processing equipment related to unit operations and suitable for smaller scales from a few 100 grams to a few kilograms. This equipment can be used for mixing, granulation, coating, drying, pneumatic transport, etc.
Products & services
Nano & dustiness - NENnovation Award 2020 2nd place!
Due to the more stringent EU regulations, recent examples are related to silica and titaniumdioxide, knowledge on dustiness and even more important the presence of nanoparticles in this dust is getting critical for the use of these products in the European Union. Organs such as REACH and ECHA more and more require quantitative information on nanoparticles in products and the potential exposure associated with the presence of these nanoparticles. To investigate these features in line with EC recommendations, the small rotating drum (Nanodrum) as described in the EN 17199-4 standard should be used. The research equipment decribed in this standard is however not commercially available and has been developped in house. We are now capable of assesing the nano dustiness of materials using our Small Roatating Drum !
Powder Processing - lab-to-pilot scale
We offer several powder processing unit operations on several 100 grams to several kilograms scale for start-ups, product development, product or process optimization etc. This concerns milling and size reduction, mixing, granulation and size enlargement, coating, pneumatic transport and air classification. We have Lindor, Nauta and High-shear mixers available.
Flowability of powders
Bulk powders are characterised by seven mechanical measurements and three supporting measurements. This provides a numerical evaluation of the characteristics of a powder by determining the flowability and floodability at the transition points when transferred from a static to a dynamic state. The measured values are assigned to indices based on standardised analysis of about 3000 different bulk materials by R.L. Carr.
Heubach and EN 15051 dust analysis
The EN 15051 standard and the DIN 55992 (Heubach) are the European standardized methods for the determination of dust generated by the handling of powders, granules, tablets, etc. These emissions tend to generate human diseases or cause other environmental effects. Depending on the methodology, the overall dustiness is assessed in mg/kg or when the more advanced methodology is used, the dust released can be classified into the inhalable, thoracic and respirable fraction associated with a different risk assessment. Following recent EU regulations, also the fraction of particles with an aerodynamic diameter < 10 micrometers can be assessed using one of these methods.
Stickiness of powder products
By means of an advanced Powder Rheometer and via water vapor sorption we can determine under what sort of conditions of temperature coupled to relative humidity a specific material becomes sticky or not. Constructing a Mollier diamgram can further assist in predicting such stickiness behaviour, ideal for spray drying of e.g. milk powders or for storage of materials.
Coating fertilizers with biodegradable coating
The current generation of controled-release fertilizer granules posesses a coating of traditional plastics in order to have a slow or controlled release of nutrients into the soil. This implies that with every granule used on the soil a small layer of plastics stays behind, finally turning into microplastics! In this way, tons of plastics enter into the soil every year ending up in the food chain. Delft Solids Solutions has developed a new route to coat fertilizer granules with a truly biodegradable coating composed of 100% poly hydroxy alkanoate (PHA) coating that also displays a controlled release of nutrients similar to the traditional coated granules. In this way, we prevent microplastics from polluting the soil AND we also work in accordance with European regulations that will prohibit the use of the traditionally-coated fertilizer granules !!