Hydro-textural and dimensional approach for characterising wet granular media agglomerated by kneading

Among the operations implied in wet powder agglomeration, kneading appears to be an essential process for various industrial areas. The objective of this work is to contribute to the description of textural and dimensional aspects of the agglomeration during a kneading process. This study focuses more particularly to establish the relation between texture and water content and to relate this aspect with the transitions between the states of agglomerates and that of a paste. The influence of the process parameters related to kneading is explored through the variation of the kneading cycles. Raw materials are two well-differentiated powders, one non-cohesive, i.e. microcrystalline cellulose and one cohesive, i.e. kaolin.