The knowledge about the physical and flow properties of industrial powders is very important to their handling and processing. With the right application of this information, it's possible to design conveyors and storage systems to predict the ideal kind of flow for each operation. This work had the objective to determinate the physical and flow properties of different kinds of poultry rations and to evaluate their influences on geometric characteristics of hoppers. For that, it was used the direct shear apparatus based on Jenike shear cell and two friction surfaces: smooth and rough steel walls. To determinate the index flow (ff c) and minimum hopper opening diameter (D), was used the Jenike's methodology. For the minimum conical hopper angle, was used the mathematical method advised by British Standard BMHB. With the basis on obtained results, it's possible to affirm that A and B poultry rations were classified as cohesive flow while the B poultry ration had the minors conical hopper angle and the higher hopper opening diameter.
Flow index; hopper inclination; opening discharge
