Ceramic powder is an important material used for various purposes in advanced industries, and the fundamental properties of ceramic powder such as particle size, particle size distribution, and flow properties play a decisive role in determining the quality and performance of the final product. In general, these properties have been evaluated through particle size and shape analysis. However, these methods have limitations in providing a comprehensive understanding phenomena related to powder flow, coagulation, and wear. Consequently, performance evaluation based on the analysis of powder flow properties has been increasingly adopted. Previously, flow properties were primarily assessed using funnel-based methods. However, these methods have limitations, as they are challenging to apply to powders smaller than a few micrometers or those with strong coagulation tendencies, and they also suffer from low reliability. To address these issues, this paper introduces a novel piece of equipment that measures flow properties using image analysis and presents various parameters for static and dynamic flow behavior based on this technique. The proposed equipment offers exceptional versatility, as it can be applied to all types of ceramic powders regardless of their size or shape. The principles and measurement methods of the equipment are demonstrated through static and dynamic image analysis of ceramic powders with varying sizes and shapes used as examples.

In order to acquire clear images capable of diagnosing cracked tooth by light transmission, the optical properties of LED light source were examined. Based on the results, the prototype which basically consisted of LED light source, bandpass filter and commercial compact camera module was designed and manufactured. The wavelength and optical power of the LED in the prototype were 850 nm and 7 mW/Sr, respectively. In evaluation of the prototype using microscope, the observation of the crack with width of above 17 μm was possible. In addition, image analysis to obtain shape information on the observed tooth cracks was carried out.