Chemical Engineering April 2020 - 34

tion of a preconditioning step also
increases production compared to
the use of a pelletizer alone. When
using a pelletizer alone, binder and
fines are added at a continuous, predetermined
rate. Because the addition
of binder must be gradual, so as
to avoid adding excess moisture to
the disc, growing material from fines
to the desired-size pellet can take a
considerable amount of time. With a
preconditioning step, seed pellet formation
happens much more quickly,
leaving the disc pelletizer with the
sole job of increasing pellet size, enabling
production rates to increase.
Reduced binder. Part of the intent
in pelletizing is to increase product
density. When utilizing a pelletizer
alone, density is created through the
addition of the liquid binder.
Conversely, when a preconditioning
step is implemented, density is
created not only with the binder, but
through the action of the mixer, ultimately
reducing the amount of binder
required to reach the desired density.
Material influence. Every solid material
presents unique challenges
when it comes to pelletizing agglomeration.
The feed makeup, consistency,
moisture content, particle size
distribution, and many other factors,
will all influence how a material responds
to the pelletizing process.
Some solid materials will readily
agglomerate, while others simply
may not. Some materials will undergo
a reaction between constituents
that causes pellets to exhibit a
higher-than-desired crush strength
or other unpredictable attribute. Still
others may only agglomerate with
significant modifications to the formulation
to the product makeup.
Additionally, some materials may
require special modifications to the
equipment. This is often the case
with abrasive materials that could
cause excessive wear if not factored
into the design process.
For these reasons, testing at batch
and continuous scale is often a necessary
part of process development
for pelletizing lines.
n
Edited by Scott Jenkins
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Authors
Chris Kozicki is a process sales
engineer with FEECO International
(3913 Algoma Rd., Green Bay, WI
54311; Email: sales@feeco.com;
Phone:
1-800-373-9347),
specializing
in tumble-growth agglomeration.
He has been with
FEECO for over 30 years. Kozicki is
an active member of the agglomeration
community
and
former
president
of the Institute for Briquetting and Agglomeration
(IBA).
Ron Eichhorn supervises the
FEECO Innovation Center (same
address as above), where he oversees
agglomerate testing for hundreds
of materials. Having been
with the company for nearly 40
years, Eichhorn has become a
global expert in pelletizing and
travels the world conducting training
on the topic.
Carrie Carlson is a technical
writer who has been with FEECO
(same address as above) for nearly
a decade. She works closely with
engineers and process experts to
turn complex ideas into easy-tounderstand
literature.
Solids \ Powders \ Conveying \ Processing \ Storage
34
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