Pelletization and granulation

pelletization and granulation

1. Pelletization and Granulation Presenters Usama Waheed Ahmed Amdad Amar Saleem Hamza khan

2. Pelletization is a form of tumble growth agglomeration, whereby material fines are “grown” through a tumbling motion and the addition of water or a binding agent. This process is a non-pressure method of agglomeration, and instead of pressure, uses a binder (or simply water) to help material adhere to itself Pelletization

3. Faster nutrient delivery: The less dense pellets created in pelletizing can withstand handling, but can still quickly break down upon application, an ideal characteristic for soil amendments, fertilizers, and other applications that benefit from fast material breakdown. Less dust and fines are produced compared to compaction : Since pellets are round, there are no edges to break off and create dust . Advantages

4. Binders can serve as beneficial additives – Pelletization offers the opportunity to control formulation, through the addition of specially formulated binders, in order to create optimum pellet characteristics Advantages

5. Higher Processing Costs: The use of a binder, and the required drying step results in higher processing costs when compared to compaction granulation, though the pelletization method often requires a lower capital investment. A Skilled Operator is Required : Pelletizing (on a disc pelletizer) requires a well-trained and skilled operator to produce a pellet with desired quality and characteristics, and to keep the process running smoothly Disadvantages

6. Pelletization is used throughout a variety of industries, with new applications developing all the time. Some of the most commonly pelletized materials include: EAF Dusts Chemical Powders Limestone Gypsum Coal Fly Ash Minerals and Ores Common Pelletized material in Industries

7. While there are innumerable factors that can affect the pelletizing process and the resulting end product, the most common variables include: Binder formulation Binder feed rate Material feed rate Pan speed Pan angle Liquid addition rate and location Factors affecting P elletization

8. Pelletizing is carried out using either a disc pelletizer or rotary drum , W ith disc pelletizers being the most common choice, and drums being more suited to specific applications such as heap leaching. Equipments used in pelletization

9. Material fines are first conditioned in a pin mixer or paddle mixer. Not all processes utilize a pre-conditioning step, but those that do see many benefits as a result: Material feed and binder can be thoroughly mixed prior to entering the disc pelletizer. This creates a homogenous mixture and evenly distributes the binder. Benefits of mixer in pelletization

10. The majority of the moisture required for pellet formation can be added (in the form of the binder) during mixing, so it need not be done on the pelletizer, a process which can be lengthy. In many cases, the use of a mixer prior to the disc pelletizer often increases production rates because of this. Material that is pre-conditioned is densified through the motion imparted by the mixer. Because this densification is achieved through mixing, less binder is required to create the same densification, resulting in reduced binder cost. Benefits of mixer in pelletization

11. Once material has been conditioned, it moves on to pelletizing. For processes that do not use a pre-conditioning step, this is where the process begins. Here, material is fed onto a disc pelletizer at a continuous rate, where binder is continually added. The material fines are tacky as a result of the binder, and as they tumble against themselves while the pan rotates, they pick up more fines, growing in similar fashion to a snowball. Once pellets have reached the desired size, they exit the disc pelletizer, and are carried via a conveyor belt or steep incline conveyor to a dryer. The dryer “cures” the pellets, removing any moisture, and “polishing” them into their final form. Drying is commonly carried out using a rotary dryer, with fluid bed dryers being the alternate choice. Process of Pelletization

12. Process of pelletization

13. Raw Feed Paddle/Pin Mixer Binder Feed Spray Rate Disc Pelletizer Feed Onto Pelletizer Binder Feed Liquid Spray System Transfer Conveyor Rotary Dryer Vibrating Screen Oversize Mill Recycle Surge Hopper Process of Pelletization

14. Granulation is the process in which powder particles are made to adhere to form larger particles called granules for the production of tablets or capsules so a uniform distribution of all ingredients will be achieved.. Granulation

15. To prevent segregation of the constituents in the powder mix… To improve the flow properties of the mix… To improve the compression characteristics of the mix… To increase the uniformity of drug distribution in the product. Other reasons. Reduce toxic dusts, can be used for hygroscopic & deliquescent powders, reduce air entrapment, less volume Reasons Of Granulation

16. Wet Granulation. Dry Granulation. Method of Granulation

17. It involves the massing of the powder mix using a solvent. The solvents used must be volatile, so that they can be removed by drying and non-toxic. solvents include water, ethanol and isopropanol either alone or in combination. solvent may contain dissolved adhesives The advantage of water is that it is non flammable also not expensive and no safety precautions would be required. Organic solvents are used when water-sensitive drugs are processed, as an alternative to dry granulation, or when a rapid drying time is required. Wet Granulation

18. The Disadvantages are: it s long duration. the need for several pieces of equipment. high material losses which can be in because of the transfer stages . Advantages are: the process is not very sensitive to changes in the characteristics of the granule ingredients. the end-point of the massing process can often be determined by inspection. Shear Granulator

19. The machines have a stainless steel mixing bowl containing a three-bladed impeller which revolves in the horizontal plane and a three-bladed auxiliary chopper which revolves in the vertical plane. Advantage: 1.mixing , massing and granulation are all performed in a short period in the same piece of equipment. 2.Granulation progresses so rapidly that a usable granule can be transformed very quickly into an unusable, over-massed system. High Speed mixer/Granulator

20. Disadvantages: it is often necessary to use a suitable monitoring system to indicate the end of the granulation process. The process is also sensitive to variations in raw materials but this may be minimized by using a suitable end-point monitor. High speed mixer/Granulator

21. The fluidization of powder particles in a stream of air, is utilized for granulation in equipment of this type. Heated air is blown or sucked through a bed of unmixed powders to fluidize the particles and mix the powders. Granulating liquid is pumped through a spray nozzle over the particles and this liquid causes them to adhere when they collide. Escape of material from the granulation chamber is prevented by exhaust filters which are periodically agitated to reintroduce the collected material into the fluidized bed. Sufficient liquid is added to produce granules of the required size which are then dried in the heated fluidizing air Stream. Fluidizied Bed Granulator

22. Fluidizied Bed Granulator

23. A suspension of drug and excipients in adhesive solution can be dried in a spray drier. The resultant granules are free-flowing hollow spheres and the distribution of adhesive in such granules results in good compression properties. This process can be used to make tablet granules or when suitable - granules cannot be produced by the other methods. Spray Driers

24. The advantages of the process are: short drying time. The minimal exposure of the product to heat due to the short residence time in the drying chamber. Spray Driers

25. They are used when it is desirable to have a dense, spherical pellet of the type difficult to produce with the equipment above. Using this technique it is possible to coat the pellets by spraying coating solution on to the rotating pellets and layered pellets can be produced by using the pellets as nuclei in a second granulation with a powder mix of the coating ingredients. The rotating base plate is a common feature of spheronizing equipment but some utilize a feed of pregranulated material which has been massed and extruded into short strings. Spheronizer /Pelletizer

26. Spheronizer /Pelletizer

27. Powder particles are aggregated using high pressure using 2 processes. They are used for liquid sensitive material. First machine for processing the dry powders and second a mill for breaking the compacts . Types of Dry granulators: There are mainly two types 1) Sluggers : 2) Roller compactors : Dry Granulators

28. Sluggers: The dry powders can be compressed using a tablet machine or, if higher pressures are required, a heavy duty rotary press can be used. This process is often known as ‘slugging’, the tablet made in the process being termed a ‘slug’. Roller compactors: the powder mix being fed between rollers to form a compressed sheet. Dry Granulators