How to minimize feed segregation to an agglomerator — Part II
The last 50 years have seen rapid expansion in agglomeration applications for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotech products, ceramics, foods, minerals, and other products. As a result of this expansion and stricter requirements for process efficiency and product quality, agglomeration processing steps are under ever-growing scrutiny. This two-part article, which concludes this month, explains how to control one of the most important steps in an agglomeration process -- feeding -- to minimize particle segregation and increase processing reliability and final agglomerate uniformity. The information here focuses on tumbling and pressure agglomeration methods.
The three major techniques for eliminating or minimizing feed segregation problems in your agglomeration process include making changes to your feed properties, the process steps, or the equipment design. Which of these changes can provide the most practical solution to your segregation problems depends on your application. The same methods can be applied to preventing problems in a new agglomeration process.