Chemical Engineering Department

Mechanical unit operations (ChEg 3208)

Chapter Three: Size enlargement (Agglomeration)

Mustefa Kemal
Contents
Introduction
Why size enlargement
Agglomeration methods
Characterization of agglomerates
Operating variables in growth agglomeration

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Size enlargement (agglomeration)
Introduction
What is size enlargement (agglomeration)?
• It may be defined as the process of bonding individual particles
(fine particles) in a random way, in order to end with an
aggregate considerably larger in size and with a porous
structure.
 The collection of particles that results is called an agglomerate
or granule.
• Depending on the process, the size of the agglomerate is
between 0.02 and 50 mm
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Introduction

• In most cases, the preferred particle shape is spherical. In many

processes the product is a cylindrical section such as a tablet or some
other regular geometrical shape.
• Size enlargement is used in many industries;
 Mainly associated with the pharmaceutical, agricultural and
food industries
 But also plays an important role in other industries including
minerals, metallurgical and ceramics.
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Why size enlargement ?
• There are many reasons why we may wish to increase the mean
size of a product;
 There are many problems in the handling of fine particles.
The flow properties and consequently dosage control are poor.
Agglomeration can eliminate these disadvantages while
retaining the desired particulate properties.
 To reduce dust hazard (explosion hazard or health hazard)
 To reduce caking and lump formation
 Increases bulk density for storage

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Why size enlargement ?
 In many industries the raw materials are in the form of
powders, for example in ceramics industry in the preparation
of   pressed particles made of barium titanate and
manganese-zinc, nickel-zinc and barium ferrites and These
materials are initially fine powders, which must be
agglomerated to obtain good dimensional replication in the
pressed articles.
 To provide a defined metered quantity of active ingredient
(e.g. pharmaceutical drug formulations)
 To reduce the losses.
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 Agglomeration Methods
• With few exceptions, agglomeration methods can be classified into two
groups
i. Tumble/ growth agglomeration
ii. Pressure agglomeration
i. Tumble/ growth agglomeration
• Agglomerates can be obtained using binders or in a binderless manner.
• In tumbling Fine particles are brought into contact with each other in a
flowing system in the presence of binders such as water or more viscous
liquids depending on the properties of particle being agglomerated
and the required strength .
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 Tumbling/ growth agglomeration
• The particle size enlargement occurs by coalescence (merging) based on
capillary forces.
• The major cohesive force is the Van der Waals force (intermolecular force b/n
molecules ).
• This method produces agglomerates of approximate spherical shape with
diameters between 0.5 and 20 mm.
• The conditions needed for tumbling agglomeration can be provided by
inclined discs, rotating drums, any kind of powder mixer, and fluidized beds
• In general, any equipment creating random movement is suitable for
carrying out tumbling agglomeration

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Tumbling/ growth agglomeration

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 Equipment for tumble/growth agglomeration

Rotating drum
Inclined rotating disc

Fluidized bed
ii. Pressure agglomeration
• In contrast to tumbling agglomeration where no external forces
are applied, in pressure agglomeration pressure forces act on a
confined mass of particulate solids, which is then shaped and
densified.
• Pressure agglomeration is normally carried out in two stages
1. a force rearrangement of particles due to a little applied
pressure
2. a steep pressure rise during which brittle particles break
and malleable particles deform plastically

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Pressure agglomeration
• Pressure agglomeration can be performed employing a low, a
medium, or a high-pressure mode.
• When utilizing low- or medium-pressure agglomeration
 Relatively uniform agglomerates can be obtained
The porosity of the feed material is changed but no
change in particle size or shape occurs
Agglomeration and shaping are, therefore, due to
pressure forcing the material through the holes

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Pressure agglomeration
• In high pressure agglomeration
 Large degree of densification, resulting in low product
porosity.
 High strength immediately after discharge from the
equipment
 It is versatile technique by which particulate material
of any kind and size ( i.e. from nanometers to
centimeters ) can be successfully processed

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Equipment for pressure agglomeration

Screen Extruder Screw Extruder

Compacting roller press

(high pressure agglomeration)
Characterization of agglomerates
• Variables used for characterizing agglomerate;
 Porosity: is the ratio of void volume to total volume.
Vv

Vtotal

 Agglomerate porosity : The ratio of void space

between the particles Vip to volume of the agglomerate
"VA".
Vip
A 
VA

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Characterization of agglomerates
 Density: is the ratio of the mass to the volume "V" of
particular material
m

V

 Solid density (ρs ) : the density of pure solid without any void
space.If the solid may contain inaccessible void it must made
accessible by grinding.
ms
s 
Vs

 Bulk density : is the total mass of bulk material in a given volume.

ms
B 
VB
Operating variables in tumbling/growth agglomeration
• On tumbling agglomeration, an important factor in operation
would be the quantity of bonding liquid to add to the process.
 Appropriate liquid content, expressed as fraction X,
for an optimum agglomeration process, can be
represented by the following relation:

Where ε is the porosity of the material, ρs is the solid density,

and ρ is the liquid density.
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Operating variables in tumbling/growth agglomeration
• The other factor is rotation speed
 Optimum rotation speed of tumbling agglomeration
units, normally rotating drums, can be calculated by

Where N is the rotational speed in rev/min, and D is the

diameter of the drum in m.

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 Applications
• Agglomeration applications are numerous and comprise a range
of industries.
In the chemical industry, detergents, fertilizers, oxides,
sulfites, etc are commercialized in some sort of agglomerate.
Pharmaceutical industry products as pellets, tablets, capsules,
granules, and so on
Food industries
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 Example
A weight of 1600 kg of a 1230 kg/m3 granular
solid need to be agglomerated in a rotating drum,
3 m long and 1.5 m diameter. Water is used as the
agglomerating aid and 1/3 of the drum capacity is
recommended for optimum operation. Calculate
the moisture percentage necessary to run the
operation.
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