As producers look to de-risk projects, meet ever-changing market demands, and get products to market faster, toll processing, or toll manufacturing, is becoming a more common approach to filling production needs.
And while a growing number of toll processing services have come online in the recent past, the more specific needs of many industries have remained unmet, particularly those looking to process bulk solids to meet precise particle specifications, such as those required by the agriculture, mining, and specialty chemical industries.
Founded by the global leader in bulk solids processing technology, the FEECO Tolling Center provides a much-needed option for toll processing through a variety of techniques in order to create premium products that meet desired particle characteristics.
About the FEECO Tolling Center
The FEECO Tolling Center is a state-of-the-art facility designed to accommodate several forms of bulk solids toll manufacturing. The facility offers flexible processing configurations, and can process a wide range of material types. Materials and products that can benefit from toll processing in the FEECO facility include:
- Specialty Fertilizers and Soil Amendments
- Clays and Ceramics
- Industrial By-products (Fly Ash, Synthetic Gypsum, etc.)
- Minerals and Ores (Limestone, Potash, Gypsum, etc.)
- Chemical Compounds
- Organic Materials (Manure, Humate, Diatomaceous Earth, etc.)
- Sands and Silicas
- And more…
Types of Toll Processing in the FEECO Tolling Center
The FEECO Tolling Center can be set up for bulk solids drying, agglomeration, conditioning, drum granulation, coating, or a combination thereof at capacities ranging from a trial run, to continuous, commercial-scale production.
Toll Drying
The FEECO Tolling Center is equipped with a commercial-scale rotary dryer to meet a variety of toll drying needs. Drum dryer configuration is flexible and can be customized to suit a range of parameters. Support equipment, including air pollution control, dust collection, crushing, and screening, is also available.
Process Engineers in the Tolling Center are capable of meeting an array of particle characteristics through toll drying. Commonly targeted specifications include:
- Moisture Content
- Temperature
- Dry crush strength
- Bulk Density
- Attrition/Degradation
Toll Agglomeration and Conditioning
Agglomeration and conditioning techniques are used to transform material fines into granules that are easier to handle and produce less dust.
A commercial-scale FEECO pin mixer carries out high-shear force agglomeration and is capable of micropelletizing, dust suppression/conditioning, and mixing liquid and solid feed components to form a homogeneous mixture.
Since a liquid binder is typically utilized, processing in the pin mixer is followed by a drying step to bring the moisture content of the end product into the desired range. This is carried out in a FEECO rotary drum dryer, which, when producing a granular product, offers additional rounding, smoothing, and polishing of granules as a result of its tumbling and rolling action. As with toll drying, a variety of support equipment such as air pollution control, dust collection, crushing, and screening is also available.
Common particle characteristics targeted through agglomeration/conditioning in the Tolling Center include:
- Dry Crush Strength
- Bulk Density
- Particle Size Distribution
- Solubility
- Attrition/Degradation
- Wet/Green strength
- And more…
Toll Drum Granulation
The Tolling Center is also equipped with a commercial-scale FEECO granulation drum (also commonly called a granulator) for producing granules via non-pressure/ tumble-growth agglomeration in a rotary drum. As with processing in the pin mixer, a liquid binder is often necessary to aid in the granulation process. Drum granulation is followed by a drying step in a FEECO rotary dryer, where as mentioned, the rolling action of the rotating drum further polishes granules.
When desirable, a pin mixer can be integrated into the process as a preconditioning step to improve end product uniformity and reduce the binder requirement, along with other advantages.
Here again, Process Engineers can achieve various target particle characteristics through drum granulation. This includes:
- Dry Crush Strength
- Bulk Density
- Particle Size Distribution
- Solubility
- Attrition/Degradation
- Wet/Green strength
- And more…
Toll Coating
Coating is becoming an increasingly common approach to modifying the performance and handling attributes of granules to achieve specific objectives. This is particularly true of the fertilizer and soil amendment industries.
Toll coating is conducted in a commercial-scale FEECO coating drum with an integrated spray system that is optimized around the material’s unique characteristics and the specific coating objectives. Coating can be carried out as a stand-alone process, or as a finishing step in a larger agglomeration or granulation process.
Process Engineers adjust process parameters to reach specific particle characteristics during the coating process, such as:
- Coating Uniformity
- Surface Quality
- Attrition/dedusting
- Water absorption rate
- And more…
Benefits of the FEECO Tolling Center
In addition to providing an option for under-served markets, the FEECO Tolling Center offers two key advantages to producers:
On-Hand Expertise
What makes the FEECO Tolling Center unique is FEECO’s extensive experience. As the leading provider of agitation (tumble growth/non-pressure) agglomeration technology and bulk solids drying, FEECO supports customers working in the Tolling Center with decades of expertise around hundreds of materials. In addition to running the process, FEECO Engineers can assist in optimizing the process and product to reach specific goals, as well as improving overall efficiency.
Batch & Pilot Testing Available
What also makes the Tolling Center unique is that it is backed by the FEECO Innovation Center – an in-house batch and pilot testing facility used to work out process data on a small scale prior to, or during the tolling process. This provides a valuable opportunity for producers working through the R&D stages or or struggling with production challenges.
Getting Started With Toll Manufacturing
Each tolling project centers around the customer’s unique needs and stage of development, and as such, varies on a case-by-case basis. In general, however, customers interested in tolling with FEECO typically follow the progression below.
Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
FEECO recognizes the importance of intellectual property and confidentiality. As such, the tolling process begins with both parties agreeing to a mutual non-disclosure agreement to protect any sensitive information.
Material/Application Analysis
FEECO Engineers review the material to be processed, along with the specific tolling objectives in order to assess if the capabilities of the FEECO Tolling Center are a good fit for the customer’s process. This may include the gathering of various types of information, including but not limited to:
- Type of tolling required
- Specific process requirements
- Chemical composition and relevant characteristics of the material to be processed (depending on the type of tolling, this may include moisture content, temperature, bulk density, particle size distribition, specific heat, and other material attributes)
- Saftey Data Sheet (SDS)
- Capacity required
- Location where end product will ship to
- Timeline
Testing Confirmation
Feasibility testing in the FEECO Innovation Center may be used to gather process data to support the tolling process. While this differs based on the specific goals of the tolling process, the data required typically includes mass balance, drying requirements, material handling needs, and more.
Conclusion
The FEECO Tolling Center offers a valuable option for anyone looking to process bulk solids via drying, granulation or agglomeration, and coating in order to produce products with precise particle characteristics. With various support equipment and services available, and unmatched expertise in processing bulk solids into premium products, tolling with FEECO ensures expertly conducted, on-time production.
For more information on the FEECO Tolling Center, contact us today!