The January issue of Chemical Engineering got a lesson in agglomeration from one of FEECO International’s own, Chris Kozicki, the process sales engineer who co-wrote an article on the process of wet agglomeration.
The article, “Consider Wet Agglomeration to Improve Powder Flow,” focuses on the technical aspects of fine powder handling and how agglomeration can be a valuable addition to the handling process. When handling fine powders, it can often be challenging to control the rate of flow within a containment vessel, resulting in erratic flow, funnel flow, or flow stoppages. Wet agglomeration may be the solution to such challenges, according to the authors.
Wet agglomeration, also known as tumble-growth agglomeration, wet granulation, or pelletizing, is the process by which fine particles, or powder, combine with liquid (usually water), and if necessary, a binder, to create a snowball affect, which results in larger particles. These particles are more easily handled and much less dusty than their original form. This wet agglomeration process takes three stages to complete. First, the powder is combined with the liquid and binder. Next, the mixture forms into moist particles, or “green agglomerates.” Finally, the large soft particles are dried, resulting in an easily-handled end product. A key aspect in creating superior agglomerates in this type of process is the ratio of powder to binder and liquid.
Kozicki, who co-wrote the article with Greg J. Mehos, a project engineer at Jenike & Johanson, Inc., is currently the first vice-president of the Institute of Briquetting and Agglomeration, and will move up to president come September.
All information in this post was taken from the article, “Consider Wet Agglomeration To Improve Powder Flow,” in the January 2011 issue of Chemical Engineering.