[Study on fluidized melt-granulation. I. Examination of the factors on the granulation]

The purpose of this study is to develop a new granulation method by using a fluidized-bed granulator, which requires a nucleus with a low melting point as a binder. This method was named as fluidized melt-granulation. The technique is very simple and useful. In this paper, the granulation mechanism and the effect of the physico-chemical properties of raw materials on the growth of the granules were investigated. The results were as follows: (1) The mixture of the nucleus and the other powder particles was heated up to the melting point of the nucleus by hot inlet air, immediately resulting in the generation of the adhesion of the powders on the melted nucleus. The granules grew as the melted material immersed into the void space among the adhered particles. (2) The lower the viscosity of the melted nucleus was, the faster the granule grew. (3) The shape and the size of the nucleus affected those of the products. (4) The optimum mixing ratio between the nucleus and the granulated materials existed and it depended on the ratio between the surface areas of these materials.