Agglomerators

An agglomerator is a piece of industrial equipment used to combine fine particles of material into larger, more manageable lumps or pellets. This process, known as agglomeration, is essential in various industries for improving material handling, flowability, and product quality. Agglomerators work by using binders, moisture, or heat to cause the small particles to stick together.

There are several types of agglomerators, each suited for different materials and production needs. Pan agglomerators, also known as drum or disk agglomerators, use a rotating dish to tumble particles while a binder is sprayed onto them, forming spherical pellets. Compacting agglomerators, such as roller compactors, use high pressure to press powders into dense sheets, which are then broken into flakes or granules. Other types include briquetting machines, which produce pillow-shaped or rectangular briquettes, and extrusion agglomerators, which force material through a die to form rods or pellets.

The primary purpose of agglomeration is to transform fine powders or dusts, which can be difficult to handle and prone to dusting, into a more robust form. This can improve bulk density, reduce dust generation during transport and processing, and enhance the solubility or reactivity of the material. Agglomeration is widely used in the production of fertilizers, animal feed, ceramics, catalysts, detergents, and various metal powders. The specific design and operating parameters of an agglomerator are tailored to the properties of the material being processed and the desired characteristics of the final agglomerated product.