The rotary drum granulator is one of the key equipments in the compound fertilizer industry and is suitable for cold and hot granulation as well as the large-scale production of high, medium and low concentration compound fertilizers. It adopts wet granulation of pellets. Through a certain amount of water or steam, the materials are fully chemically reacted after being humidified in the drum. Under certain liquid phase conditions, the rotation of the drum is used to cause extrusion between the materials to press them into balls.
The Structure of Rotary Drum Granulator
Drum: The central component of the rotary drum granulator, where the granulation process takes place. It is welded with high-quality medium carbon steel plates and has a built-in special rubber lining, corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant, to achieve automatic scar removal and stark removal, which can effectively reduce the sticking and corrosion of fertilizer in the drum, and save the labor required for cleaning.
Support Bracket: The entire body is supported by the support bracket, so it needs to bear a lot of force to ensure stability during operation. The bracket is welded with medium carbon steel plate and channel steel. The four corners of it are equipped with swivel hooks to facilitate loading, unloading and transportation. In addition, the support wheel fixed on the frame and the rolling belt of the machine body will produce great friction, so it uses high-quality anti-corrosion and wear-resistant materials, which greatly extends the service life of the machine.
Drive Conveyor: The transmission frame connects different parts of the machine and is made of high-quality channel steel and meets strict quality requirements. The main motor and reducer installed on the transmission frame are made of ISO certified materials with reliable quality.
Large Gear: It is fixed on the machine body, meshes with the transmission pinion and works together with it to drive the body to run smoothly. It is made of high-tech wear-resistant materials.
Rolling Belt: It is fixed to both sides of the machine body to support the entire machine body.
Spraying System: A spraying system is used to add water or steam into the cylinder to control the humidity and facilitate the granulation process.
Working Principle of Rotary Drum Granulator
The rotary drum granulator adopts wet pellet granulation. A specific amount of water or steam is utilized to adjust the humidity within the drum, enabling thorough chemical reactions of the basic fertilizer components. As the drum rotates, aided by the appropriate liquid phase conditions, the material particles undergo extrusion forces, culminating in the formation of uniform spherical granules.
Material Preparation: Raw materials, including basic fertilizers and additives, are mixed thoroughly to achieve the desired composition and consistency.
Loading: The prepared material is loaded into the drum granulator through the inlet.
Moisture Adjustment: Water or steam is sprayed into the cylinder through the spraying system to adjust the humidity of the material. This step is crucial for promoting chemical reactions and granulation.
Rotation: The drum granulator rotates slowly, causing the material to tumble inside and ensure thorough mixing and distribution.
Granulation: As the material tumbles and rotates, the combination of moisture, pressure, and friction leads to the formation of spherical granules. The extrusion force generated by the rotating cylinder helps compact the material into uniform-sized granules.
Discharging: Once the granulation process is complete, the granulated material is discharged through the outlet for further processing or packaging.
Features of Rotary Drum Granulator
- 1. High Production Capacity: The granulation rate can reach more than 70%, which is suitable for large-scale fertilizer production.
- 2. Consistent Quality: It produces granules with consistent quality and size, ensuring uniform nutrient distribution in the final fertilizer product.
- 3. Automatically clean: The drum is lined with a special rubber plate, which automatically and effectively eliminates the adhesion between the raw materials and the inner wall of the drum, reducing manual cleaning costs.
- 4. Economical: Its low energy consumption and efficient operation contribute to cost-effectiveness in fertilizer production.
- 5. Long Service: Made of corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant materials for long service life.
- 6. Reduced Material Waste: The uniform granule of the drum granulator formation reduces material waste compared to other granulation methods, optimizing resource utilization.
- 7. Environment Friendly: The granulation process minimizes dust and emissions, making it environmentally friendly compared to other production methods.
- 8. Stable and Easy Operation
Raw Materials for Rotary Drum Granulator
Nitrogen Sources: Ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, urea, ammonium nitrate.
Phosphorus Sources: Single superphosphate (SSP), triple superphosphate (TSP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), diammonium phosphate (DAP), rock phosphate.
Potassium Sources: Potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate.
Micronutrient: Such as iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, and molybdenum may also be added to enhance the nutritional value of the compound fertilizer.
Animal Feces: Poultry manure and livestock waste, like chicken manure, duck manure, goose manure, sheep manure, cow dung, pig dung, they are the most easily available high-quality organic fertilizer material.
Organic Waste: Such as mushroom, filter mud from sugar mil, biogas residue, straw and sawdust.
Fillers and Binders: Fillers such as limestone or gypsum may be added to adjust the pH of the fertilizer mixture.
These materials can be combined in various proportions to formulate compound fertilizers tailored to specific soil and crop requirements. The rotary drum granulator facilitates the mixing, granulation, and drying processes to produce uniform-sized granules suitable for agricultural application.
Final Fertilizers
Application of Rotary Drum Granulator
The rotary drum granulator finds widespread application in the production of compound fertilizers, as well as in other industries requiring granulation processes.
Compound Fertilizer Production: Like NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) fertilizers and organic fertilizers.
Waste Management: Rotary drum granulator can be employed in waste management processes to convert organic waste materials, such as animal manure or sewage sludge, into nutrient-rich organic fertilizers.
Chemical Industry: Rotary drum granulator is utilized in the chemical industry for granulating various chemical compounds, such as catalysts, pigments, and additives, for use in manufacturing processes.
