The conversion of manganese ore powder into granules is processed
using a drum granulator granulation production line
The conversion of manganese ore powder into granules is processed
using a drum granulator granulation production line. The core of
the manganese ore rotary drum granulation process is to use the
mechanical action of the rotating drum to mix fine manganese ore
powder with a binder and agglomerate it into uniform particles,
providing qualified raw materials for subsequent metallurgical
processes (such as sintering and smelting), and solving the
problems of ore dust, transportation losses and low smelting
efficiency.
1. Core Process Flow
The entire process revolves around "raw material pretreatment →
mixing → granulation → drying → sieving", with each step closely
linked and directly affecting the quality of the granules.
1. Raw material pretreatment : Grind and remove impurities from manganese ore powder to ensure
uniform particle size (usually 80%-90% passing through a 200-mesh
sieve), while removing impurities such as stones and metals to
avoid wear on equipment or affecting particle purity.
2. Ingredients and mixing : Add manganese ore powder (main material), binder (such as
bentonite or water glass, accounting for 2%-5%), and water (for
humidity adjustment) to the mixer in proportion, and stir
thoroughly until the material is in a state where it can be "formed
into a ball by hand and easily dispersed when squeezed", providing
the best humidity conditions for granulation.
3. Rotary drum granulation (core process) : The pretreated mixture enters an inclined drum (inclination angle
3°-5°, rotation speed 10-20 r/min). Through the rolling, tumbling
and squeezing action generated by the rotation of the drum, the
material gradually agglomerates into spherical or near-spherical
particles. The particle size can be controlled by adjusting the
drum rotation speed, inclination angle and feed rate (usually the
target particle size is 3-8 mm).
4. Particle drying : Freshly made wet particles (moisture content 15%-25%) enter a
dryer (such as a rotary kiln) and are dried at a temperature of
100-200℃ to reduce the moisture content to below 5%, thereby
increasing particle strength and preventing breakage during
transportation and storage.
5. Screening and return : The dried granules are screened by a vibrating screen. Those that
meet the particle size requirements are the finished product;
powders that are too fine or lumps that are too large are returned
to the mixer or granulator for reprocessing, so as to realize the
recycling of raw materials and improve the yield (usually the yield
can reach more than 85%).
2. Key process control parameters
Parameter settings directly determine particle strength, particle
size uniformity, and yield; the following three items require close
monitoring:
• Material moisture content : The moisture content of the mixed material needs to be controlled
between 18% and 22%. Too high a moisture content will cause the
particles to clump together, while too low a moisture content will
make it difficult for the particles to agglomerate, resulting in
loose and brittle particles.
• Drum operating parameters : The drum tilt angle is usually 3°-5°, and the rotation speed is
12-18 r/min. If the tilt angle is too large or the rotation speed
is too fast, the material residence time in the drum is short and
the particles are small; conversely, the residence time is long and
the particles are prone to be too large.
• Binder dosage : The amount of binder (such as bentonite) added is generally 2%-4%
of the manganese ore powder mass. If the dosage is too small, the
particle strength will be insufficient; if the dosage is too large,
impurities will be introduced, affecting the subsequent
metallurgical effect.
3. Process Advantages and Precautions
Advantages
• High capacity : The hourly capacity of a single machine can reach 5-50 tons,
which is suitable for large-scale production.
• Stable particle quality : The finished particles have good sphericity and uniform particle
size, and the strength can reach 10-20N/particle, which meets the
requirements of metallurgical transportation and smelting.
• Highly adaptable : It can process manganese ore powder of different grades (such as
rhodochrosite and pyrolusite) by simply adjusting the ingredients
and parameters.
Precautions
• Raw material impurity removal : Metal impurities in manganese ore powder must be strictly removed
to avoid wear of the inner lining of the drum or equipment
blockage.
• Environmental control : The drying process generates dust, so it is necessary to use
environmental protection equipment such as bag filters to prevent
dust pollution.
• Binder selection : Prioritize binders that have minimal impact on subsequent
smelting. For example, bentonite should have its silicon content
controlled to avoid affecting the purity of the manganese alloy.
4. Main parameters of peat pellet drum granulation production line
project | parameter | Parameter Details |
Raw material pretreatment | Particle size after crushing | ≤0.5mm (general requirement, can be adjusted according to specific
equipment and product requirements), equipment selection: vertical
high-humidity material crusher. |
| Screening specifications | To remove impurities such as particles larger than 0.5mm and
stones, the equipment used is Drum Screener. |
| Moisture regulation | 30%-45% (adjust appropriately according to the type of peat and
pelletizing equipment requirements), the commonly used equipment is
Compost turner. |
Molding granulation | Equipment Selection | Drum granulator, Disc Pelletizer, Roller press Granulator,
Dual-mode Extrusion Granulator |
| Molding compression ratio | 1:8-1:12 (adjusted according to the fiber content of peat, the
compression ratio can be appropriately reduced when the fiber
content is high) |
| Finished product diameter | 3-6mm (4-5mm is commonly used for organic fertilizer and nutrient
soil particles, which can be selected according to actual use) |
| Processing temperature | Granulation at room temperature (avoid granulation at high
temperatures to prevent carbonization or decomposition of organic
matter) |
| Molding pressure | Greater than 100MPa (the specific value is determined according to
the particle quality requirements) |
| Finished product content | Organic fertilizer content greater than 45% |
Post-processing | Moisture content after drying | 15%-20% |
| Particle hardness | 1.5-3kg/cm² (can be adjusted according to the application scenario,
such as when used for seedling substrate, the hardness can be
appropriately reduced) |
| Packaging requirements | Sealed packaging (usually woven bags or inner film bags) to prevent
moisture absorption and caking |
Rotary Drum Granulator Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Could you please specify the hourly output range of your drum
granulator?
A: The standard hourly output of our drum granulator ranges from 1 to
300 tons. If you have higher output demands (e.g., over 25 tons per
hour), we can tailor a customized solution based on your specific
production needs.
Q: HOW DOES A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR WORK?
A: A drum granulator works by tumbling material in the presence of a
liquid binder to encourage granule formation and growth. Feed
material and binder are constantly fed through the rotating drum.
The rolling action, combined with the stickiness from the binder,
causes fines to collect together into particles. These particles
continue to pick up additional fines and binder as they tumble in
the bed, causing them to densify and pick up additional layers in a
phenomenon known as coalescence. Tumbling flights can be
incorporated into the unit to increase agitation of the material
bed.
This way of forming agglomerates is a type of agitation
agglomeration also known as wet granulation, balling, or
pelletizing.
Q: WHAT TYPES OF MATERIALS CAN A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR PROCESS?
A: Generally speaking, drum granulators can process any bulk solid in
the form of a dry, fine powder. This flexibility lends well to a
host of industries, processing materials ranging from specialty
chemicals and fertilizers, to minerals and ores, and everything in
between.
In some cases, the feedstock may require pretreatment in the form
of crushing, grinding, or drying to be a suitable feed for the
granulator and produce the characteristics desired in the end
product.
Q: WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE OF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR OVER A DISC
PELLETIZER?
A: In choosing between a drum granulator and a disc pelletizer, the
drum is often chosen because it offers a higher throughput than the
disc pelletizer. The rotary drum also has the advantage of being a
“closed” system, meaning that granulation occurs inside a contained
environment, so fugitive material is limited.
WHAT CAPACITIES CAN A GRANULATION DRUM ACCOMMODATE?
A: Granulation drums can be customized to nearly any size,
accommodating capacities ranging from 500 lb/hr – 3500 TPH+.
ARE DRUM GRANULATORS BATCH OR CONTINUOUS?
A: Rotary drum granulators are typically employed in a continuous
setting, though they may function as a batch device in some R&D
environments, such as the TIANCI Innovation Center.
Q: WHAT IS THE RETENTION TIME OF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?
A: Retention time is one process parameter used to control the
characteristics and quality of the material exiting the drum, so it
can vary significantly depending on the process and product goals.
In general, retention time in a granulator may fall anywhere
between 30 seconds and 60 minutes.
Q: WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL WEAR ITEMS?
A: Rotary drum granulators are generally low maintenance, but some
items can become worn, depending on the operating conditions, and
particularly if the drum falls out of alignment. The most common
wear items for a drum granulator typically include the liner (where
applicable), tumbling flights (where applicable), and potentially
trunnion wheels, tires, and thrust rollers.
Rotary drum alignment is an important aspect of drum maintenance to
prevent wear of the tires and trunnion wheels. When a drum falls
out of alignment, it puts added stress on all components,
encouraging undue wear.
Q: DOES THE PRODUCT EXITING THE GRANULATOR REQUIRE DRYING?
A: Since the granulation process relies on a liquid binder to form
and layer granules, the product exiting the granulator is wet and
must be dried unless it is moving immediately to a downstream
process that does not require drying (such as in the case of iron
ore balling, where pellets go to a grate kiln).
Drying is typically carried out in a rotary dryer, which further
rounds and “polishes” the granules as a result of the tumbling
action that occurs as the drum rotates.
Q: HOW DO I KNOW IF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR IS RIGHT FOR MY
APPLICATION?
A: Whether or not a rotary drum granulator is the right fit for a
given project depends on specific process and product goals, such
as capacity, level of control over particle characteristics,
product parameters, and more.
When it is not clear if a drum granulator will be able to meet the
project objectives, testing can be carried out in the TIANCI
Innovation Center to evaluate the process and identify the most
suitable equipment configuration.
Q: IS ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT REQUIRED TO SUPPORT A ROTARY DRUM
GRANULATOR?
A: Drum granulators require a feeding and offtake system to convey
material into and away from the drum. They also typically require
screens and a recycle circuit to recover overs and unders and
recycle them back into the process
Drum granulators are also typically followed by a rotary dryer and
in some cases, may be preceded by a mixer for providing a
homogeneous feedstock to the unit.
Q: WHAT DOES THE DESIGN PROCESS LOOK LIKE?
A: Rotary drum granulator design typically begins with testing to
assess the feasibility of granulating the intended material and to
gather key process data such as percent fill, retention time, drum
speed and slope, spray system design, and more.
Once the data has been gathered, engineers work off of this to size
the drum and incorporate any necessary features or modifications
needed to produce the desired product at the intended capacity.
Q: WHAT DATA IS NEEDED TO DESIGN A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?
A: A variety of data points are necessary to design the granulator.
Along with a process description, the follow data is typically
required:
Why Choose Us?
Support and Services:
We are committed to providing our customers with comprehensive
support and reliable services. Our company offers free process
design drawings tailored to your needs, as well as free trial
testing services to ensure optimal machine performance. Every
machine comes with a one-year warranty for worry-free operation. In
addition, we provide free installation and professional training
services, helping your team quickly master the equipment and
achieve efficient production.
