Prilling and Granulation

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Thanks to Our respected Sir, Assistance Professor Mudassar Azam2Whats Prilling?Fauji Fertilizers Sona Urea is manufactured in in prilled or Granuels form?The Height of new built Engro Prilling tower?Baber Sher Urea by DH is manufactured in Granuels or Prills?Sarsabz Urea in Granules or Prills?The types of Granulation?Which particles have more surface area Granules or Prills?Name of Dry Granulation Equipments.53EngroUrea in both granules and prills

CAN in Both

SSP powder and granules

SOP in powder and granuels

DAP-granular Form

Engro prill tower-125metres

Cost US$ 1.05 BillionbackContentsWhats a Prill?Whats Prilling?Why is prilling required?Which industries use Prilling Process?Brief description of Prilling Tower.Whats Granulation?Reasons for Granulation.Uses of GranulationTypes of GranulationComparison of Prilling and GranulationPriority of different fertilizers industries of PakistanThe First thing that pops to our mind when we read/hear the topic of the presentation is that What is ,Prilling

GranulationWhat is Prill & Granules?APrillis a small aggregate of a material, most often a dry sphere, formed from a melted liquid during an industrial process.

A Granule is small particles gathered into a larger, permanent aggregate in which the original particles can still be identified

7PrillingPrilling The solidification of droplets of molten material falling against an upward stream of airIt is used in the manufacture of ammonium nitrate and urea fertilizers

Prilling is a technology used to produce prills with a diameter of a few millimetres

back9 Another DefinitionMethod to produce reasonably uniform spherical particles from molten solids, strong solutions or slurries.It essentially consists of two operations;Producing liquid dropsSolidifying them individually by cooling as they fall through a rising ambient air streamWhy Prilling?It is more convenient for use, storage, and transportation because of their much smaller specific surface area and larger bulk density.Prills of ammonium nitrate and urea are smooth, spherical, has less dust, and moderately rigged, but usually are smaller and more fragile than granulated fertilizers.

11Which Industries use Prilling Technology?[Agro Chemicals] or Fertilizer IndustriesUREA, Ammonium Nitrate and NPK FertilizersExplosive IndustriesSynthetic Detergents IndustriesFood IndustriesPrills have also been used to protect active ingredients from exposure to environmental factors and to cover up the flavor of bitternutraceuticals.

Where is Prilling done?Prilling process is an industrial process and it is done in special constructed devices known as;Prilling TowersPrilling tower

Must be of sufficient height for the particles to be strong enough not to break on impact.Fertilizer industry Prilling towers are typically over 50 m highSignificant amounts of water required to increase the cooling effect on the drop.Temperature in the tower should be low.Requirements for a Prilling TowerConstruction of Prilling Tower

It is a cylindrical vertical tower with average height of 75m, in which urea prilling takes place. It consists of prill section the top and scrapper at bottom. Prill tower contains bottom lowers(window) and top lowers(windows) also. In the prill section bucket is there. The tower is coated inside with anti corrosive plant. This is a natural draft Prill tower.

It consists of a prill bucket which is perforated.

Molten liquid is showered form the perforated prill bucket.

Solid droplets are formed by the action of gravity against cool air.Its height varies from Industry to Industry

17Condition for Prilling a SubstanceThe material to be prilled must be a solid at room temperature and a low viscosity liquid when melted.

Prills are formed by allowing drops of the melted prill substance to congeal or freeze in mid-air after being dripped from the top of a tallprilling tower.

Melted material may also be atomized and then allowed to form smaller prills that are useful in cosmetics, food, and animal feed.The melt must be sprayed into droplets with uniform size as requested; The sprayed droplets must be fully solidified and cooled in order to avoid bonding of particles with each other and caking on the wall, and to ensure that the product collected at the bottom can be packed directly.

CycloneScreenBag HousePumpMelting FurnaceDehumidifierPrilled Urea (99.8%)Urea Melt (99.8%)Prilling Tower273029Air from AtmCleaned Air28Prilling Tower

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21PRILLING TOWER:PRILLING TOWER:PRILLING TOWER:PRILLING TOWER:

GranulationGRANULATIONGranulation is the process in which primary powdered particles are made to adhere to form larger multi particles entities called granules

Granules typically have a size range between 0.2 to 4.0 mm. Granulation involves large range of techniques to form agglomerates .

29Competition of Prills from GranuelsThe quality of prills is significant less than that of granules, the main difference being the lower strength and smaller size of prills.

Research has shown that once a farmer has used granules, he will not choose prills again, unless the price is lower.

Most new urea plants are large scale granulation plants and are located in low feedstock areas; these plants are export driven and compete or will compete with your prills.

Prills are too small and too weak; Prilling cause air pollution and is more expensive than granulationGranulation is done to prevent segregation of the constituents of the powder mixTo improve the ow properties/fluidity of the mixTo improve the compaction characteristics of the mixAvoid dustinessImprove appearance

Reasons for GranulationGranulation is done to

improve flow properties of the miximprove compression properties of the mixprevent segregation of components in powder mix reduce production of toxic dustreduce possibility of cake formationincrease convenience of transportAn important application of granulation is in improving the flowability(submicron) particles which stick together because of the large surface forces acting in materials with very high surface/volume ratios.

The major use of granulation is in Pharmaceutical industry.Uses of Granulation

Uses in Chemical Industry In the chemical industry, granulation refers to the act or process in which large objects are cut or shredded and remelted into granules or pellets. E.g.; Urea is converted into pellet form through Fluid Bed urea granulation.

Uses in Pharma Industry In the pharmaceutical industry, granulation refers to the act or process in which primary powder particles are made to adhere to form larger, multiparticle entities called granules. It is the process of collecting particles together by creating bonds between them. Bonds are formed by compression or by using a binding agent. Granulation is extensively used in for the manufacturing of tablets, pellets (or spheroids).

Wet GranulationIt is the process of adding a liquid solution to powders, is one of the most common ways to granulate. It involves the massing of a mix of dry primary powder particles using a granulating fluid. The fluid contains a solvent which must be volatile so that it can be removed by drying, and be non-toxic. Typical liquids include water, ethanol and isopropanol, either alone or in combination.

Fluidized bed Granulator

Wet Granulation

Dry GranulationThe dry granulation process is used to form granules without using a liquid solution because the product to be granulated may be sensitive to moisture and heat. Forming granules without moisture requires compacting and densifying the powders. In this process the primary powder particles are aggregated under high pressure. Swaying granulator or high shear mixer-granulator can be used for the dry granulation.SluggersDry granulation can be conducted under two processes; either a large tablet (slug) is produced in a heavy duty tableting press.

Roller CompactorThe powder is squeezed between two rollers to produce a sheet of materials (roller compactor, commonly referred to as a chilsonator).

Summary

In the pharmaceutical industry, most products are manufactured using the wet granulation process. Wet granulation offers a wide range of capabilities for forming granules, from the production of light granules to the production of very dense granules. More than 70% of the global industrys granulations are made using this method.

Pharmaceutical products are processed all over the world using the Wet Granulation or Dry Granulation methods. Which method is chosen depends on the ingredients individual characteristics and ability to properly flow, compress, eject, and disintegrate.

Prilling GranulationIn prilling tower hot molten liquid and air moves in countercurrent fashionin granulation powdered particles are adhere to form larger multi -particle entites.It don't involve any use of bindersIt involves the use of bindersIts end product is hollow and size is not uniform End Product is solid and size is uniformmore tendency for caking and breakageno breakage and less caking tendencyOperation is simpleoperation is not simple . A lot of screening and cyclone separator is requiredIt doesnt involves the agglomeration.It involves the process of agglomeration.less storage lifelong storage lifeGranulated UreaGranular urea is chemically the same as prilled urea. Granular urea, however, is slightly larger and harder. Today, the use of prilled urea is more prevalent because it is more resistant to breaking down when being blended with the other components of fertilize.RevisionThank you for your precious time.