EFFECTS OF OPERATIONAL VARIABLES ON THE PROPERTIES OF GRANULES PREPARED BY MOISTURE CONTROL METHOD IN TUMBLING FLUIDIZED-BED GRANULATION

Effects of operational variables such as liquid how rate, inlet air te mperature and inlet air humidity on the properties of granules, prepar ed by a tumbling fluidized bed granulation while controlling the moist ure content with an IR moisture sensor, were investigated experimental ly. As increase in the liquid how rate, i.e. the increase of the dropl et size resulted in a slight increase of granule size and size distrib ution, while little influence was found of the inlet air temperature a nd humidity on granule size, size distribution or the apparent density . Remarkably good reproducibility was obtained in the granules prepare d by the moisture control method. It was therefore concluded that by a pplying this method to the wet granulation by a type of fluidized bed, the effects of external circumstances could be fully eliminated and g ood reproducibility maintained.