SCALE-UP OF AGITATION FLUIDIZED-BED GRANULATION .5. EFFECT OF MOISTURE-CONTENT ON SCALE-UP CHARACTERISTICS

Characteristics of granulation stale-up with moisture variation were i nvestigated using an agitation fluidized bed of four sizes (vessel dia meter 125, 230, 500 and 750 mm), Agitation fluidized bed granulation w as done under various levels of moisture content and the vessel sizes, Granule properties of mass median diameter, geometric standard deviat ion, apparent density, shape factor and friability were investigated t o know the effect of moisture content on the scale-np characteristics, It was found that a linear relationship between granule mass median d iameter and moisture content was observed regardless of the vessel siz e, however, the mass median diameter decreased as this size, The geome tric standard deviation decreased with increase in moisture content, s howing that granule size distribution was narrowed as granule growth p rogressed; the deviation increased, however, with increase in vessel s ize, The apparent density and shape factor tended to increase with moi sture content and vessel size, It was concluded that these phenomena c ould be explained by the adhesion and separation force experienced by the granules during granulation. Also, the scale-up characteristics co uld be well explained by the moisture content.