An investigation of drum granulation of post-pyrolysis washed biochar

Biochar, unwashed and washed with a solution of Triton and hydrogen peroxide, was wet drum granulated using molasses binder solutions. Unwashed biochar was very hydrophobic and granulation proceeded through forming liquid marbles and layering. Washing reduced the hydrophobicity of the biochar. The effectiveness of the wash depended on the biochar source; it significantly reduced the hydrophobicity of biochar from woodchips and moderately reduced the hydrophobicity of biochar from flower digestate. Therefore, washed biochar from woodchips was granulated using a hydrophilic mechanism, while washed biochar from digestate was granulated according to a combination mechanism of liquid marbles collapsing and then coalescing. The change in granulation mechanism produced stronger and denser granules with higher yields of granules in the 1–4 mm optimal size range. Washing and then granulating biochar created a product that could be further tailored for optimal soil amendment.     

硫磺造粒工艺综述

由于硫磺颗粒具有特性稳定、流动性能优越、无粉尘及无环境污染等明显优势,硫磺造粒已成为液硫处理的方向.介绍了几种国内外常用的硫磺造粒工艺,并分析了其特点,综合考虑技术、经济、生产管理与调度、市场波动和要求、能耗与运行成本等多方面的因素,并结合我国国情,对硫磺造粒工艺路线的选择提出了具体的原则意见和建议.     

Binder liquid distribution during granulation process and its relationship to granule size distribution

The aim of this study is to characterize the impact of binder liquid distribution on granule properties during the wet granulation process. A new parameter, namely the binder liquid transfer coefficient, is used to characterize binder liquid distribution. The relationships between binder liquid distribution coefficient and granule size distribution are discussed. Granules are made of lactose alpha-monohydrate (97.5% w/w, d₅₀ = 31 μm) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (2.5% w/w, d₅₀ = 89 μm) and are manufactured in a Mi-Pro high shear mixer (Pro-C-epT, Belgium). Nigrosine is incorporated as a tracer in the binder liquid in order to detect its distribution in the granules during the process. The results show that the binder liquid is heterogeneously distributed at the beginning of the process whereas it tends to be evenly distributed in the powder during the process. The binder liquid transfer in granule classes obeys a first-order law and the binder liquid transfer coefficient appears to be related to operating conditions: high rotation speed, low liquid flow rate and low liquid viscosity favour the achievement of high liquid transfer coefficient. In addition, the higher the coefficient, the earlier the homogenization and the wider the granule mean diameters. Thus, granule size distribution can be controlled by the binder liquid distribution process. A binder liquid distribution mechanism is proposed, which makes it possible to discuss the influence of the operating parameters on the granule construction process.     

A narrow size distribution on a high shear mixer by applying a flux number approach

High shear granulation is a common technology for particle size enlargement, but generally the product properties are badly affected by the broad size distribution generated in the process. A recently published approach by Michaels et al. [J.N. Michaels, G. Wang, L. Farber, K.P. Hapgood, J.H. Chou, S. Heidel, and G.I. Tardos, 2006, One-dimensional scale-up of high-shear granulators, Paper 243c, World Congress Particle Technology 5, Orlando (FL)] employs low binder solution spray rates and long granulation times, whilst the solids are kept in roping flow, to avoid coarse formation. The present work applies this approach to a two-component binder system with a dry powder gum and water spray as activation agent. Similarities with fluidised bed granulation and coating processes are explored. The work shows that indeed narrow size distributions of fine granules can be achieved with ease. Dimensionless numbers for spray fluxes are useful to identify operating regimes and to steer optimisation efforts. Comparison of flux numbers for different systems shows that they are not useful (yet) for detailed product and process design. Further work on material-specific quantities controlling nucleation and growth, e.g. particle wetting, is recommended.     

Granulation of hydrophobic powders

Granulation of hydrophobic powders is frequently required in the pharmaceutical industry. The structural complexity of new drug molecules mean that is increasingly common for entire classes of drug compounds to be highly hydrophobic. This creates considerable difficulty in understanding, controlling and trouble-shooting these industrial granulation processes.There have been many recent advances in granulation theory. Essential to this theory is that wetting and spreading of the fluid through the powder particles is a prerequisite for good granulation. The possibility of a fine, hydrophobic powder spreading over the surface of the liquid during nucleation has been identified theoretically based on surface chemistry and as a potential nucleation mechanism. Recently, investigation confirmed that nucleation can occur by spreading of the sub-micron particles around the template drop to form a “liquid marble”. The hollow granule structure formed by the “solid-spreading” nucleation mechanism suggests the possibility of using the controlled, open granule structure to manufacture designer structured agglomerates with advantageous properties, including controlled granule structure and size and excellent ideal flow and handling properties. This paper describes single drop solid-spreading nucleation experiments where single fluid droplets are placed onto loosely packed powder beds of hydrophobic powders and the formation of the powder shell observed. Experimental results and observations for some model systems are presented, together with a preliminary framework for liquid marble formation.     

Granulation of activated sludge in a pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor for the treatment of low-strength municipal wastewater

Aerobic granulation of activated sludge was achieved in a pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for the treatment of low-strength municipal wastewater (<200 mg L⁻¹ of COD, chemical oxygen demand). The volume exchange ratio and settling time of an SBR were found to be two key factors in the granulation of activated sludge grown on the low-strength municipal wastewater. After operation of 300 days, the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration in the SBR reached 9.5 g L⁻¹ and consisted of approximate 85% granular sludge. The average total COD removal efficiency kept at 90% and NH₄⁺-N was almost completely depleted (∼95%) after the formation of aerobic granules. The granules (with a diameter over 0.212 mm) had a diameter ranging from 0.2 to 0.8 mm and had good settling ability with a settling velocity of 18-40 m h⁻¹. Three bacterial morphologies of rod, coccus and filament coexisted in the granules. Mathematical modeling was performed to get insight into this pilot-scale granule-based reactor. The modified IWA activated sludge model No 3 (ASM3) was able to adequately describe the pilot-scale SBR dynamics during its cyclic operation.     

橡胶硫化促进剂N-环己基-2-苯并噻唑次磺酰胺的团粒法造粒技术

采用团粒(聚)法制备了橡胶硫化促进剂N-环己基-2-苯并噻唑次磺酰胺(CBS)粒状产品,确定了团粒造粒工艺的最佳条件,并在此条件下进行了稳定运行实验.结果表明,用脱水后含水率为20%的CBS湿粉料为造粒原料,采用团粒法制备CBS粒状成品的最佳工艺条件:黏结剂乙烯-乙酸乙烯酯共聚物质量分数为CBS干基料的8%、湿粒含水率为34.77%,造粒盘倾角为35～45°、造粒盘转速为65 r/min,黏结剂乳液喷加时间约为10 min,造粒周期为50～60 min,烘箱干燥温度为(55±2) ℃,烘干时间为210 min;在最佳工艺条件下制得的粒状CBS性能均达到指标要求:初熔点不小于96.0 ℃,粒径为2.0～4.5 mm,粒子的平均强度在2.0～8.0 N,加热减量不大于1.00%,灰分不大于0.40%,成粒率超过60%.该粒状CBS能完全取代粉状产品,对橡胶的硫化性能无不良影响.     

CVI法制备SiCp/SiC复合材料的氧化性能研究

对用CVI法制备的SiCp/SiC复合材料的氧化性能进行了研究。材料含有的气孔和破坏氧化膜连续性的杂质元素,为氧气扩散提供通道;氧化过程中形成的气孔,导致了新的自由表面的暴露和空气扩散通道,进而加剧氧化。在材料的高温氧化过程中,SiC的氧化生成SiO2膜导致试样质量增加,玻璃碳界面层的氧化生成CO的逸出导致试样质量损失。最后的质量变化是这两种综合作用的结果。在高温氧化过程中,材料的空隙增多,应力集中加强,界面层被破坏使SiCp/SiC复合材料的强度下降。     

喷雾造粒粉末ZrO_2(Y_2O_3)烧结行为的研究

研究了喷雾造粒粉末ZrO2 (Y2 O3 )的烧结行为。在坯体烧结过程中形成的新团聚体主要由 5 0 0℃之前的升温速度所决定 ,当升温速度大于 2 .5℃ /min时 ,造粒粉中有机物燃烧放出的热量将导致颗粒间的紧密粘连 ,形成团聚体。新生团聚体将影响整个烧结过程 ,实验结果表明 :新生团聚体不仅阻碍烧结 ,同时使坯体的烧结方式发生了变化。即在较低密度下 ,烧结体的致密化速率大幅度减小 ,而主要呈现为以晶粒长大为主的烧结 ,致使坯体内部气孔难以消除 ,并且出现晶粒异常长大。通过研究烧结行为 ,获得了致密烧结、结构均匀氧化锆陶瓷的烧成曲线。     

高炉炉渣处理工艺

介绍了几种高炉炉渣处理工艺方法,并对其进行了对比和评述。