Experimental and modeling study of fluidized bed granulation: Effect of binder flow rate and fluidizing air velocity

Fluidized bed granulation is a widely used technique of producing granules in pharmaceutical, food, detergent, and fertilizer industries. In this study, fluidized bed granulation of two powders - wheat flour and rice powder - with water as binder is studied experimentally and by modeling. The effects of two process parameters - binder flow rate, fluidizing air velocity - are determined. Experimental results show that increasing the binder flow rate favors the formation of bigger granules while increasing fluidizing air velocity leads to a decrease in average granule diameter. Population balance model with suitable form of coalescence kernel (β) has been used to describe the granule growth. Later, this kernel is linked with process parameters - binder flow rate and fluidizing air velocity.