The effect of the intimate structure of the solid binder on material viscosity during drum granulation

•The effect of the solid binder structure on fertilizer viscosity was studied.•The rate of nucleation was determined by the fertilizer viscosity.•Different solid binders have different actions on the viscosity.

The effect of the structure of the solid binder on material viscosity during drum granulation was investigated it was found that nucleation was the most important step in the wet granulation process, but the rate of nucleation was determined by the viscosity of the fertilizer material, through the study of the surface structure of calcium carbonate, coarse whiting, attapulgite, desulfurization gypsum powders, and different binder content versus viscosity plots. The results showed that the adsorption ability of calcium carbonate, the formation of the water film of attapulgite, and the production of whiskers of desulfurization gypsum influenced the fertilizer material's viscosity and granulation. Meanwhile the work provided a theoretical basis for the study of the mechanism of nucleation.

Graphical abstractThis paper illustrated that with the content of the solid binders increasing, the viscosity of the fertilizer material continuously increased. The adsorption ability of calcium carbonate, the formation of the water film of attapulgite, and the production of whiskers of desulfurization gypsum influenced the fertilizer material's viscosity and granulation.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide