A Multi-Dimensional Population Balance Model For Granulation And Drying

摘要

The aim of this work is to model and ulti-mately control the particle size distribution of a combined drying/particle formation pro-cess.This process is studied by looking at each of the occurring mechanisms separately. A population balance model is well suited for this application. Traditionally, such models assume that size is the only particle prop-erty that in uences its behaviour, but several phenomena observed in granulation processes show that this assumption does not hold true. Other properties like binder content, poros-ity, and composition are also very important. We therefore propose a multi-dimensional population balance in which the particle properties that are used to describe the pro-cess are the volume of solids, liquids, and air, respectively. To obtain experimental data, a small scale turbo dryer has been constructed. The change of the particle properties will be followed, in time, as a function of the extent of precompaction.