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Agglomeration modeling of small and large particles by a diffusion theory approach
Author(s) -
Realpe Alvaro,
Velázquez Carlos,
Obregón Luis
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.11745
Subject(s) - granulation , economies of agglomeration , brownian motion , particle (ecology) , diffusion , work (physics) , materials science , particle size , mechanics , shear (geology) , nanotechnology , composite material , chemical engineering , thermodynamics , physics , engineering , oceanography , quantum mechanics , geology
The interaction particle‐binder during the wet granulation process plays a major role in the agglomeration of particles. This interaction has been modeled by a force balance acting on the particle where the binder's viscous force increases the strength of liquid bridge and facilitates the particle agglomeration. In this work, agglomeration kernels based on Brownian movement approach of small particles in the binder layer, the size ratio between particles (monodispersed and polydispersed), and binder's viscous forces were considered to model the wet granulation process of pharmaceutical powders in a laboratory‐scale high shear mixer. The assumptions of no‐stationary and pseudostationary behavior were suitable to describe the growth kinetics of the two stages (fast and slow) observed. A volume ratio of 150 between large and small particles produces the most effective granulation growth. The developed kernels were tested simulating experimental data obtained from a high shear mixer. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009