Zhengzhou Tianci Heavy Industry Machinery Co., Ltd.
Established in 2000, Zhengzhou Tianci Heavy Industry Machinery Co., Ltd. has become a leading brand in China’s fertilizer machinery industry.
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The peat pellet production line uses a rotary drum granulator to process peat into granular organic fertilizer or nutrient soil. The process primarily involves " raw material screening - crushing - granulation - drying - cooling - screening - packaging , " gradually converting loose peat into pellets that are easy to store, transport, and use.
The main reason for processing peat organic fertilizer granules or nutrient soil granules is that peat is primarily composed of potassium carbonate and calcium carbonate, and contains a variety of nutrients, including potassium, calcium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, magnesium, boron, and zinc, with potassium, calcium, and phosphorus being the most abundant. The composition of ash from burning different plants varies. In agriculture, peat organic fertilizer granules (or nutrient soil granules) are important fertilizers for base fertilizer, topdressing, seed fertilizer, and foliar application. They are suitable for a variety of crops, especially those that prefer potassium or those that prefer potassium and avoid chloride. They also balance soil pH and improve soil structure.
In the drum granulation production line, peat is used as the main raw material for processing, and the main process flow is: "peat raw material pretreatment → peat pellet production using a drum granulator → peat pellet finished product drying and cooling → peat pellet packaging and storage".
Crushing and screening: Use a crusher to break up the peat blocks, and then use a drum screen to screen out 1-3mm uniform materials to remove impurities such as stones and grass roots to avoid damage to the equipment.
Moisture Control: Peat typically has a high natural moisture content (60%-80%), which needs to be reduced to 30%-40% by airing or drying in a dryer ( the requirement for drum pelletizers) . Excessively high moisture content can cause pellets to stick together, while too low a moisture content can make the pellets loose and brittle.
Pellet machine equipment selection: Peat is processed into pellets, and the molding equipment used here is Drum Granulator, mainly because Drum Granulator has a large output, the finished pellets are rounder, the pellet selection range is wide (1-8 mm), the pellet hardness is moderate , and it is more suitable for industrial production.
Drying and cooling: Freshly made wet granules (water content of about 25%-35%) need to enter the cooling dryer to reduce the moisture content to 15%-20%. At the same time, the temperature is cooled to room temperature to prevent the granules from mold and loss of nutrients .
Screening and grading: Crushed particles and unqualified particles are separated by drum screen . Crushed particles can be recycled and processed, while qualified particles enter the next step of packaging.
Horticultural substrate: Peat particles can be used directly as a cultivation substrate for succulents and flowers, or mixed with perlite and vermiculite to improve the air permeability and water retention of the substrate.
Soil conditioner: Applying granules to the soil can increase the organic matter content of the soil, improve the structure of heavy clay soils, and adjust the soil pH value (peat is mostly slightly acidic).
Seedling medium: Crushed fine-grained peat is a high-quality medium for vegetable and seedling cultivation, and can promote the growth of seedling roots.
It can process raw materials of various physical properties, whether powdered, granular, or even wet materials containing a certain amount of moisture (such as the peat raw material mentioned above). Granulation can be achieved by adjusting parameters, eliminating the need for excessive raw material pretreatment.
It is compatible with a variety of formulations and supports the granulation of single raw materials or mixed raw materials (such as peat mixed with other organic fertilizer raw materials), flexibly meeting different product requirements.
Using a continuous operation mode, the entire process from raw material feeding, granulation, to initial forming is fully automated, reducing manual intervention. A single production line can achieve daily output of tens or even hundreds of tons.
The equipment offers strong operational stability, low downtime, and long-term continuous operation, effectively ensuring the smooth progress of production plans.
The tumbling and friction generated by the rotation of the rotary drum uniformly mixes the materials within the drum and gradually forms granules. The finished granules are mostly spherical or quasi-spherical in shape, with a regular appearance. The pellets have a moderate density and controllable hardness.
The production line structure is relatively simple. The core equipment, the rotary drum granulator, features an intuitive user interface. Parameters (such as drum speed, feed rate, and water spray volume) can be easily adjusted, allowing new employees to master the process after brief training.
Compared to extrusion granulation and other methods, rotary drum granulation consumes less energy per unit of product, resulting in energy cost savings over the long term.
| project | parameter | Parameter Details |
| Raw material pretreatment | Particle size after crushing | ≤0.5mm (general requirement, can be adjusted according to specific equipment and product requirements), equipment selection: vertical high-humidity material crusher. |
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| Screening specifications | To remove impurities such as particles larger than 0.5mm and stones, the equipment used is Drum Screener. |
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| Moisture regulation | 30%-45% (adjust appropriately according to the type of peat and pelletizing equipment requirements), the commonly used equipment is Compost turner. |
| Molding granulation | Equipment Selection | Drum granulator, Disc Pelletizer, Roller press Granulator, Dual-mode Extrusion Granulator |
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| Molding compression ratio | 1:8-1:12 (adjusted according to the fiber content of peat, the compression ratio can be appropriately reduced when the fiber content is high) |
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| Finished product diameter | 3-6mm (4-5mm is commonly used for organic fertilizer and nutrient soil particles, which can be selected according to actual use) |
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| Processing temperature | Granulation at room temperature (avoid granulation at high temperatures to prevent carbonization or decomposition of organic matter) |
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| Molding pressure | Greater than 100MPa (the specific value is determined according to the particle quality requirements) |
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| Finished product content | Organic fertilizer content greater than 45% |
| Post-processing | Moisture content after drying | 15%-20% |
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| Particle hardness | 1.5-3kg/cm² (can be adjusted according to the application scenario, such as when used for seedling substrate, the hardness can be appropriately reduced) |
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| Packaging requirements | Sealed packaging (usually woven bags or inner film bags) to prevent moisture absorption and caking |
Q: Could you please specify the hourly output range of your drum granulator?
A: The standard hourly output of our drum granulator ranges from 1 to 300 tons. If you have higher output demands (e.g., over 25 tons per hour), we can tailor a customized solution based on your specific production needs.
Q: HOW DOES A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR WORK?
A: A drum granulator works by tumbling material in the presence of a liquid binder to encourage granule formation and growth. Feed material and binder are constantly fed through the rotating drum. The rolling action, combined with the stickiness from the binder, causes fines to collect together into particles. These particles continue to pick up additional fines and binder as they tumble in the bed, causing them to densify and pick up additional layers in a phenomenon known as coalescence. Tumbling flights can be incorporated into the unit to increase agitation of the material bed.
This way of forming agglomerates is a type of agitation agglomeration also known as wet granulation, balling, or pelletizing.
Q: WHAT TYPES OF MATERIALS CAN A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR PROCESS?
A: Generally speaking, drum granulators can process any bulk solid in the form of a dry, fine powder. This flexibility lends well to a host of industries, processing materials ranging from specialty chemicals and fertilizers, to minerals and ores, and everything in between.
In some cases, the feedstock may require pretreatment in the form of crushing, grinding, or drying to be a suitable feed for the granulator and produce the characteristics desired in the end product.
Q: WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE OF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR OVER A DISC PELLETIZER?
A: In choosing between a drum granulator and a disc pelletizer, the drum is often chosen because it offers a higher throughput than the disc pelletizer. The rotary drum also has the advantage of being a “closed” system, meaning that granulation occurs inside a contained environment, so fugitive material is limited.
WHAT CAPACITIES CAN A GRANULATION DRUM ACCOMMODATE?
A: Granulation drums can be customized to nearly any size, accommodating capacities ranging from 500 lb/hr – 3500 TPH+.
ARE DRUM GRANULATORS BATCH OR CONTINUOUS?
A: Rotary drum granulators are typically employed in a continuous setting, though they may function as a batch device in some R&D environments, such as the TIANCI Innovation Center.
Q: WHAT IS THE RETENTION TIME OF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?
A: Retention time is one process parameter used to control the characteristics and quality of the material exiting the drum, so it can vary significantly depending on the process and product goals. In general, retention time in a granulator may fall anywhere between 30 seconds and 60 minutes.
Q: WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL WEAR ITEMS?
A: Rotary drum granulators are generally low maintenance, but some items can become worn, depending on the operating conditions, and particularly if the drum falls out of alignment. The most common wear items for a drum granulator typically include the liner (where applicable), tumbling flights (where applicable), and potentially trunnion wheels, tires, and thrust rollers.
Rotary drum alignment is an important aspect of drum maintenance to prevent wear of the tires and trunnion wheels. When a drum falls out of alignment, it puts added stress on all components, encouraging undue wear.
Q: DOES THE PRODUCT EXITING THE GRANULATOR REQUIRE DRYING?
A: Since the granulation process relies on a liquid binder to form and layer granules, the product exiting the granulator is wet and must be dried unless it is moving immediately to a downstream process that does not require drying (such as in the case of iron ore balling, where pellets go to a grate kiln).
Drying is typically carried out in a rotary dryer, which further rounds and “polishes” the granules as a result of the tumbling action that occurs as the drum rotates.
Q: HOW DO I KNOW IF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR IS RIGHT FOR MY APPLICATION?
A: Whether or not a rotary drum granulator is the right fit for a given project depends on specific process and product goals, such as capacity, level of control over particle characteristics, product parameters, and more.
When it is not clear if a drum granulator will be able to meet the project objectives, testing can be carried out in the TIANCI Innovation Center to evaluate the process and identify the most suitable equipment configuration.
Q: IS ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT REQUIRED TO SUPPORT A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?
A: Drum granulators require a feeding and offtake system to convey material into and away from the drum. They also typically require screens and a recycle circuit to recover overs and unders and recycle them back into the process
Drum granulators are also typically followed by a rotary dryer and in some cases, may be preceded by a mixer for providing a homogeneous feedstock to the unit.
Q: WHAT DOES THE DESIGN PROCESS LOOK LIKE?
A: Rotary drum granulator design typically begins with testing to assess the feasibility of granulating the intended material and to gather key process data such as percent fill, retention time, drum speed and slope, spray system design, and more.
Once the data has been gathered, engineers work off of this to size the drum and incorporate any necessary features or modifications needed to produce the desired product at the intended capacity.
Q: WHAT DATA IS NEEDED TO DESIGN A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?
A: A variety of data points are necessary to design the granulator. Along with a process description, the follow data is typically required:
We are committed to providing our customers with comprehensive support and reliable services. Our company offers free process design drawings tailored to your needs, as well as free trial testing services to ensure optimal machine performance. Every machine comes with a one-year warranty for worry-free operation. In addition, we provide free installation and professional training services, helping your team quickly master the equipment and achieve efficient production.