Thanks to Our respected Sir,

Assistance Professor Mudassar

Azam

Prilling
&
Granulation
Presenters;

Syed

Ibrar Naqvi
Syed Kazim Raza

Objectiv
e
The Main objective of our
presentation is to give you details of
Granulation and Prilling.

Contents

Whats a Prill?

Whats Prilling?

Why is prilling required?

Which industries use Prilling Process?

Brief description of Prilling Tower.

Whats Granulation?

Reasons for Granulation.

Uses of Granulation

Types of Granulation

Comparison of Prilling and Granulation

Priority of different fertilizers industries of Pakistan

The First thing that pops to our mind when we

read/hear the topic of the presentation is that What is ,

Prilling

Granulation

What is Prill & Granules?

APrillis a small aggregate of a
material, most often a dry
sphere, formed from a melted
liquid during an industrial
process.

A Granule is small particles

gathered into a larger,
permanent aggregate in which
the original particles can still be
identified

Prilling

Prilling
The

solidification of droplets
of molten material falling
against an upward stream of
air
It

is used in the
manufacture of ammonium
nitrate and urea fertilizers
Prilling

is a technology used
to produce prills with a
diameter of a few millimetres

back

Another Definition
Method

to produce reasonably uniform

spherical particles from molten solids, strong
solutions or slurries.

It

essentially consists of two operations;

1.

Producing liquid drops

2.

Solidifying them individually by cooling

as they fall through a rising ambient air
stream

Why Prilling?
It

is more convenient for use, storage, and

transportation because of their much smaller
specific surface area and larger bulk density.

Prills

of ammonium nitrate and urea are

smooth, spherical, has less dust, and
moderately rigged, but usually are smaller
and more fragile than granulated fertilizers.

Which Industries use Prilling Technology?

[Agro

Chemicals] or Fertilizer Industries

UREA, Ammonium Nitrate and NPK Fertilizers

Explosive

Industries

Synthetic

Detergents Industries

Food
Prills

Industries

have also been used to protect active

ingredients from exposure to environmental
factors and to cover up the flavor of
bitternutraceuticals.

Where is Prilling done?

Prilling

process is an industrial process and it

is done in special constructed devices known
as;

Prilling Towers

Prilling tower

Requirements for a Prilling Tower

Must

be of sufficient height for the particles to be strong

enough not to break on impact.
Fertilizer

industry Prilling towers are typically over 50 m high

Significant

amounts of water required to increase the

cooling effect on the drop.

Temperature

in the tower should be low.

Construction of Prilling Tower

It is a cylindrical vertical tower with average
height of 75m, in which urea prilling takes
place. It consists of prill section the top and
scrapper at bottom. Prill tower contains
bottom
lowers(window)
and
top
lowers(windows) also. In the prill section
bucket is there. The tower is coated inside
with anti corrosive plant. This is a natural
draft Prill tower.
It consists
perforated.

of

prill

bucket

Molten
liquid
is
showered
perforated prill bucket.

which

form

is

the

Solid droplets are formed by the action of

Condition for Prilling a

Substance

The material to be prilled must be a solid at room temperature and a low

viscosity liquid when melted.

Prills are formed by allowing drops of the melted prill substance to congeal or
freeze in mid-air after being dripped from the top of a tallprilling tower.

Melted material may also be atomized and then allowed to form smaller prills
that are useful in cosmetics, food, and animal feed.

The melt must be sprayed into droplets with uniform size as requested;

The sprayed droplets must be fully solidified and cooled in order to avoid
bonding of particles with each other and caking on the wall, and to ensure that
the product collected at the bottom can be packed directly.

Prilling Tower
Cleaned Air
30

Cyclone
Prilling
Tower
Bag House

27

Urea Melt (99.8%)

Pump

Melting Furnace
Dehumidifier

Air from Atm

Screen

29

Prilled Urea (99.8%)

28

PRILLING TOWER:

PRILLING
TOWER:

PRILLING TOWER:

PRILLING TOWER:

Granulation

GRANULATION

Granulation is the process in which primary

powdered particles are made to adhere to
form larger multi particles entities called
granules

Granules typically have a size range between

0.2 to 4.0 mm.

Granulation involves large range of

techniques to form agglomerates .

Competition of Prills from Granuels

The quality of prills is significant less than that of granules, the main
difference being the lower strength and smaller size of prills.
Research has shown that once a farmer has used granules, he will not
choose prills again, unless the price is lower.
Most new urea plants are large scale granulation plants and are located
in low feedstock areas; these plants are export driven and compete or
will compete with your prills.

Reasons for Granulation

Prills are too small and too weak; Prilling cause air pollution
and is more expensive than granulation

Granulation is done to prevent segregation of the constituents

of the powder mix

To improve the flow properties/fluidity of the mix

To improve the compaction characteristics of the mix

Avoid dustiness

Improve appearance

Granulation is done to

improve flow properties of the mix

improve compression properties of the mix

prevent segregation of components in powder mix

reduce production of toxic dust

reduce possibility of cake formation

increase convenience of transport

An important application of granulation is in improving the

flowability

(submicron) particles which stick together because of the

large surface forces acting in materials with very high
surface/volume ratios.

Uses of Granulation

The major use of granulation is in Pharmaceutical industry.

Uses in Chemical Industry

In the chemical industry, granulation refers to the act or
process in which large objects are cut or shredded and remelted
into granules or pellets. E.g.; Urea is converted into pellet form
through Fluid Bed urea granulation.

Uses in Pharma Industry

In the pharmaceutical industry, granulation refers to
the act or process in which primary powder particles
are made to adhere to form larger, multiparticle entities
called granules. It is the process of collecting particles
together by creating bonds between them. Bonds are
formed by compression or by using a binding agent.
Granulation
is
extensively
used
in
for
the
manufacturing of tablets, pellets (or spheroids).

Types of Granulation

1. Wet Granulation

2. Dry Granulation

back

Wet Granulation

It is the process of adding a liquid solution to powders, is one of

the most common ways to granulate. It involves the massing of a
mix of dry primary powder particles using a granulating fluid.
The fluid contains a solvent which must be volatile so that it can
be removed by drying, and be non-toxic. Typical liquids include
water, ethanol and isopropanol, either alone or in combination.

Fluidized bed Granulator

Wet Granulation

Dry Granulation
The

dry granulation process is used to form

granules without using a liquid solution
because the product to be granulated may
be sensitive to moisture and heat. Forming
granules without moisture requires
compacting and densifying the powders. In
this process the primary powder particles
are aggregated under high pressure.
Swaying granulator or high shear mixergranulator can be used for the dry
granulation.

Dry Granulation

Dry granulation equipment

sluggers

roller compactors

back

Sluggers

Dry granulation can be conducted under two

processes; either a large tablet (slug) is produced in
a heavy duty tableting press.

Roller Compactor
The powder is squeezed between two rollers to
produce a sheet of materials (roller compactor,
commonly referred to as a chilsonator).

Summary

In

the pharmaceutical industry, most

products are manufactured using the wet
granulation process. Wet granulation offers
a wide range of capabilities for forming
granules, from the production of light
granules to the production of very dense
granules. More than 70% of the global
industrys granulations are made using this
method.

Pharmaceutical products are processed all over the

world using the Wet Granulation or Dry Granulation
methods. Which method is chosen depends on the
ingredients individual characteristics and ability to
properly flow, compress, eject, and disintegrate.

Prilling

Granulation

In prilling tower hot molten liquid and

air moves in countercurrent fashion

in granulation powdered particles are

adhere to form larger multi -particle entites.

It don't involve any use of binders

It involves the use of binders

Its end product is hollow and size is not

uniform

End Product is solid and size is uniform

more tendency for caking and breakage

no breakage and less caking tendency

Operation is simple

operation is not simple . A lot of screening

and cyclone separator is required

It doesnt involves the agglomeration.

It involves the process of agglomeration.

less storage life

long storage life

Granulated Urea
Granular

urea is chemically the same as

prilled urea. Granular urea, however, is
slightly larger and harder. Today, the use of
prilled urea is more prevalent because it is
more resistant to breaking down when being
blended with the other components of
fertilize.

Sona Urea is in both Prills and Granule forms

back

Sarsabz Urea in Prills

Sarsabz Urea is available as prills that are

crystalline white and highly resistant to moisture
and thus facilitate long time storage as well.

Sarsabz Nitro phos is granulated form

Sarsabz can in Granulated

back

Babar Sher Urea

In both granular and prill forms

back

Engro
Urea in both granules and prills
CAN in Both
SSP powder and granules
SOP in powder and granuels
DAP-granular Form
Engro prill tower-125metres
Cost US$ 1.05 Billion

back

Revision

Whats Prilling?

Fauji Fertilizers Sona Urea is manufactured

in in prilled or Granuels form?

The Height of new built Engro Prilling tower?

Baber Sher Urea by DH is manufactured in

Granuels or Prills?

Sarsabz Urea in Granules or Prills?

The types of Granulation?

Which particles have more surface area

Granules or Prills?

Name of Dry Granulation Equipments.

Thank you for

your precious
time.