What is granulate?

The term granules comes from the Latin “granum” – grain, and refers to small grain- or spherical-shaped solid bodies that appear together as granular matter. Sand, for example, is a granule consisting of many individual grains.

In principle, granules can be based on very different materials such as plastics, metals, minerals, wood or other organic or inorganic materials. In addition to granular variants, there are also powdery granules such as powder or, in very large quantities, loose materials such as rock debris.

In industry and logistics, this is often referred to as bulk material.

How are granules produced?

In addition to naturally occurring granules such as sand, granules are also produced industrially for a wide variety of applications, e.g. by grinding, milling or crushing larger materials.

A distinction is made between two types of granules: build-up and degradation granules. In the production of built-up pellets, techniques such as pelletizing, boiler granulation or fluidized bed processes are used. In the case of degradation granules, a distinction is made between moist and dry granules. In wet granulation, the powder is processed into a dough by adding a granulation liquid and pressed into perforated discs. Alternatively, the powder can be dried, pressed into briquettes and then ground. Classification results in granules of uniform particle size (dry granulation).

Granules increase flowability and adhesion when compressed into tablets. They are generally more uniform than powders and thus allow a more uniform tablet mass and better dosing accuracy.

Applications of granules

Granules are used in a wide variety of applications, such as in the plastics industry for the production of plastic parts, as fillers in concrete, as fertilizers in agriculture, as catalysts in chemical reactions, and as carrier materials in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Due to their granular structure, granules can be easily stored, transported and metered, making them a versatile material.

• Plastics industry: Granules are often used as a starting material for the production of plastic parts. By using granules, the production of plastic parts can be fast and efficient.
• Agriculture: granular fertilizers are used to improve soil quality and promote plant growth. They can also be used as carrier materials for pesticides or other agricultural chemicals.
• Construction industry: Granules are used as fillers in concrete, asphalt and other construction materials to improve the strength and durability of the materials.
• Chemical industry: In the chemical industry, granules are used as catalysts or as support materials for chemical reactions.
• Pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry: Granules are used here as carrier materials for drugs and cosmetics to distribute the active ingredients evenly and to facilitate dosage.
• Food industry: Granules can be used as ingredients in food production, for example as binders or texturizing agents.
• Environmental technology: In waste disposal and processing, granules are used to bind or filter waste.

Granules: Compacting at Ebbecke Verfahrenstechnik

Ebbecke Verfahrenstechnik AG offers its customers to compact raw materials into granules.

Applications where the compacting of granules can be advantageous:

1. Transport: compacting granules can reduce the volume, which facilitates the transport of materials. For example, larger quantities of granules can be transported in a single truck.
2. Storage: compacting granules can make them more stable and resistant to external influences such as moisture or humidity, which facilitates storage and increases the shelf life of materials.
3. Processing: compacted granules can be used as raw materials in various industrial processes such as the production of plastic parts or concrete. The higher density and strength of the granules can help improve the quality of the final products.
4. Dosing: In some applications, it is important that granules are dosed in specific quantities, for example in the production of pharmaceuticals or in the food industry. Here, compacted granules can help to precisely control the dosage and improve the distribution of the materials.
5. Recycling: Compacted granules can also be advantageous in the recycling of materials. For example, they can be reused as raw materials for the production of new plastic parts or other products.

Overall, compacting granules can help improve their handling and use in various applications and increase their versatility as materials.