Study of the pilot-scale pan granulation of zeolite-based molecular sieves

This work describes a systematic study of the granulation process of a 5A zeolite into molecular sieves. Initially, a 5A zeolite was synthesized at the pilot scale and subsequently granulated in a core–shell structure using a rotary tilted pan. The effect of water content of the paste, pan rotating velocity and inclination, proportion of zeolite in the core and shell, shell thickness, the type of binding clay, and the calcination temperature were studied. The effect of these variables on the shape, size, water adsorption capacity, and crush resistance of the agglomerates was assessed. According to the results, suitable bead shape and size were obtained at high rotation velocity (59 rpm), low pan inclination (60°) and with 30 wt. % of added water. High content of zeolite in the core and shell provided suitable adsorption capacity, but lower crush resistance. Actigel 208® exhibited better binding performance and the recommended calcination temperature was 873 K.