1. What is a Rotary Drum Granulator?

Figure: Rotary Drum Granulator

A rotary drum granulator is a continuous production equipment that forms powder raw materials into granules through a rotating drum. Its core component is an inclined rotating cylinder. According to 2023 data from China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association, rotary drum granulators now account for 42% of compound fertilizer production equipment in China, becoming one of the mainstream granulation technologies.

Working Principle: Powdered raw materials continuously tumble inside the rotating drum. Through spraying binders or physicochemical actions, small particles gradually aggregate and grow, eventually forming uniform granular products. The entire process follows the “nucleation-growth-compaction” mechanism of granule formation.

2. Core Advantages of Rotary Drum Granulators

Advantages:

• High Production Capacity:Single machine capacity can reach 5-30 tons/hour (2024 industry report)
• Strong Adaptability:Can process various formulations including NPK compound fertilizers, organic-inorganic compound fertilizers
• Uniform Granules:Good sphericity of finished products, adjustable particle size (2-5mm)
• Continuous Production:Suitable for large-scale industrial production
• Energy Saving:15-20% more energy efficient than traditional processes (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences 2023 research data)

Limitations:

• Relatively high initial investment (equipment price about ¥500,000-2,000,000)
• Strict requirements on raw material moisture content (generally needs to be controlled at 2-5%)
• Equipment modification needed for special fertilizer production
• Relatively large footprint

3. Why Choose Rotary Drum Granulators?

Compared to technologies like disc granulation and extrusion granulation, rotary drum granulators show significant advantages in the following scenarios:

Comparison Dimension	Rotary Drum Granulator	Other Granulation Technologies
Production Capacity	★★★★★	Disc: ★★★☆ Extrusion: ★★★
Granule Strength	★★★★	Disc: ★★★ Extrusion: ★★★★★
Formula Adaptability	★★★★☆	Disc: ★★★ Extrusion: ★★☆
Energy Consumption	★★★★	Disc: ★★★☆ Extrusion: ★★★★★

 

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) 2024 report indicates that 85% of compound fertilizer projects with annual production exceeding 100,000 tons choose rotary drum granulation technology, primarily due to its excellent cost-performance ratio and stability.

4. Suitable Fertilizer Types and Crop Matching

1. Most Suitable Fertilizer Types:

• Compound Fertilizers:NPK ternary compound fertilizers, sulfur-based/chlorine-based compound fertilizers
• Organic-Inorganic Compound Fertilizers:Combinations of livestock manure and chemical fertilizers
• Functional Fertilizers:Slow-release fertilizers, medium and trace element fertilizers
• Bio-Organic Fertilizers:Granular fertilizers containing functional microbial strains

2. Suitable Crop Scenarios:

• Field Crops:Corn, wheat, rice and other staple crops
• Cash Crops:Fruit trees, vegetables, tea and other high-value crops
• Special Crops:Chinese medicinal herbs, flowers and other precision cultivation

A 2023 survey by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs shows that compound fertilizers produced by rotary drum granulation have reached a 68% usage rate in China’s corn planting areas, significantly higher than other granulation methods.

5. Raw Material Selection and Innovative Applications

Applicable Raw Material Range:

• Traditional materials: Urea, ammonium phosphate, potash and other basic fertilizers
• Organic materials: Composted livestock manure, straw charcoal, humic acid, etc.
• Industrial by-products: Sugar residue, distiller’s grains, monosodium glutamate waste liquid, etc.
• New materials: Biochar, nanomaterials and other functional additives

Cutting-edge Development: In 2024, some companies have successfully modified rotary drum granulators to produce special fertilizers like seaweed fertilizer and amino acid fertilizer. By adjusting rotation speed and inclination angle (typically controlled at 15-35°), gentle granulation of heat-sensitive materials has been achieved.

Conclusion

Our expertise in fertilizer granulation technology with years of specialization in fertilizer granulation equipment, we have accumulated extensive practical experience. From raw material formulation to granule formation, we master every critical aspect of granulation technology.We firmly believe: Our clients’ success stories are our best product testimonials. Whether you need standard equipment or customized solutions, our technical team stands ready to assist.

Contact us today to explore collaboration opportunities!

 

References:

[1] China Agricultural Machinery Industry Association. 2023 China Fertilizer Equipment Industry Development Report[M]. Beijing: China Agriculture Press, 2023.

[2] IFDC. Global Fertilizer Technology Trends 2024[R]. USA: International Fertilizer Development Center, 2024.

[3] Department of Crop Management, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. 2023 China Fertilizer Usage Survey Report[Z]. 2023.