Extruder pelletizes agricultural chemicals.
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Press Release Summary:
Bextruder® low-pressure, basket type extruder is capable of production rates up to 5,000 lbs/hour. Its product chamber has upper rotor that mixes and conveys material downward to second rotor. Lower rotor densifies material and pushes it through surrounding perforated basket to produce cylindrical pellets. Pellet diameters range from 0.3 to 3.0 mm.Original Press Release:
Hosokawa Bepex Extrusion Process Controls Particle Size, Density of Agricultural Chemicals
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Bextruder® from Hosokawa Bepex is a low-pressure basket type extruder for pelletizing agricultural chemicals to achieve uniform particle size and proper density. Capable of production rates up to 5,000 pounds per hour, the Bextruder is an economical way to improve the physical properties of dry fertilizers and pesticides.
"Critical elements that affect the physical performance of dry agricultural chemicals in the field are the particle size, uniformity and density," says Sara Gantner, Application Engineer -- Chemical/Polymer Group, Hosokawa Bepex. "Not only must the particles be of the proper size and uniformity for metering, they must also be dense enough to tolerate shipping and handling, and yet porous enough to facilitate rapid dissolution in water or wet soils. The Bextruder's low-pressure operation ensures these results."
In the typical agricultural chemical manufacturing process using the Bextruder, a pre-blended paste of the mixture is fed into a product chamber with an upper rotor that mixes and conveys the material downward to a second rotor. The lower rotor densifies the material and pushes it through a surrounding perforated basket to produce cylindrical pellets. Depending on the mesh of the perforated basket, the diameter of the pellets can range from 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm. The Bextruder is usually positioned upstream of a fluidized bed dryer for drying, cooling and classifying prior to packaging.
Hosokawa Bepex maintains a pilot scale Bextruder in its Minneapolis testing facility to help customers evaluate its performance and to develop the optimum operating conditions prior to installation. This pilot scale system also helps Hosokawa Bepex to accurately scale up production machines for each customer.
Hosokawa Bepex is a single-source provider of integrated powder and particle processing systems for size reduction, agglomeration, compaction, drying, briquetting, thermal processing, blending and mixing. The company's equipment brands include Bepex, K-G, Rietz, Schugi and Strong-Scott. Hosokawa Bepex is a member of the Hosokawa Micron Group, an international provider of equipment and technology for powder and particle processing, plastics processing and confectionery products. For more information, contact: Hosokawa Bepex, 333 NE Taft Street, Minneapolis, MNN 55413. Phone: 612-331-4370; Fax 612-627-1444. Visit the web site at: www.bepex.com.
