ATCx DEM 2020 - Virtual Process Optimization for Rotary Drum Coaters

Coating of particulate solids by a thin film layer is of interest in many industrial applications such as seed and tablet coating. In seed processing, seeds are commonly coated with a protective coating layer consisting of fertilizers and crop protection products. Rotary drum batch coaters are typically used for this purpose.

In the present study, Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations are used to analyze the seed coating process, using corn seed as model material. The coating uniformity of the seeds is predicted by implementing two coating models. The distribution of mass of sprayed spheres on the corn seeds, their residence time in the coating zone and the coefficient of variation of coating mass and residence time of the seeds are evaluated for a range of process conditions, such as spinning disk rotational speed, droplet size, and baffle arrangement and designs.

Presented as part of the virtual ATCx Discrete Element Method in November 2020.

Speaker: Mehrdad Pasha, Powder Expert Scientist, UCB Pharma
Duration: 20 minutes