Numerical Analysis of Particle Motion in a Continuous Twin-Screw Granulator

Shuji Ohsaki, Associate Professor in Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) presents at the 2024 ATCx DEM.

Twin-screw granulators for continuous wet granulation have attracted interest in the pharmaceutical industry. The physical properties of granules and tablets prepared through the twin granulation process depend on several factors, such as screw and barrel geometries, operating conditions, and formulations of raw materials. In particular, it is known that the fill level in a twin-screw granulator and the binder additive ratio have an impact on the twin-screw granulation process. In this study, mutual effects of the two major factors on the granulation process was investigated experimentally and numerically. By combining the experimental and numerical analyses, a prediction model of the granule growth rate was proposed. The proposed model demonstrated that the granule growth rate was determined by the total energies (compressive and shear directions) and the index of granulation.