Prediction of mixture pelleting based on compression parameters

Abstract

Despite pelleting being a widely used powder continuous densification process, most fundamental studies of powder pelleting have focused on single-component systems. There is thus an obvious need for an improved understanding of the pelleting behavior of mixtures. In this study, the Kawakita parameter and Heckel parameter for multi-component mixtures were derived based on the assumption of ideal mixing behavior. A prediction model for the pelleting performance of multi-component mixed powders was proposed based on these powder compression parameters. Single pelleting (SP) experiments were conducted on mixtures of different edible powders and weight proportions to validate the model. The predicted and measured values of the Kawakita parameter and Heckel parameter were generally in good agreement, indicating that the assumption of ideal mixing behavior is valid for this type of system. Moreover, the consistency between the predicted pressure and the measured pressure of SP indicates that the prediction models for the pelleting of mixtures can effectively predict the pelleting ability of the mixture.