Monte Carlo modeling of binder-Less spray agglomeration in fluidized beds

Fluidized bed spray agglomeration is used in the industry to increase the particle size and to improve several properties, for example, bulk density, flowability, and dissolution behavior of particulate products. Usually, a binder liquid is sprayed on a particle bed. If amorphous materials are used, spraying of pure water may cause agglomeration due to glass transition at wet spots on the particle surface. As no process models covering binder-less spray agglomeration currently exist, a model based on a Monte Carlo method is presented. In this method, the process is described by events and processes on the single particle scale. Additionally, agglomeration experiments in a lab-scale fluidized bed using three different maltodextrins are presented. For each experiment, a simulation was performed. The simulation results are compared with the obtained experimental data. (c) 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 3582-3594, 2018