What is the technology of pelletizing?

You have a large amount of valuable material, but it is in powder form. It might be compost, mineral dust, or a chemical mixture. This powder is dusty, difficult to handle, and has a lower market value. The technology of pelletizing is the solution.

It is the industrial process of taking fine powders and transforming them into small, dense, uniform granules or pellets. At Fude Machinery, we see this technology as one of the most important value-adding steps in fertilizer production. It makes your product easier to store, transport, and use, which is exactly what your customers want.

This guide will explain how pelletizing works, the different methods available, and how you can choose the right one for your materials.

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Why Should You Pelletize Your Fertilizer Powder?

You should pelletize your powder because granules are a much more valuable, practical, and user-friendly product. This process directly increases the quality and marketability of your fertilizer.

Selling loose powder presents many challenges. It creates dust, it can be blown away by the wind when applied, and it is difficult to spread evenly. Pelletizing solves all these problems and offers four main benefits for you and your end-users.

1. Reduced Dust and Material Loss: Pellets are dense and heavy. They do not create dust clouds during bagging, transport, or application. This means a safer, cleaner working environment and less of your valuable product being lost to the wind.
2. Improved Handling and Storage: Granules flow freely like small beads. This makes them easy to package, load, and use in mechanical spreaders on farms. They also have a higher bulk density, meaning you can store more product in the same amount of space.
3. Controlled Nutrient Release: When a granule is in the soil, it dissolves slowly over time. This provides a steady-release of nutrients to the plant roots, which is much more efficient than powder that can be washed away by the first rain.
4. Higher Market Value: A uniform, dust-free granular product looks professional and is easier for farmers to use. Because of this, granular fertilizer consistently sells for a higher price than the same material in powder form.

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What is Wet Granulation Pelletizing Technology?

Wet granulation is a pelletizing technology that uses a liquid, usually water, to help the fine powder particles stick together. The mixture is then tumbled or agitated until small, round pellets are formed.

This is the most common method used in the organic fertilizer industry. Think about rolling a snowball. You start with loose snow, press it together, and roll it. As you roll, it picks up more snow and becomes a larger, denser ball.

Wet granulation works in a very similar way. A fine spray of water acts as the “glue” or binder. The mechanical motion of the machine causes the damp particles to collide and stick to each other, gradually building up layer by layer into spherical granules. At Fude Machinery, we manufacture two main types of machines that use this technology.

Disc Granulator

A disc granulator is a large, shallow pan or disc that is set at an angle and rotates. The powder is fed onto the disc, and a spray system mists it with water. As the disc turns, the damp powder tumbles and starts to form small seed pellets.

These small pellets continue to roll, picking up more powder and growing in size, just like the snowball. The larger, finished pellets eventually roll over the edge of the disc while smaller ones remain. You can easily adjust the angle of the disc and the amount of water to control the final size of your granules.

New Type Organic Fertilizer Granulator

This is a more advanced machine designed specifically for the fibrous and sticky nature of composted organic materials. The new type organic fertilizer granulator uses a closed cylinder with a high-speed rotor inside. This rotor has many small “teeth” or pins.

It uses powerful mechanical stirring force and the added liquid to force the particles to combine and form pellets. This method is incredibly efficient and can produce very hard, dense granules from materials that are difficult to pelletize with other methods.

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What is Dry Granulation Pelletizing Technology?

Dry granulation is a pelletizing technology that uses immense pressure, without any liquid, to compact dry powders into a solid form. The compacted material is then broken and sized into granules.

This method is ideal for materials that are sensitive to water or heat. For example, some chemical fertilizers can have a reaction when wet, and some minerals need to stay completely dry. Instead of using a liquid binder, this technology relies on pure physical force. The powder is squeezed so tightly that the individual particles lock together.

Double Roller Granulator

At Fude Machinery, our primary machine for this technology is the double roller granulator, also known as a roll compactor. This machine works by feeding dry powder between two large, heavy rollers that are rotating towards each other. The surface of these rollers has small pockets or indentations. As the rollers turn, they draw the powder in and apply extreme pressure, compacting the powder into a solid sheet or small briquettes. This solid sheet then comes out the other side and is broken up by a crusher and sorted by a screen to get the final granular product. The granules made this way are typically more irregular or pillow-shaped compared to the round pellets from wet granulation.

Feature	Wet Granulation	Dry Granulation	How This Impacts Your Choice
Liquid Binder	Yes, water is required.	No, uses pressure only.	Choose dry if your material cannot get wet.
Drying Step	Required. Pellets are wet.	Not required. Pellets are dry.	Dry granulation saves energy and equipment cost by eliminating the need for a dryer.
Material Type	Best for compost, manure, most organic matter.	Best for dry minerals, chemicals (like potash).	Match the technology to your specific raw material.
Granule Shape	Round / Spherical.	Irregular / Pillow-shaped.	Wet granulation produces a more aesthetically pleasing, round pellet.

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How Do You Choose the Right Pelletizing Technology?

The right choice depends entirely on your raw materials, your production goals, and your budget. You must consider the moisture content, the characteristics of your powder, and the quality you want in your final product.

There is no single “best” technology of pelletizing. The best technology is the one that fits your specific needs. When a client comes to us at Fude Machinery, we ask them these key questions to guide them to the right solution.

• What is your raw material? This is the most important question. Is it composted chicken manure (fibrous and damp)? Or is it a dry mineral like potassium sulfate? The nature of the material will immediately point towards wet or dry granulation.
• What is the moisture content? If your material already has 25-30% moisture, like fresh compost, wet granulation is a natural fit. If your material is a bone-dry powder (less than 5% moisture), dry granulation is a much more efficient option because you will not have to add water just to dry it out later.
• Do you have to avoid heat? The pellets from a wet granulation line must be sent to a large fertilizer dryer. If your material is heat-sensitive, the dry granulation process is the better choice.
• What is your budget? A dry granulation line can have a lower initial cost because you do not need to buy a large dryer and cooler, which are major pieces of equipment. However, wet granulation machines can often handle higher capacities. We can help you calculate the total cost of ownership for each option.

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2025 Trends in Pelletizing Technology

The latest trends are all about increasing precision, improving energy efficiency, and making systems more versatile. We are focused on giving operators more control to produce higher quality pellets at a lower cost.

At Fude Machinery, we are developing our equipment to incorporate these modern advancements.

• Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs): We are equipping all our granulators with VFD motor controls. This allows you to fine-tune the rotation speed of a disc, the rollers, or the stirring teeth. This precise control lets you optimize the pelletizing process for different materials and achieve a more consistent granule size, all while saving electricity.
• Enhanced Automation and Sensors: Modern production lines can include moisture sensors that automatically adjust the water spray in a disc granulator, or pressure sensors on a roller press. This level of automation reduces the need for constant operator supervision and ensures consistent product quality around the clock.
• Hybrid Systems: We are designing complete fertilizer production lines that combine technologies. For example, a client might use a double roller press to make flakes, and then route those flakes to a polishing machine (which uses a wet granulation tumbling action) to round them off. This gives you the energy-saving benefits of dry processing with the premium look of a round pellet.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question 1: What is a “binder” in pelletizing?
A binder is any substance that helps the powder particles stick together. In organic fertilizer wet granulation, the most common and cheapest binder is simply water. In other industries, special binders like lignosulfonates or starch might be used to create extra-strong pellets.

Question 2: How hard should a fertilizer pellet be?
A good fertilizer pellet should be hard enough to withstand bagging, shipping, and handling without turning back into dust. A standard measure is a crush strength of around 1.5 to 2 kg. It should not be so hard that it fails to break down in the soil.

Question 3: Can I mix different powders before pelletizing?
Yes, absolutely. This is how NPK compound fertilizers are made. You use a large mixer to thoroughly blend different raw materials (like sources of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash) into a homogeneous powder before feeding it into the granulator. This ensures every pellet has the same balanced nutrient formula.

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Conclusion: Turning Powder into Profit

The technology of pelletizing is a fundamental process for upgrading powdered materials into valuable, user-friendly granules. The choice between wet granulation (using water and agitation) and dry granulation (using high pressure) depends entirely on your specific raw materials and production goals.

Wet methods like the disc granulator are perfect for organic matter, while dry methods like the double roller granulator are ideal for moisture-sensitive minerals. By selecting the right technology, you can create a high-quality product that is in demand, easy to handle, and profitable.

About Fude Machinery
We are Fude Machinery, a specialized B2B manufacturer of organic fertilizer equipment located in Zhengzhou, China. Since our establishment in 2015, we have been committed to providing factory-direct sales and comprehensive, one-stop solutions. Our robust equipment is designed by our team of 15 dedicated engineers and is trusted by businesses in over 120 countries for its reliability and outstanding performance.

Not sure which pelletizing technology is right for you? Contact our expert team today. We will analyze your materials and help you design the perfect, most efficient granulation line for your business.