Production Line 02

Disc-Granulator Line for Specialty Fertilizer & Industrial Granule Production.

Renovo Sustainable Products operates a disc (pan) granulator paired with a rotary drum dryer at its 20,000 sq. ft. toll-manufacturing facility in Cookeville, Tennessee. The line builds dense, layered granules from SGN 200 to SGN 300+ for specialty fertilizers, granular activated carbon, water-treatment media, asphalt additives, roofing mineral granules, and industrial dry lubricants. Pilot batches of 500 lb scale into commercial campaigns of 20+ tons.

SGN 200+
Standard Range
20+ ton
Commercial
Specifications

CONCRETE
NUMBERS.

Disc granulation plus rotary drum drying is engineered for dense, heat-tolerant, high-tonnage product. Specs below are headline ranges; actual targets are dialed in during feasibility and pilot.

Granule Size
SGN 200 – SGN 300+
Bench Batch
100 g – 5 kg
Pilot Batch
500 lb – 1 ton
Commercial Batch
20+ tons
Documented UC
< 1.9 (filtration)
Documented Tonnage
50 tons / month
How the Line Works

FOUR STAGES, ONE SPECIFICATION.

Feed enters as powder, fines, or seed material and leaves as a uniform, dry, QC-released granule sized for the application.

01

Formulation & Binder

Bench-scale formulation (100 g – 5 kg) selects binder, identifies seed material, and dials in crush strength and bulk density targets.

02

Disc Granulation

Rotating inclined pan rolls material layer-by-layer into dense, controlled-SGN granules. Build-up is tuned by angle, speed, and moisture.

03

Rotary Drum Drying

High-throughput, robust moisture removal for heat-tolerant feed. Handles dense, abrasive material at commercial tonnage.

04

QC & Release

Sieve analysis, crush strength, bulk density, moisture, iodine number, and uniformity coefficient as the spec demands. Documentation per batch.

Applications Served

WHO RUNS ON THIS LINE.

The disc line is the right choice when target SGN is high, when tonnage is the priority, when the feed is dense or abrasive, or when the chemistry is heat-tolerant.

Agriculture — Commercial Tonnage

  • NPK blends & micronutrient prills
  • Biochar granulation (case: 500+ tons/yr)
  • Specialty fertilizer granules SGN 200–280
  • Soil amendments and remediation carriers

Filtration — GAC & Water Media

  • Granular activated carbon (coal, coconut, wood)
  • Anthracite, zeolite, silica sand media
  • Uniformity coefficient UC < 1.9 achievable
  • Potable-water-grade media options

Construction — Asphalt & Roofing

  • Asphalt modifiers & anti-strip agents
  • Warm-mix additives, polymer modifiers
  • Roofing mineral granules (color, UV)
  • Cement accelerators, retarders, SCMs

Industrial — Lubricants & Carriers

  • Dry lubricant pellets (graphite, MoS₂, PTFE)
  • Catalyst supports & absorbent carriers
  • Desiccants: silica gel, molecular sieves
  • Specialty abrasives and polishing media
Agriculture Filtration Construction Industrial Compare: Pin-Mixer Line
Why This Pairing

Disc granulator + rotary drum dryer. Built for tonnage.

Disc granulators agglomerate by rolling material layer-by-layer on an inclined pan. The mechanism builds dense, controlled-SGN granules and naturally produces larger, heavier particles than a pin mixer.

Rotary drum dryers move that heavier mass through the dryer economically. They tolerate abrasive, dense feed without sacrificing throughput. The pairing is the right tool for commercial fertilizer tonnage, filtration media, construction additives, and any heat-tolerant industrial granule.

Renovo also runs a separate pin mixer + fluidized bed dryer line for heat-sensitive biologicals and fine specialty product. Quote either profile, or both, against the same campaign.

FAQ

QUESTIONS BUYERS ASK

What is a disc granulator?

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A disc granulator, also called a pan granulator, is an inclined rotating disc that builds granules by layer-by-layer rolling growth. Seed particles pick up binder and fine material as they tumble, growing to a target size before discharging over the rim. It produces rounder, larger and more uniform granules than agitation equipment, at high throughput.

How much material can Renovo run per batch?

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The disc granulator and rotary drum line runs 1 to 20+ tons per commercial batch, with pilot quantities from around 500 lb. Feasibility work starts far smaller, at 5 lb bench samples. Clients typically step through bench, feasibility and pilot before committing to a commercial campaign, so tonnage is only scheduled once the spec is proven.

What granule specification does the disc line hold?

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Granules of 0.5 mm and above, across an SGN window of 50 to 400, rounded and free-flowing, with crush strength at or above 2.5 kgf. Particle size distribution, crush strength, moisture and bulk density are verified in the on-site laboratory and issued on a certificate of analysis with each production batch.

What granule size range does the disc granulator produce?

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The disc (pan) granulator line runs SGN 200 through SGN 300+. Rolling, layer-by-layer agglomeration builds the granule on the disc surface, which is the right mechanism for larger, denser particles. Typical agricultural product lands SGN 200–280 for spreader compatibility; industrial and construction product is often dialed higher.

Is the disc-granulator line suitable for construction and asphalt additives?

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Yes. The disc granulator plus rotary drum dryer combination handles the dense, abrasive, heat-tolerant chemistries used in anti-strip agents, warm-mix additives, and polymer-modified asphalt boosters. Particle-size distribution and active-ingredient distribution are documented per batch, giving clients the QC record they need for their own specification work.

What is the difference between pin and disc granulation?

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Pin granulation uses agitation pins inside a high-shear mixer to build dense, small, uniform granules in short residence times. Disc granulation uses a rotating inclined pan and gravity to roll material layer-by-layer into larger, dense agglomerates. Disc is the right tool when target SGN is high, when tonnage is the priority, or when controlled SGN build-up matters.

Why pair a disc granulator with a rotary drum dryer instead of a fluidized bed?

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Disc granulators produce larger, denser, often heavier granules. Rotary drum dryers handle that mass economically, deliver higher throughput, and tolerate abrasive feed without sacrificing drying performance. A fluidized bed would struggle to fluidize the larger SGN sizes and would be over-built for chemistries that have no thermal-sensitivity constraint.

Can the disc-granulator line hit a uniformity coefficient below 1.9 for water treatment?

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Yes. Renovo's disc granulation plus precision screening has achieved UC = 1.7 on municipal water-treatment GAC, with backwash fines reduced 60% vs. baseline. Uniformity coefficient under 1.9 is the qualifier for many municipal contracts, and the disc line is the right platform for that filtration spec at tonnage.

What tonnage can the disc line handle?

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Scale ranges from 500 lb pilot batches through 1-ton intermediate runs and into multi-ton commercial campaigns of 20+ tons. Construction case work has run 50 tons per month sustained. The line is designed to ramp the same recipe from pilot validation into ongoing commercial supply without changing the granulation mechanism.

What kinds of products typically run on this line?

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Specialty NPK fertilizers and micronutrient prills at commercial tonnage, biochar granulation, activated carbon and GAC for filtration, water-treatment filter media, roofing mineral granules, asphalt modifiers, cement accelerators and retarders, dry lubricant pellets (graphite, MoS₂, PTFE), and remediation media. Any heat-tolerant, dense, or high-tonnage product.

Can the disc line manufacture dry lubricant pellets for industrial use?

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Yes. Renovo has produced pelletized solid lubricants (graphite, MoS₂, PTFE, custom compounds) for high-load, high-temperature applications including rail wheel/track dispensing. Particle consistency of ±0.1 mm has been documented. Crush strength is balanced against controlled breakdown under operational load.

Does Renovo run feasibility studies before committing to disc-line tonnage?

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Yes. Most engagements begin with bench-scale formulation (100 g to 5 kg) and a paid feasibility, followed by a 500-pound to 1-ton pilot on the disc + rotary drum line. The pilot validates particle-size distribution, crush strength, bulk density, and downstream handling before commercial supply contracts are signed.

Are disc-granulator line engagements covered under NDA and IP protection?

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All engagements run under NDA. Formulations developed under a Renovo contract remain 100% client property. Renovo also develops its own proprietary formulations — including the publicly-introduced NATRiX carbon-urea matrix — but that internal R&D is firewalled from client work.
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Scaling a granule into commercial supply?

Bring the chemistry. We bring the disc granulator, the rotary drum dryer, the QC lab, and per-batch documentation.

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