APPARATUS FOR GRANULATING MELTS

1,260,452. Melt granulator. DZERZHINSKY FILIAL NAUCHNO - ISSLEDOVATELSKOGO I KONSTRUKTORSKOGO INSTITUTA KHIMICHESKOGO MASHINOSTROENIA. 7 Jan., 1970, No. 723/70. Heading B5A. In a melt granulator of the type having a chamber with a perforated bottom through which melt from the chamber falls into a countercurrent of cooling air, the melt is introduced into the chamber by an array of nozzles the outlet tips of which are so disposed relative to the perforated bottom as to impart upon the melt a rotary movement over the surface of the bottom. Such a movement avoids cooling of the melt adjacent the bottom and thus prevents crystallization of the material with its attendant clogging of the apertures. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the melt is introduced through pipe 7 into an upper chamber 6 separated by a wall 4 from a lower chamber 1. The wall is provided with a circular array of nozzles 5 each of which is directed tangentially and the melt from chamber 6 passes through the nozzles and is introduced into the chamber 1 above its perforated bottom with a swirling motion. A central aperture of the wall is connected via pipe 9 and valve 10 to ambient atmosphere for degassing purposes and via valve 11 to a steam line for "blowing" the chamber 1. In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the chamber 11 is toroidal, has a perforated base, and is fed with melt through radial nozzles 12 having tangentially extending tips 15 projecting into the chamber. The nozzles are themselves fed through a central pipe 14. Treating material may be introduced on to the droplets issuing from the chamber 11 through the central space of the chamber.