Process Technology

Comprehensive and customized

The use of roller presses for briquetting or compaction processes allows material to be produced to a defined size, enabling its inherent resources to be conveniently utilized in subsequent production cycles.

The material to be briquetted is introduced into the space above two counter-rotating rollers via a feeder system. On passing through the roller gap, the material is compacted and formed into briquettes of uniform size and shape. For cold briquetting at feed material temperatures of up to 100°C, it may be necessary to add binders to improve the briquette-forming characteristics.

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Binders are primarily used for the briquetting of substances that have inadequate adhesive properties and are thus otherwise unsuitable for the production of firm briquettes. An example is the ubiquitous egg-shaped coal briquette, which has been produced from coal fines for well over 100 years. Today, the briquettes are usually cushion-shaped, with sizes ranging from 1.5 to 60 ccm. However, depending on the material to be briquetted and the customers' specific requirements, other forms and sizes of briquette can be produced (for example almond-shaped or stick-shaped).

A number of substances can be converted into product of adequate strength without having to add a binding agent, in which case bonding is achieved through other phenomena, such as Van-de-Waals forces, mechanical linkage, forging, or plasticization under pressure.

The pressing forces needed for various applications range from around
25 kN/cm for the briquetting of steel mill residues with binder, to 140 kN/cm for aluminum. The pressing force to be exerted for a given material rises as a function of the roller diameter and mould size.

Köppern technology in the field of cold and hot briquetting has a long tradition and has proven its worth many times throughout the world. The design of our machinery and equipment is highly flexible and can be tailored to customers’ specific requirements. Our range of services in this segment is supplemented by specially developed, comprehensive testing programs plus the equipment needed for designing the machines and systems.