Study on Pelletizing Process of Spherical Activated Carbon Based on Molten Pitch

Abstract

In the process of preparing asphalt-based spherical activated carbon, the molten asphalt must be formed into qualified spherical particles through the granulation process. Taking the process of molten asphalt granulation as the research direction, this paper carries out an asphalt rotational viscosity experiment and a thermogravimetric differential thermal experiment (TG–DSC), and obtains the optimal temperature and viscosity values for the asphalt granulation process. The fluent module in ANSYS software is used to input the known asphalt and prilling tower parameters. Based on the asphalt prilling principle, the thermal environment in the prilling tower during on-site melting and asphalt prilling is simulated. The results show that No. 70 matrix asphalt has good fluidity at 135 °C, and that, subsequently, the viscosity of the asphalt is stable and the fluidity of asphalt remains good with the increase in temperature; they also showed that the air velocity is fastest in the central area of the prilling tower, the air temperature is the highest at the top of the tower, and the air temperature in the central area is the lowest at the same height. Finally, a new approach to the granulation process of pitch-based spherical activated carbon is developed, which provides a reference for the basic experimental data and numerical simulation direction for the use of granulation towers to complete the granulation of molten asphalt in industry in the future.