JP2001327850A - Centrifugal tumbling granulator and method for treating powder and granules using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] In a centrifugal rolling granulator, an irregular shaped fine powder is provided with a sufficient rolling operation. SOLUTION: Above a cylindrical side wall 6 having a powder contacting portion 6a inside, an upper reduced diameter portion 8 which is reduced in diameter upward is provided as inward guiding means. The powder 2 on the rotating plate rises by the centrifugal force by the rotation of the rotating plate 7 to the powder contacting portion 6 a, and the reduced diameter powder contacting portion 8 a of the upper reduced diameter portion 8 faces the inner side of the centrifugal rolling chamber 5. , And a spiral circulating motion is performed, and unlike the conventional centrifugal tumbling granulator, sufficient rolling operation is provided even with irregularly shaped fine powder. In addition, a drying air supply unit may be provided at a position above the rotating plate.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to processing techniques such as granulation and coating of powders and granules, and more particularly, to the enhancement of a function for imparting a rolling action to the collection of irregularly shaped fine powders which were conventionally difficult to manufacture. The present invention relates to a technology that enables efficient granulation and is effective when granulating spherical particles such as pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs using a centrifugal tumbling granulator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are many types of powder granulators, including rolling granulation, stirring granulation, extrusion granulation, crush granulation, and fluidized bed granulation. Granulation processing is performed by various methods such as a method. Among these granulation methods, in order to obtain spherical or near-spherical granules, the rolling granulation method of granulating while rolling the powder is most suitable, and a rolling granulation apparatus for executing the method. Are roughly divided into the following two types. That is, a type in which a container body such as a drum type, an inclined pan type, or an inclined cone type is rotated,
As in the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-10878 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-22544, there is a type in which a rotating plate is disposed at the bottom of a cylindrical container and the powder is rolled thereon.

The type in which the container is rotated is mainly used for granulation of ore, fertilizer, and the like, where relatively large particles having a wide particle size distribution are produced. On the other hand, a device using a rotating dish is also called a centrifugal rolling granulator (hereinafter, abbreviated as a CF device), and applies a centrifugal force to the particles by rotating the rotating dish to perform spherical granulation. For this reason, with this type of apparatus, small granules having a narrow particle size distribution can be obtained, and are generally used in the fields of pharmaceuticals and foods.

[0004] C consisting of a combination of a cylindrical container and a rotating dish
In the F apparatus, an annular narrow slit is formed between the inner wall of the cylindrical container and the outer edge of the rotating plate. The slit is formed to be narrow in order to prevent particles in the container from falling from the rotating dish, and further, air can be supplied to the slit from below to above.
Then, in the CF device, by rotating the rotating plate while supplying air to the slit, the particles on the rotating plate are rolled using centrifugal force to perform spherical granulation.

However, in such a CF apparatus, since the width of the slit formed around the rotating plate is narrow, the flow rate of air (slit air) passing through the slit is small, and hardly contributes to drying of the generated particles. . Therefore, CF
The device itself has poor drying ability, and the generated spherical particles are transferred to another drying device and dried. That is, the produced particles are taken out of the CF device, and are separately dried by a fluidized bed device or the like to produce a product. Accordingly, good spherical particles can be obtained, but there is a problem in productivity, and improvement thereof has been desired.

Accordingly, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-8736, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-65729, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H10-209, a rolling granulation apparatus combining a cylindrical container and a rotating plate with a drying function has been developed, and is currently marketed as a multifunctional granulation coating apparatus. For example, Spiral Flow (SPIR-A-FLOW: trade name) manufactured by Freund Corporation is one example. In the spoiler flow, a ventilation portion is provided in the rotating dish, and air is introduced from below the ventilation portion so that the granulation process and the drying process can be performed in the same apparatus. That is, in such a multifunctional apparatus, air can be supplied from the ventilation section or the like to dry the granulated material in parallel with the granulation or after the granulation is completed. Therefore, there is no need to transfer the product to another drying device for drying, and it is possible to improve productivity accordingly.

On the other hand, besides the apparatus having such a ventilation section, a wide slit is provided between the cylindrical container and the rotating plate as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-242628, for example.
There has also been proposed one that increases the flow rate of slit air. In such a device, as the slit width increases,
In order to make it easier for the powder to fall from the slit, a separate fall prevention mechanism for the powder is provided in the slit portion. And
In this apparatus, while the powder is prevented from dropping by this mechanism, the drying capacity is improved by the increased slit air. In addition, in the above-mentioned multi-function type device,
In some cases, the drying capacity can be improved by increasing the amount of slit air.

Further, in these apparatuses, a fluidized bed can be formed in the container by increasing the amount of air or slit air from the ventilation section, whereby heavy spherical particles to amorphous light particles can be formed. It has become possible to granulate particles of various shapes. Further, the above-described apparatus can be used for coating particles, and is widely used as a multifunctional apparatus capable of performing various kinds of granulation coating processes.

On the other hand, in the old days, Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-2
The centrifugal rolling granulator disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2544, Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-10878, Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-992, etc. was originally developed for coating tablets and the like.
Later, it was known that it was suitable for spherical granulation (Funakoshi,
"Drug Compression Molding and Granulation", Dissertation Dissertation Accepted at the National Diet Library on August 4, 1979), "Centrifugal Rolling Granulator (abbreviated as" CF Device ", manufactured by Freund Corporation)" It is widely marketed by name. Such commercially available CF devices are described, for example, in “Monthly Pharmaceutical Affairs” 31, No. It has a structure as shown in the figure on page 11, page 84, and is now regarded as an indispensable device for spherical granulation and film coating thereon.

In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has demanded a granulated product obtained by granulating fine powder and having a uniform particle size of about 70 mesh (212 μm) or less. An apparatus for producing such fine and uniform granules with a high yield is not known. For example, when a high-speed stirring granulator is used, the obtained granules have a large average particle size and a wide particle size distribution. In fluidized bed granulation, fine granules can be obtained, but also have a wide particle size distribution and a low particle yield in a desired particle size range.

[0011] The centrifugal rolling granulator is considered suitable for producing such a granulated material. However, if it is desired to granulate fine powder, particularly irregular shaped fine powder, the conventional centrifugal rolling granulator is used. In the granulator, the rolling operation is insufficient and good granulation cannot be performed.
It has been found by the present inventors that only particles with a wide particle size distribution can be obtained.

The shape of the centrifugal rolling granulator has various modifications other than the commercial product illustrated in the aforementioned "Monthly Pharmaceutical Affairs". Regarding the shape of the rotating plate, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 46-22544 and 46-10878 disclose a curved rotating plate having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter portion of the side wall. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-232049 discloses an apparatus having a curved rotating plate having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of a cylindrical side wall. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-128097 discloses an apparatus having a rotating dish whose outer peripheral portion is inclined downward toward the center.

In the centrifugal rolling granulator described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-10878, the rotating plate and the side wall (side wall) are smoothly connected to each other so that the rising motion of the solid particles on the side wall surface is suitably performed. However, in the centrifugal rolling granulator described in JP-A-10-128097, obtaining a sufficient centrifugal force is mentioned as an effect. However, it has been confirmed by the present inventors that granulation of amorphous fine powder cannot be performed sufficiently even by using these devices.

On the other hand, regarding the side wall,
Japanese Patent Publication No. 10878 discloses a device having a spherical or ellipsoidal curved surface, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-22544 discloses a device having a cylindrical upper portion and a curved lower portion and having a side wall smoothly connected to a rotating plate. Have been. Tokiko Sho 54-
No. 992 discloses both of them.

The dissertation of Funakoshi mentioned above includes a device having a side wall having a hemispherical curved surface which is substantially inwardly inclined, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-25322 discloses that two mounting cones are inverted at the bottom. An apparatus is disclosed that has a side wall shaped like an abacus ball connected in an orientation.

Of these, the inwardly inclined side walls shown in the above-mentioned dissertation are said to have the effect of attenuating the rotational movement of the particles and collapsing toward the center of the tank. It is believed that the similarly shaped device described has similar effects. However, the present inventors have confirmed that these devices are not sufficient for the rolling operation of amorphous fine powder.

In the apparatus disclosed in JP-B-59-44893, in which the lower part of the side wall is cylindrical and the upper part is reduced in diameter, since the position of the reduced diameter part is high, the granular material is centrifugally rolled and rises on the side wall of the apparatus. As a result, the reduced diameter portion does not play any role with respect to the centrifugal rotation operation of the granular material. The present inventors have not found any significant difference from the case of simply forming a cylinder, and such an apparatus is not suitable for granulating amorphous fine powder into fine granules.

[0018] In order to improve the motion state of the granular material, there is a proposal to attach a part for improvement to a side wall or a rotating plate. JP-B-46-10878 and JP-B-5-10878
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-992 discloses that a screw or an auxiliary plate is attached to a side wall or a raised portion at the center of a rotating plate, or a scraper is attached to the raised portion or the side wall. All of them are said to improve the swirling motion and the spiral circulation motion of a granular material such as a tablet. However, according to the verification of the present inventor, such a large granular material is required for an amorphous fine powder. Unlike,
No effect was observed.

[0019]

As described above, the conventional centrifugal tumbling granulator cannot granulate irregular-shaped fine powder to produce fine granulated particles with high yield. Therefore, in order to produce such a granulated product, a granulated product having a wide particle size distribution has to be sieved to obtain particles in a desired particle size range, which is an extremely inefficient production situation. For this reason, the manufacturing cost is high, and the product is poor in practical use.

In addition, in the conventional centrifugal rolling device, in the production of spherical particles having good sphericity and a narrow particle size distribution, the physical properties of the granulated material obtained by such a multifunctional device are not sufficient. Investigations by the inventors have revealed that the properties of the granulated product obtained by a CF device having no drying function are not as good as the physical properties of the granulated product. In particular, recently, spherical particles having a small particle size and a narrow particle size distribution have come to be required in pharmaceutical preparations, and such granulated products cannot be coped with the above-described multifunctional device, and the improvement has been required. Was required.

In the above-mentioned multi-function device, the granular material is subjected to buoyancy by the air passing through the ventilation part and the like, and the particles do not undergo sufficient rolling operation and compression action, so that the physical properties of the granulated material are not improved. It is supposed to be. However, if the amount of flowing air is reduced in order to avoid this, it is not possible to prevent the powder and granules from falling from the ventilation part or the like, and the drying ability is reduced. Therefore, it is inevitable to secure a certain amount of air flow, and a decrease in the physical properties of the granulated material is inevitable as compared with a CF device having no drying function.

On the other hand, in the conventional CF apparatus, although the obtained granules have good physical properties, they do not have a drying function, and as described above, it takes time to transfer to another drying apparatus, thereby solving the problem of productivity. Not done.

FIG. 5 of JP-B-46-10878 and FIGS. 2 and 3 of JP-B-46-22544.
The figure proposes a device in which an air inlet is provided in the upper space of the centrifugal tumbling granulator, but it is also possible to provide an air inlet at a position away from the rotating plate as in these devices. It hardly contributes to the drying of the granules and has not been put to practical use.

[0024] It is an object of the present invention to provide a centrifugal tumbling granulating apparatus in which the irregular shaped fine powder is given a sufficient rolling operation so that the irregular shaped fine powder can be uniformly granulated. is there.

An object of the present invention is to provide a granulating apparatus capable of efficiently producing spherical particles having a small particle size, a narrow particle size distribution, and a high sphericity in a single device.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0027]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A centrifugal rolling granulator according to the present invention has solved the above-mentioned problem, and has at least a horizontal cross section of a powder contact portion with a granular material. A side wall, provided inside the side wall, with a gap through which gas flows upward from below, and a rotating plate that is rotated in the horizontal direction by rotary driving means, and at a position above the rotating plate, An inner guiding means for guiding the powder or granules to the inside from the powder contact portion, and a portion below the powder guiding portion from the position where the inner guiding means is formed is formed substantially in a cylindrical shape. It is characterized by being.

In the centrifugal tumbling granulator of the present invention, the horizontal section of the powder contact portion on the side wall is circular, and the lower portion thereof (below the position where the powder contact portion is formed with the inner guiding means) is substantially formed. Must be cylindrical. These points are indispensable conditions for increasing the diameter of the rotating dish and performing sufficient rolling on the side wall in order to efficiently perform the centrifugal rolling operation.

The rotating dish is a basic component in the centrifugal rolling granulator, and has a function of applying a centrifugal force to the granules to roll. This does not give a random stirring action to the granular material as in high-speed stirring granulation. Furthermore, in order to promote the centrifugal rotation operation and to prevent the particles from falling, from the bottom to the top through the gap between the side wall and the rotating dish,
It is necessary to distribute gas. At this time, in order to achieve a uniform rolling operation, the gap through which the gas flows should be substantially uniform over the entire circumference.

Furthermore, in the above configuration of the present invention, the presence of means for inwardly guiding the granular material is essential. The inward guiding means may be any means that has the function of guiding the granules, which have flowed up along the side wall by centrifugal flow, away from the powder contact portion of the side wall and inward. By providing the inward guiding means, even irregular shaped fine powder is effectively provided with rolling operation,
Unlike conventional centrifugal tumbling granulators, irregular shaped fine powder can be manufactured into fine granules having a particle size distribution within a predetermined range.

Specifically, the inner guiding means may be provided with an upper diameter-reduced portion which is reduced in diameter upward, above the powder contact portion on the side wall. Further, the upper reduced diameter portion may be configured to be inclined upward and conically toward the center of the peripheral portion of the powder contact portion. Alternatively, the upper diameter-reduced portion may be formed as a curved surface that is convex upward with the peripheral portion of the powder contact portion as a center.

As described above, many centrifugal rolling granulators in which the diameter of the side wall is reduced toward the upper side have been conventionally proposed. However, in these known apparatuses, the lower part of the side wall is not provided. Is cylindrical and the diameter of the powder contact portion is not reduced.

The present inventors have found that such a structure is a cause of insufficient rolling of the granular material in the conventional apparatus. Furthermore, in order to give sufficient granularity for the rolling operation to the granules, and to perform uniform granulation, the lower part of the side wall, more precisely, from the position where the inner guiding means of the powder contacting part is formed to the rotating plate is formed. The space is cylindrical over a certain height (about 0.1 to 0.4 times) with respect to the diameter of the powdered part,
It turned out that it was necessary that the diameter of the upper part was reduced.

The fact that the contact portion is cylindrical means that the maximum diameter of the contact portion is substantially equal to the diameter of the rotating plate. However, for example, the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-10787, the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-25322,
In the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 992, the diameter of the rotating plate is considerably smaller than the maximum diameter of the side wall because the diameter of the center portion is larger than the lowermost part of the side wall.

For this reason, as compared with a configuration having a cylindrical powder contact portion having a maximum diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the rotary plate, the rotary plate required for the powder to rise up the powder contact portion of the enlarged diameter portion is required. It is presumed that the centrifugal force becomes relatively small, and at the same time, the rising energy of the granular material is reduced by the friction of the enlarged diameter portion, so that the rolling operation is weakened. In other words, due to the weight of the granular material in the enlarged diameter portion, the friction is greater than that of the vertical powder contacting portion, and even though it rises to the same height, it must travel a longer distance on the wall surface than when it rises on the vertical wall surface. It is considered that the rolling operation must be weakened.

Further, in a configuration in which the diameter is reduced immediately upward as in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 of the dissertation, rolling and mixing are not performed for particles having good rolling properties such as tablets and spherical granules. It is considered that the amorphous fine powder falls before rolling sufficiently on the wall surface of the contacting portion, and the rolling and mixing actions are not sufficiently performed.

That is, when the distance from the position corresponding to the peripheral portion of the rotating plate of the powder contact portion to the position where the upper reduced diameter portion is formed is less than 0.1 times the diameter of the powder contact portion, the same as above. Due to the reason, sufficient rolling and mixing are not performed, and a sufficiently significant difference is not recognized as compared with the conventional centrifugal rolling granulator. If the ratio exceeds 0.4 times, the powder needs to travel for a long distance on the wall surface, and falls down to the reduced diameter portion, as described above. No significant difference was found between the two methods. Therefore, as described above, it is preferable to be in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 times. More preferably, 0.15-0.
It may be in the range of 35 times.

It is preferable that the upper diameter-reduced portion has an upward inclination angle of 40 to 80 degrees, preferably 50 to 70 degrees, and is inclined upward toward the center.
If the angle of inclination is less than 40 degrees, the powder or granular material that has risen in the powder contact portion falls as it is, and sufficient rolling operation cannot be obtained. If it exceeds 80 degrees, the function of rotating inward and dropping the ascending powders is not sufficiently given.

As the inward guiding means, a method of providing an upper diameter-reducing portion as described above may be used, or the diameter may be reduced by protruding from the side of the powder contact portion on the side wall in the rotation direction of the rotary dish. It is also possible to provide a laterally reduced diameter portion. For example, in the laterally reduced diameter portion, the base portion is in close contact with the side wall,
It is formed by providing a plate-like member whose tip protrudes along the rotation direction of the rotating dish. The powder contacting part may be configured substantially as a cylinder except for the side diameter reducing part. The said side diameter reduction part may be formed in one place, or may be formed in multiple places.

The apparatus of the present invention also includes, in addition to the above-mentioned inward guiding means, those in which the rotating plate is inclined such that at least the peripheral portion thereof is lowered inward. In order to uniformly and uniformly granulate the amorphous fine powder as the object of the present invention, it is required to sufficiently apply a centrifugal force to the granular material. It is better to do. Although the object of the present invention can be achieved only by the inward guiding means, it has been found that a synergistic effect exceeding expectation can be obtained when the shape of the rotating dish is made in this way.

Further, in the device of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, an air supply means for supplying gas to the upper surface side of the rotating plate may be provided. By supplying the drying air by such an air supply means, the product can be dried in the same apparatus, so that it is not necessary to transfer the product to another drying apparatus for drying, thereby improving the productivity.

According to the centrifugal rolling granulator of the present invention, in addition to the inward guiding means, at least a side wall having a circular horizontal cross section of a powder contacting portion with the granular material and a predetermined inside of the side wall are provided. A rotating plate that is provided at an interval and is rotated in the horizontal direction by a rotation driving unit; and is disposed above and close to the rotating plate, and supplies gas to the upper surface side of the rotating plate. And an air supply means.

Thus, in the centrifugal rolling granulator of the present invention, like the conventional centrifugal rolling granulator, heavy spherical particles having a small particle size and a narrow particle size distribution can be granulated. In addition, the product after the granulation treatment can be dried in the same apparatus. Therefore, there is no need to transfer the product to another device to perform the drying process, and the productivity is improved.

In this case, the air supply means may supply gas to the rotating plate from above the central portion of the rotating plate. Further, the air supply means is disposed below the straight pipe portion in communication with the cylindrical straight pipe portion and the cylindrical straight pipe portion, and the lower end portion is formed in a conical shape with an enlarged diameter. It is good also as a structure which has the supplied air inlet. Further, the air supply means may supply gas to the rotating plate from above the peripheral portion of the rotating plate. In addition, the air supply means may be provided so as to be vertically movable between a lower position close to the rotating plate and an upper position further away from the rotating plate than the lower position.

Further, the air supply means may be arranged in a state where at least a part thereof has entered the particle layer of the granular material, whereby gas is introduced into the particle layer, and The granules are in a fluid state, and the drying is performed more efficiently. Further, a powder supply means may be provided.

The rotating plate may have a vertical section whose peripheral portion is inclined downward toward the center, and a raised portion may be provided at the center of the rotating plate. Further, gas may be supplied to the gap formed between the side wall and the rotating plate from below to above. This gas may be ordinary air, or may be a gas that has been appropriately treated such as dehumidification and heating.

Further, when the air supply means is installed so as to be movable between a lower position close to the rotating plate and an upper position more distant from the rotation plate than the lower position, the air supply means may At least one of the granulating step and the coating step may be performed in a state in which it is arranged at the upper position.
In the granulation step, gas supply from the gas supply means may be performed or stopped.

Further, at least one of a granulating step and a coating step may be performed in a state where the air supply means is arranged at a lower position close to the rotating dish. The drying step is preferably performed in a state where the air supply means is arranged at a lower position close to the rotating dish.

On the other hand, the method for treating a granular material according to the present invention is a method for treating a granular material using the centrifugal tumbling granulator, wherein the granular material is charged into the centrifugal tumbling granulator, and Rotating the rotating dish while supplying gas upward from the bottom of the gap, and supplying at least one of a solvent, a solution, a dispersion and a melt to granulate or coat the granular material. Features.

In this case, a gas may be supplied from the air supply means to dry the granules of the granular material, and further the powder is supplied to the centrifugal tumbling granulator. May be.

In addition, the air supply means is provided so as to be movable between a lower position close to the rotating plate and an upper position more distant from the rotation plate than the lower position, and the air supply means is mounted on the rotating plate. The drying step may be performed in a state where the drying step is arranged at the lower position.

In the granulating step or the coating step, a granulating process or a coating process may be performed in a state where the air supply means is disposed at the upper position.
Further, a granulation process or a coating process may be performed in a state where the air supply unit is arranged at a lower position close to the rotating dish.

In the granulating step or the coating step, a granulating process or a coating process may be performed while supplying gas from the air supply means, or these processes may be performed by stopping supply of gas. May be. The supplied gas may be at room temperature or may be heated.

In the drying step, it is preferable to carry out the drying process while supplying gas from the air supply means, and it is desirable to heat this gas. However, when a granulation process or a coating process is performed by supplying a molten material, there is a case where the supplied gas is not heated.

As described above, according to the centrifugal tumbling granulation apparatus and the method for treating a granular material of the present invention, an air supply device for supplying dry air is provided above the rotating dish, and the granulated material is dried by the dry air. Due to the drying, the granulated material can be dried in the same device, and there is no need to transfer the granulated material to another device to perform a drying process, thereby improving productivity. It becomes possible. In this case, the granulated product becomes heavy spherical particles having a small particle size and a narrow particle size distribution, which cannot be performed by a conventional multifunctional granulation coating apparatus, and efficiently converts high-quality spherical particles. It becomes possible to produce.

[0056]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) As shown in FIG. 1, a centrifugal rolling granulator (hereinafter, referred to as a CF device) 1 according to the present embodiment is formed by centrifugally rolling a granular material 2. Granulate,
This is an apparatus for forming a coating layer. This CF
In the apparatus 1, a binder liquid or powder is added to the granular material 2 at a predetermined speed, and the granular material 2 is used as a core, or powders such as irregular fine powders are combined with each other to form granules such as spherical granules. Processing is performed. In addition, a coating layer can be formed on the granules and the like by adding a powder and a binder liquid while centrifugally rolling the spherical granules and the like.

The CF device 1 has a centrifugal rolling part 3 located at the upper part of the apparatus and a rotary driving part 4 located at the lower part thereof.
It is composed of The centrifugal rolling section 3 is formed with a centrifugal rolling chamber 5 for centrifugally rolling the charged granular material 2 to perform a granulation coating process. The centrifugal rolling chamber 5 includes a cylindrical side wall 6 that forms a housing of the CF device 1, and a rotating dish 7 that serves as a substantial bottom of the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 by centrifugally rolling the granular material 2. . The upper part of the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 is shown in FIG.
In the case shown in (1), it is in an open state, but parts other than those that need to communicate with the outside may be in a closed state.

The side wall 6 has a circular cross section of the powder contacting part 6 a with the powder 2, and a gap d at a predetermined interval is formed between the rotating plate 7 and the inner wall of the side wall 6. . Here, the reason why the horizontal cross section of the powder contacting portion 6a is circular is to smoothen the movement of the centrifugally rolling powder and granular material 2 and not to create a dead space. The upper side of the side wall 6 is bent inward at an angle α, and the upper reduced diameter portion 8 formed like a frustoconical eaves inward guides the powder 2 inward. It is provided as a means. The powder contact portion 6a inside the side wall 6 is continuous with the reduced diameter powder contact portion 8a inside the upper reduced diameter portion 8, and the powder particles 2 that have risen up the powder contact portion 6a are connected to the reduced diameter powder contact portion. It is guided to fall while rotating inward along 8a.

In the case shown in FIG. 1, the height of at least the side wall 6 from the position corresponding to the peripheral edge of the rotating plate 7 to the start position of the upper reduced diameter portion 8 is formed in a cylindrical shape.

That is, the side wall 6 has a circular horizontal cross section up to the upper diameter-reducing portion 8 of the centrifugal rolling portion 3.
The cross-sectional shape of the portion other than the powder contact portion 6a is not limited to a circle. That is, the side wall 7 may be conical or spherical,
A part thereof may be configured to form the powder contact part 6a having a circular cross section.

The material forming the side wall 6 and the upper reduced diameter portion 8 is not particularly limited, but various materials such as stainless steel, iron, light alloy, and reinforced plastic can be used. Further, a part or all of the powder contact part 6a and the reduced diameter powder contact part 8a may be lined with a non-adhesive resin such as a fluororesin or polyether. Furthermore, a lining of a non-adhesive resin may be applied to the central portion 7a and the inclined portion 7b of the rotating plate 7 described below, and the granulated material or the coating material is reduced by the lining with the powder contacting portion 6a and the reduced diameter welding. Powder part 8a
And to the rotating plate 7 can be prevented.

The supply of the granular material 2 into the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 may be performed from an upper opening 8b surrounded by the upper reduced-diameter portion 8 through a not-shown granular material supply pipe or the like. Further, a spray nozzle for spraying a liquid such as a binder solution, a solvent, a solution, a dispersion, an emulsion, a melt, or a powder stored in a tank (not shown) or the powder onto the powder 2 may be provided. Good.

As the spray nozzle, a nozzle having a two-fluid or three-fluid structure may be used. The position of the spray nozzle may be provided above the granular material layer, or may be installed so as to spray from the side into the granular material layer. The purpose of supplying the spray liquid to the body may be achieved. Furthermore, various sensors for process control and end point control, and an actuator by which the position of the spray nozzle can be changed by the sensor may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating plate 7 has an inclined portion 7 on the periphery of a central portion 7a on a plane located on the center side.
b may be provided, or, as shown in FIG. 2, if it is formed on an inclined portion 7 b inclined downward toward the center on the peripheral side of the central portion 7 a,
As a result, the centrifugal force of the rotating plate 7 is sufficiently and effectively used, and the granular material 2 rises along the side wall contacting portion 6a and is more efficiently centrifugally rolled.

In an apparatus capable of uniformly granulating an amorphous fine powder as in the present invention, such a combination of a mortar-shaped rotating cone and a reduced diameter portion is extremely effective.

A substantially hemispherical protruding portion 9 is formed at the center of the center portion 7a of the rotating plate 7, whereby the rotating plate 7 is prevented from being distorted and has sufficient strength. Further, the protruding portion 9 allows the powder 2 in the vicinity of the center of the rotating plate 7 to be positively moved to the peripheral portion of the rotating plate 7 where the centrifugal operation is performed.

The portion of the inner wall of the side wall 6 with which the granular material 2 contacts at the time of centrifugal rolling, that is, the powder contacting portion 6a is formed substantially perpendicular to the central portion 7a of the rotating plate 7. I have. As a result, the granular material 2 that centrifugally rolls on the rotating plate 7 is pushed upward along the powder contact portion 6a without receiving extra resistance.

On the lower side of the side wall 6, a slit air 10 flowing through the gap d between the rotating plate 7 and the side wall 6 is provided.
An air supply port 6b for taking in the fluid chamber 11 formed below is provided. The air taken in from here becomes slit air 10 passing through the annular gap d from the fluid chamber 11 and is introduced into the centrifugal rolling chamber 5. in this case,
The gap d is formed to have such a width that the granular material 2 in the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 does not drop from the slit air 10 when the slit air 10 is fed from below. Therefore, by allowing the slit air 10 to flow through the gap d,
Is prevented from falling down, and when the granular material 2 is charged into the centrifugal rolling chamber 5, the granular material 2 is all supported by the rotating plate 7.

On the other hand, a motor (rotation driving means) 12 for rotating the rotating plate 7 is provided on the
It is housed and provided inside. The shaft 12a of the motor 12 is fixed to the rotation center axis of the rotating plate 7, whereby the rotating plate 7 is rotated in the horizontal direction.

The CF device 1 thus configured is
Centrifugal rolling granulation can be performed by using as follows. First, in the granulation step, a predetermined amount of the granular material 2 which is a raw material to be processed is put on the rotating dish 7 in the centrifugal rolling chamber 5. At this time, the powder 2 used as a raw material may be a powder, a core serving as a core, or an irregular fine powder. After that, the rotating plate 7 is rotated by the motor 12 while the slit air 10 is circulated from the gap d.
The powder 2 is centrifugally rolled above. Rotating dish 7 in this case
Rotation speed is arbitrary, but usually 100 to 500 rpm
It is.

Further, in order to adhere the powders to each other or to the core particles, a solution in which a solvent or a binder solution is dissolved, a dispersion such as an emulsion or a suspension, or a melt in some cases is centrifuged through a spray nozzle. Spray into the rolling chamber 5. This solvent or solution may be used alone depending on the physical properties of the granular material 2 or a desired granulated material, or may be changed from one to the other according to the progress of granulation. When a solution is used, a substance having the same component as that of the granular material 2 is usually used as a solute, but another substance may be used. Further, a powder may be supplied during the granulation step as needed.

As a result, the granular material 2 is centrifugally rolled on the rotating plate 7 in the centrifugal rolling chamber 5, and the binder liquid and the powder are supplied to the granular material 2 in that state, and the granular material 2 is supplied. 2 is centrifugally rolled and spherically granulated.

When the granulated particles reach the desired particle size, the supply of the solvent or the solution is stopped, and the granulation process is completed. At this time, unlike the conventional device, the CF device 1 is provided with an inward guiding means, so that it is possible to give a sufficient rolling operation to the granulated material, and the particle size is small and the particle size is small. Spherical particles with a narrow distribution can be granulated with good yield. However, it goes without saying that large spherical particles can also be produced. Depending on the operating conditions, it is also possible to produce not only spherical particles, but also irregularly shaped particles, oblong or aggregated particles having a certain pseudo-spherical morphology that is not a true sphere such as an elliptical sphere or a stone-like shape. .

Following the above-mentioned spherical granulation, or
Spherical particles produced separately can be charged into the apparatus of the present invention, and a drug or an elution control layer can be coated thereon.
In addition, not only spherical particles but also particles such as irregular particles or irregular fine powder can be coated with a drug or an elution control layer.

In the above description, the contact portion 6a of the side wall 6 has a circular horizontal cross section as described above, and in particular, the contact portion 6a
The portion from the reduced diameter powder contact portion 8a, which is the inward guiding means, to the peripheral edge of the inclined portion 7b of the rotating plate 7 is formed substantially in a cylindrical shape. Usually, the side wall 6 other than the upper reduced diameter portion 8 may be a cylinder. The shape other than the powder contact part 6a is arbitrary. For example, a cylindrical, head-mounted inverted conical, or square filtration chamber may be provided above the reduced diameter portion 8 to house a bag filter, a cartridge filter, or the like, and exhaust air to the outside through this. As a matter of course, the apparatus of the present invention is shown as having an upper opening as shown in FIG. 1, but may be configured so as to close the upper part.

The rotating plate 7 only needs to have a circular outer edge. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral portion may have a vertical cross section inclined downward toward the center. For example, JP-A-7-23249,
A shape as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-128097 has a large processing capacity and is suitable for effective centrifugal rolling. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, it may be flat as a whole. As shown in the aforementioned “Monthly Pharmaceutical Affairs” and the above two publications, the rotating plate 7 may have a raised portion 9 at the center.

As the inward guiding means, in the above description, the case where the upper reduced diameter portion 8 is extended like the eaves of the side wall 6 to extend the vertical section linearly is shown, for example, as shown in FIG. However, it does not matter even if it is formed in a curved shape. Further, the distal end of the upper reduced diameter portion 8 may be further bent inward and downward as shown in FIGS. The bent portion 8b is
As shown in FIG. 4, it may be curved or straight as shown in FIG. The point is that it is only necessary to be configured so as to guide the powder and granules from the side wall 6 into the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 to promote the rolling operation. Further, the upper reduced diameter portion 8 may be movable up and down or variable in mounting angle.

The inventor has found an optimum dimensional range in the installation of the upper reduced diameter portion 8. It has been confirmed by experiments that the particle size distribution of the granules to be produced greatly differs between the optimum dimensional range for each portion of the upper reduced diameter portion 8 and the outside of the range, and the average particle size also greatly differs. That is,
The critical significance of the above optimal size range is great.

As inward guiding means above the powder contact portion 6a,
As shown in FIG. 6, when the upper diameter-reduced portion 8 is configured to have a substantially frusto-conical section with a tapered shape facing upward, the inclination angle (α) is 40 to 80 °, preferably 50 to 80 °. 70 °
And The upper reduced diameter portion 8 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
The vertical cross section may be a curved surface that forms an upwardly convex curve, that is, a curved shape. In that case, the angle connecting the upper edge and the lower edge of the reduced diameter portion 8 is preferably in the above range.

The height (H ₁ ) of the cylindrical portion below the upper reduced diameter portion 8
Is 0.1 mm with respect to the diameter (D ₁ ) of the powder contact portion 6 a of the side wall 6.
1 to 0.4 times, preferably 0.15 to 0.35 times. Above this, there is no inward guiding effect, and below this, rolling becomes poor. Diameter (U ₁ ) of upper edge of upper reduced diameter portion 8
Is 0.1 to the diameter (D ₁ ) of the cylindrical part of the powder contacting part 6a.
6 to 0.95 times, preferably 0.7 to 0.9 times.
Below this, the inward inducing action is not sufficient, and the effect is not changed if it is greater than this. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the positional relationship between D ₁ and H ₁ , and the dimensional relationship in the above range is not taken into consideration.

In the configuration of the present invention described above, as shown in FIG. 7, a drying gas is supplied into the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 so as to have a drying function in addition to the centrifugal rolling granulation function. The configuration may be such that it is performed as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-296762.

For example, as shown in FIG.
A supply means for supplying a gas for drying to the upper surface of the rotating dish is provided above the rotating dish 14 in the vicinity of the rotating dish 14 so that the granular material can be dried. Good. The case shown in FIG. 7 is different from the case shown in FIG. 1 in that the shape of the rotating plate 14 and the air supply means are provided. The same parts as those in the configuration shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

An air supply device 21 is provided above the center of the rotating plate 14 in the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 as air supply means for supplying air for drying.
Is provided. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement state of the air supply device 21. The upper part of the air supply device 21 is omitted by omitting the upper part of the upper reduced diameter portion 8 provided above the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 so as to make it easier to see. It shows the state as seen from. This air supply device 2
1 is a straight pipe portion 22 formed in a straight cylindrical shape,
An umbrella-shaped air supply port 23 is provided below the straight pipe section 22. The straight pipe section 22 and the air supply port 23 communicate with each other inside, and the straight pipe section 22 is connected to a blower (not shown) such as a blower provided outside the CF device 1.

The air supply device 21 is mounted so as to be vertically movable in the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 by driving means (not shown). And it can move between the upper position H shown by the dashed-dotted line and the lower position L shown by the solid line in FIG. However, it is needless to say that the air supply device 21 may have a fixed structure.

The conical or umbrella-shaped air supply port 23 attached to the lower end of the straight pipe section 22 and having an enlarged diameter on the lower side rotates at the lower end when the air supply device 21 is lowered to the lower position L. The central portion 14a and a part of the inclined portion 14b of the plate 14 are configured to cover an umbrella shape. The opening 23 of the air supply port 23
From a, the drying air 24 can be supplied widely to the upper surface side of the rotating plate 14. The dry air 2 flows through the gap between the lower peripheral edge 23 c of the air supply port 23 and the rotating plate 14.
4 gushes. Thereby, the granulated material flows in the centrifugal rolling chamber 5, and the drying thereof is promoted. That is, in the CF device 1, it is possible to dry the granules generated by the drying air 24, and it is possible to perform a sufficient centrifugal rotation operation from a granulation process to a drying process in a single device. It can be implemented.

As shown in FIG. 7, the rotating plate 14 has a central portion 14a on a plane located on the center side and a central portion 14a.
And an inclined portion 14b inclined linearly downward toward the center on the outside. In the CF device 1, the vertical cross section of the rotating plate 14 is such that the horizontal dimension (P) of the inclined portion 14 b is P ≧ P with respect to the diameter (D) of the rotating plate 5.
0.25D (preferably, 0.4D ≧ P ≧ 0.25D). The height (H) of the inclined portion 14b from the central portion 14a is 0.1D ≦ H ≦ 0.33D (preferably, with respect to the diameter (D)).
0.1D ≦ H ≦ 0.25D).
As a result, in the CF device 1, the centrifugal force of the rotating plate 14 is sufficiently utilized effectively, and the granular material 2 is effectively centrifugally rolled on the inclined portion 14b.

At the center of the central portion 14a of the rotating plate 14, a conical raised portion 15 is formed.
No. 4 prevents the distortion and secures the strength. Further, the protruding portion 15 actively moves the granular material 2 near the center of the rotating plate 14 to the inclined portion 14b where the centrifugal operation is performed.

The CF provided with the air supply device 21 shown in FIG.
In the apparatus 1, the air supply is stopped in a state where the air supply device 21 is raised to the upper position H, and a predetermined amount of the granular material 2 as the raw material to be processed is thrown into the rotating plate 14 in the centrifugal rolling chamber 5. After charging the raw materials, the granulation process of the granular material 2 is performed as described above with reference to FIG. 1, and after the granulation process is completed, the air supply device 21 is lowered to the lower position L, and subsequently the drying process is performed.

In this way, by using the CF device 1 provided with the air supply means for supplying the dry air together with the inward guidance of the granular material, the rolling of the irregularly shaped fine powder which cannot be performed by the conventional device is performed. While performing the granulation, drying of the granulated powder,
It can be performed by the same device. In the conventional CF device, not only the rolling granulation of the irregular shaped fine powder but also the drying in the same device cannot be performed. In particular, in the case of the drying, the drying process is performed by transferring the granulated material to another device. Did not get.

More specifically, the method of the drying treatment will be described in more detail. After the granulation step is completed, the air supply from the air supply device 21 previously raised to the upper position H is started, and the air is gradually lowered. Move to position L. Then, dry air 24 is introduced from the air supply device 21 into the granulated material layer on the rotating plate 14 to be in a fluidized state. As a result, the granulated material is quickly dried by the drying air 24, and a desired spherical particle product is efficiently produced. At this time, it is possible to increase the slit air 10 by widening the gap d to further improve the drying ability.

In the drying step, the rotating plate 14 may be in a rotating state or a stopped state. The height of the lower position L of the air supply device 21 is not particularly limited,
It is preferable that at least a part of the air supply device 21 enters into the accumulation layer of the granulated material, and the granulated material moves by the dry air 24 or moves up and down in a state close to the flow. That is, in the CF device 1 as well, it is desirable to arrange the air supply device 21 at a position where the periphery of the opening 23a of the air supply port 23 is buried in the particle layer to improve the drying efficiency.

As described above, in the CF device 1 according to the present invention,
Just like the conventional single-function CF device, it is possible to granulate heavy spherical particles having a small particle size and a narrow particle size distribution. Granulation of irregularly shaped fine powder can be performed, and it can be dried in the same apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to produce a product having the physical properties of a single-function CF device with the productivity equivalent to that of a multi-function powder processing device,
It is possible to efficiently manufacture products that meet market needs.

In the apparatus, “granulation → drying”,
"Coating → drying", "coating + drying (drying while coating)", "granulation → coating →
Various processing patterns such as “drying” and “granulation → coating + drying” are possible. In the above description, among the processes of “granulation → drying”, a processing mode in which the air supply device 21 is arranged at the upper position H to perform the granulation process, and then performs the drying process at the lower position L is shown. However, in this case, both the granulation process and the drying process can be performed with the air supply device 21 arranged at the lower position L, and all the processes can be performed at the lower position L.

As described above, the apparatus can also perform a coating process. In the process of “coating → drying” of the processing patterns, the particles after the granulation processing or the particles separately charged are supplied to the air supply device 21. May be disposed at an upper position H to perform a coating process, and then a drying process may be performed at a lower position L. Further, the air supply device 21 can be arranged at the lower position L from the beginning, and the coating process and the drying process can be performed continuously (“coating → drying”) or simultaneously (“coating + drying”). .

Further, a series of processes of “granulation → coating → drying” can be executed by the apparatus.
At this time, at least in the drying step, the air supply device 21 is disposed at the lower position L to perform the process, but in the granulation process or the coating process, the air supply device 21 may be disposed at any of the upper and lower positions. Good. That is, it is also possible to perform processing at the lower position L from granulation to drying, or to perform only granulation processing at the upper position H.

In addition, when performing the process of “granulation → coating + drying”, at least in the process of drying while coating, the air supply device 21 is disposed at the lower position L and the process is performed. In the particle processing, the air supply device 21 may be disposed at any position above or below.

The air supply device 21 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 7, but can take various forms. For example, various modifications can be considered as shown in FIGS.

FIGS. 9 to 15 show first to seventh modified examples of the air supply device 21 having a configuration for supplying the dry air 24 from above the center of the rotating plate 14. In the drawings after FIG. 9, only the main part of the device is shown, and the description of the common parts with the device of FIG. 7 is omitted, and the air supply device 2 of FIG.
The same members and parts as those in 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the details thereof are omitted.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 9, an air supply device 21 is connected to a straight pipe portion 22.
It is formed only at the center of the centrifugal rolling chamber 5, and the umbrella-shaped air supply port 23 is omitted. In this case, the opening 22 a of the straight pipe portion 22 is configured to be located above the raised portion 15. In addition, the rotating plate 14 also has an inclined portion 14 on the outer peripheral portion.
It has a flat plate shape with the edge formed in b raised.

The apparatus shown in FIG.
In this embodiment, the central portion 14a of the rotating plate 14 is omitted, and an inclined portion 14b is formed from the outer edge toward the base of the raised portion 15. Further, the opening angle of the air supply port 23 of the air supply device 21 is formed to be larger than that in FIG.

The device shown in FIG. 11 uses a tapered cylindrical member whose lower end portion is enlarged in diameter as the air supply device 21. Further, as the rotating plate 14, the inclined portion 14b is formed to be slightly deeper than that of FIG.
5 is omitted.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 12, a narrowed skirt is used as the side wall 6, and the inclined portion 14b of the rotating plate 14 is formed at the same inclination angle as the skirt narrowed portion 6c of the side wall. In this case, the air supply device 21 is provided with a flange 25 provided on the air supply port 23 so as to substantially cover the upper surface of the rotating plate 14.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 13, the side wall 6 is formed in a curved shape. In this case, the horizontal cross section of the powder contact portion 6a of the side wall 6 is formed in a circular shape as one cross section of a sphere. Air supply device 21
The one similar to that shown in FIG. 10 is used. As the rotating plate 14, the one in which the raised portion 15 of the rotating plate 14 in FIG. 7 is finely pointed is used, and when the air supply device 21 is lowered to the lower position, the tip of the raised portion 15 becomes the straight pipe portion 22. At the position of the opening 22a.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 14 employs a rotating dish 14 in which a raised portion 15 is formed in a hemispherical shape, and an inclined portion 14 b is linearly raised obliquely upward from the base of the raised portion 15. The air supply device 21 includes a side wall 2 of the air supply port 23.
3b is the inclined portion 1 of the rotating plate 14 contrary to the conventional one.
The one standing along 4b is used. In this case, a cover 26 is attached between the upper end edge of the side wall 23b and the straight pipe portion 22 so that the fluttered granules do not collect inside the side wall 23b.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 15 (A) uses, as the rotating plate 14, the raised portion 15 formed in an elliptical hemisphere, and the inclined portion 14b also formed in a curved surface. At this time, as the air supply device 21, the air supply device shown in FIG. 7 in which a flange 23d is formed on the lower peripheral edge 23c of the air supply port 23 is used.

Further, as shown in FIG.
A convex portion 31 having a tapered shape is provided inside, and
4 may be installed vertically movable so that the width of the gap d can be changed so that the amount of the slit air 10 can be adjusted.

The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples of the present invention, and the combination of the air supply device 21 and the rotating plate 14 is not limited to the above example. It goes without saying that various combinations can be changed, such as using the air supply device 21 of FIG.

(Embodiment 2) As Embodiment 2 of the present invention, a configuration in which a reduced-diameter portion serving as inward guiding means is provided on a side wall will be described.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16 (in the figure, the rotating mechanism of the rotating plate and the like have the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 1, and such a configuration is omitted from the drawing. ), The side wall 16 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the inside thereof is configured as a centrifugal rolling chamber 17. Powder contact part 1 inside side wall 16
From 6a, a plate-like member 18 bent in an arc shape is provided as a laterally reduced diameter portion as inward guiding means. The plate-like member 18 bent in an arc shape is provided such that its tip end 18a protrudes from the powder contact portion 16a in the rotation direction of the rotating plate 14, that is, is reduced in diameter. As described above, with a simple configuration in which the plate-shaped member 18 is provided, sufficient rolling operation required for granulating the irregularly shaped fine powder can be provided.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 17, the attachment of the plate-like member 18 is carried out in the vertical direction of the plate-like member 18 between the back side of the plate-like member 18 and the powder contact portion 16a. Along,
For example, if the baffle 18 is pressed by rolling particles at the time of rolling, the curved surface of the plate-shaped member 18 is not deformed, so that sufficient rolling operation is maintained if the fixing member 19 is interposed. can do.

As the fixing member 19, for example, a bar or a plate material suitable for the vertical length of the plate member 18 may be used. Alternatively, the nut 20 may be fixed from the outside of the side wall 16 by passing through the locking hole 16. In short, any attachment means may be adopted as long as the attachment can be made without impairing the rolling function of the granular material of the plate-like member 18. For example, you may make it attachable detachably.

Further, as a result of experiments, the present inventors have found that the plate-like member 18 having the above-described structure has an optimum range for the mounting position and the like. By setting the optimum range, sufficient rolling operation can be obtained. I knew it could be done.

That is, the length (L) of the arc-shaped plate member of the plate member 18 is 0.02 to 0.5 times, preferably 0.1 to 0.5 times the entire circumference (C) of the powder contact portion 16a of the side wall 16. 03-0.2
When multiple sheets are installed, the total length (Σ
L) should be 0.04 to 0.7 times, preferably 0.06 to 0.4 times the entire circumference. The effect is small if it is larger or smaller than this range. The degree of diameter reduction by the plate member 18, that is, the distance (S) between the tip 18a of the plate member 18 and the powder contact portion 16a is 0.001 to 0.2 with respect to the diameter (D ₃ ) of the powder contact portion. Times, preferably 0.002 to 0.1 times.

The width (W) of the plate material of the plate-like member 18, in this specification, refers to the length in the height direction along the side wall 16, and this width (W) is the height of the powder contact portion of the side wall. (H ₃ ) is 0.1 to 0.95 times, and the height (h) of the lower end is 0.05 to 0.7 times the height of the powder contact portion (H ₃ ) from the upper edge of the rotating dish. It is better to be positioned about a degree above.

Further, the arc-shaped shape of the plate-like member 18 having the above-described configuration may be uniformly curved with the same curvature, or may be curved with gradually changing curvature. Further, in the case shown in FIG. 16, the plate member 18 is provided symmetrically with respect to the rotation center of the rotating plate 14, but may be provided asymmetrically.

Further, the lower edge of the plate-like member 18 is in close contact with the powder contact portion 16a on the side wall or at a narrow interval, and the upper edge is the powder contact portion 1a.
The configuration may be twisted so as to have a wide interval with 6a. For example, a twisted configuration as shown in FIG. In the configuration in which the plate-shaped member 18 is provided, the powder contact portion 16a may be cylindrical except for the side reduced diameter portion.

Further, the side reduced diameter portion of the above configuration is configured to attach the plate member 18 to the powder contact portion 16a.
The projecting portion 16b may be provided from the beginning with the powder contact portion 16a integrally facing the inside of the centrifugal rolling chamber, so as to impart sufficient rolling operation to the granular material. This is shown in FIG.
(B).

In the apparatus of the present embodiment, an air supply means for supplying gas to the upper surface of the rotating plate may be provided above the rotating plate and close to the rotating plate. This air supply means can be movable up and down, as in FIG. 7, for example, an apparatus as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-296762 is exemplified, and is similar to that described in the first embodiment. Used for

The apparatus of the present invention is useful for granulating amorphous fine powder which could not be produced with a sufficient yield by the conventional apparatus as described above to obtain uniform fine particles. However, a granulated product having a large particle diameter can be produced. As for the granulation, it is possible to granulate the powder itself as a raw material, or to granulate by attaching fine powder to the core particles. These granules can be of any shape from amorphous to spherical depending on the conditions. Also,
The device of the present invention can also be used to coat spherical particles and irregular particles with polymer substances, fats and oils, saccharides and the like.

(Embodiment 3) Next, as Embodiment 3 of the present invention, a description will be given of a CF device in which the air supply device 21 supplies the dry air 22 from above the periphery of the rotating plate 14. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the CF device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
(B) is a perspective view from above showing a state of cutting (A) along line AA.

In the device shown in FIG. 19, a thick tubular straight pipe portion 22 is employed for the air supply device 21. Here, the straight pipe section 22
A gap 27 is formed between the inner wall surface and the side wall 6, and the dry air 24 flows through the gap 27.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19A, an opening 27a of a gap 27 is formed at the lower end of the straight pipe portion 22. Then, from the opening 27a, the dry air 24 is supplied from above to the inclined portion 14b located in the peripheral portion of the rotating plate 14.
Is supplied. As a result, the drying air 24 is supplied to the granulated material on the rotating plate 14, and the granulated material is dried. Note that, also in the present embodiment, the air supply device 21 is installed so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, in the case where the dry air 24 is supplied from above the peripheral portion of the rotating plate 14, various modifications can be assumed. 20 and 21 show the CF of the second embodiment.
It is the 1st and 2nd modification of an apparatus.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 20, the straight pipe portion 22 of the air supply device 21 disposed at the center of the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 branches above the rotary plate 14, and the branch pipe 28 of the rotary plate 14 It has a form that extends upward to the periphery and is open. In this case, two branch pipes 28 are shown in FIG. 20, but the number of branch pipes 28 can be appropriately increased or decreased, for example, by providing four equally.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 21, a plurality of straight pipe portions 22 of the air supply device 21 are provided around the centrifugal rolling chamber 5. FIG. 21 (A) is a cross-sectional view and FIG. 21 (B) is a perspective view from above showing a cross section taken along line BB of FIG. 21 (A). Dry air 24 is supplied to the periphery of the rotating plate 14 from the lower end opening. In this case, the number of the straight pipe portions 22 can be appropriately increased or decreased, for example, two or six.

(Embodiment 4) Further, as Embodiment 4 of the present invention, a CF device in which dry air 24 is supplied to the rotating plate 14 from the side of the centrifugal rolling chamber 5 will be described. FIG.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a CF device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 22, the air supply device 21 is connected to the side wall 6.
It is arranged in. The air supply device 21 is opened at the upper side of the rotating plate 14, and the drying air 24 is supplied from above to the upper portion of the rotating plate 14. In this case, an opening / closing door 30 is provided in the opening 29 of the air supply device 21, and the opening / closing door 30 is closed during the granulation process. Then, at the time of the drying step, it is opened and the drying air 24 is introduced into the centrifugal rolling chamber 5.

(Embodiment 5) In Embodiment 5, a description will be given of an air supply device 21 in which a swirling airflow generating means is added. FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of the CF device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of blowing air from the air supply device 21.

In the case shown in FIG. 23, the upper reduced diameter portion 8 is formed as a ring-shaped convex portion on the powder contact portion 6a, and the lower slope of the convex portion is the reduced diameter powder contact portion 8a. Further, from above the centrifugal rolling chamber 5, a supply pipe 2 a for supplying the granular material 2 to the rotating plate 14 is provided with its inlet facing the rotating plate 14. Further, a spray nozzle 2b for spraying the binder liquid or the granular material stored in a tank (not shown) onto the granular material 2 is also provided.

Here, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 7, the air blown from the air supply device 21 is sent vertically onto the rotating plate 14 and subjected to granulation and drying. However, as described above, since the air is blown in a straight line, it tends to blow through the rotating plate 14 and the circulation time there tends to be short.

Therefore, in the device of Embodiment 5, FIG.
As shown in 3 and 24, an agitator (air guide plate) 32 is provided in the air supply device 21 to generate a swirling airflow, thereby improving processing efficiency. That is, in the device, the air supply device 2
A plurality of agitators 32 are provided in one air supply port 23, whereby a swirling wind is supplied onto the rotating plate 14. The agitator 32 is a crescent-shaped steel plate having a thickness of about 5 to 10 mm, and is arranged radially on the inner wall of the air supply port 23. And between the adjacent agitator 32, the air guide path 33 is formed in the shape of a radial spiral.

The air guide path 33 is formed from the upper portion of the air supply port 23 to the opening 23a.
As shown in FIG. 24, swirling airflow is supplied onto the rotating plate 14. Thereby, a turning motion can be imparted to the granular material on the rotating plate 14, and the granular material is spirally wound up like a rope. Therefore, the rolling of the granular material can be promoted, and the processing efficiency can be improved. In addition, it is possible to prevent the airflow from blowing out linearly as shown by the broken line in FIG. 24, and it is possible to prolong the contact time between the airflow and the granular material. Therefore, the residence time of the airflow in the granular material layer is prolonged, and the drying efficiency can be improved.

FIGS. 7, 8, 10, 13, and 15
In the devices of (A) and (B), an agitator may be mounted on the inner wall of the air supply port 23 of the air supply device 21. In the devices of FIGS. An agitator may be attached to the inner side wall. Further, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 11, an agitator is mounted on the inner wall on the lower end side of the tapered enlarged portion.

On the other hand, in the apparatus shown in FIGS.
The swirling airflow can be obtained by arranging the straight pipe portion 22 obliquely in the rotation direction of the rotating plate 14 and supplying gas onto the rotating plate 14 in the rotation direction. However, an agitator may be provided on the inner wall of the lower end portion of the branch pipe 28 or the straight pipe section 22. Further, in the device shown in FIG. 22, a swirling airflow can be obtained by attaching the blower pipe of the air supply device 21 to the side wall 6 at an angle. In this case, it is more effective to arrange the air supply device 21 in the tangential direction of the side wall 6 and supply the dry air 24 in the tangential direction of the rotating plate 14.

The shape of the agitator 32 is not limited to the crescent shape, and may be, for example, a rectangular plate obtained by twisting a strip material, as long as it can form the radiation spiral air guide path 33.

As described above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. Needless to say,

For example, in the configuration shown in the third to seventh embodiments, as described in the second embodiment, a baffle or a guide plate may be provided inside the side wall 6 for adjusting the rolling operation. It is possible. Also, for controlling the process of the CF device 1,
In the centrifugal rolling chamber 5, a sensor for detecting temperature, humidity, the amount of accumulated contents, and the like may be provided. Further, a filter such as a bag filter or a cartridge filter, a cyclone, or the like may be provided.
A device for performing cooling, dehumidification, or the like may be provided. In addition, it is also possible to arrange a temperature control means such as a jacket outside the side wall 6.

The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples of the present invention, and the combination of the air supply device 21 and the rotating plate 14 is not limited to the above example. It goes without saying that various combinations can be changed, such as using the air supply device 21 of FIG.

[0140]

According to the present invention, since the inward guiding means for the granular material is provided continuously to the powder contacting part, unlike the conventional centrifugal rolling granulator having no such configuration, Sufficient rolling operation can be given to irregular shaped fine powder.
Therefore, unlike a conventional centrifugal rolling device, it is possible to produce a fine and uniform granulated product obtained by granulating amorphous fine powder with a high yield. For example, fine granules having a uniform particle size of 70 mesh (212 μm) or less, as required in the pharmaceutical industry, are not subjected to a conventional inefficient process of sieving granules having a wide particle size distribution. However, efficient production can be achieved with good yield. The production cost can be reduced accordingly.
In addition to quality aspects such as particle size distribution, it is possible to make products that are sufficiently practical in terms of price.

According to the present invention, an air supply device for supplying dry air is provided above the rotating plate, and the granulated material is dried by the dry air. Thus, there is no need to transfer the granulated material to another device to perform a drying process, thereby making it possible to improve productivity. In this case, the granulated product becomes heavy spherical particles having a small particle size and a narrow particle size distribution, which cannot be performed by a conventional multifunctional granulation coating apparatus,
High quality spherical particles can be efficiently produced.

In addition, by providing the air supply means with a swirling airflow generating means for supplying swirling air onto the rotating plate, it is possible to impart a swirling motion to the particles on the rotating plate, Is promoted, and the processing efficiency can be improved. In addition, it is possible to prevent the airflow from blowing straight out, and it is possible to prolong the contact time between the airflow and the granular material,
The residence time of the airflow in the granular material layer is prolonged, and the drying efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a centrifugal rolling granulator of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of an upper diameter-reduced portion serving as inward guiding means.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a deformed row of an upper diameter-reduced portion as an inward guiding means.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the upper diameter-reduced portion as the inward guiding means.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the upper reduced diameter portion as the inward guiding means.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a dimensional relationship of each part in the configuration of the upper reduced diameter part.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration in which an air supply unit is provided so as to dry granules.

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view illustrating a configuration of an air supply unit.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification related to the air supply means of the centrifugal rolling granulator of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification related to the air supply means of the centrifugal rolling granulator of the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification related to the air supply means of the centrifugal rolling granulator of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification related to the air supply means of the centrifugal rolling granulator of the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification related to the air supply means of the centrifugal rolling granulator of the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification related to the air supply means of the centrifugal rolling granulator of the first embodiment.

FIGS. 15A and 15B are cross-sectional views showing a modification related to the air supply means of the centrifugal rolling granulator of the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a dimensional relationship between a vertical cross section and a flat cross section of a laterally reduced diameter portion serving as inward guiding means according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting state of a plate-like member.

FIG. 18A is a partial perspective view showing a state in which a plate-like member is formed into a twisted shape, and FIG. 18B is a view showing a state in which a side reduced diameter portion is integrally protruded from a powder contact portion. FIG.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of a main part of a centrifugal rolling granulation coating apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
(A) is a cross-sectional view, and (B) is a perspective view from above showing a state cut along line AA of (A).

FIG. 20 shows a first example of the granulating coating apparatus according to the third embodiment.
This is a modification.

FIG. 21 shows a second example of the granulating coating apparatus according to the third embodiment.
(A) is a cross-sectional view, (B) is a modification of (A),
It is a perspective view showing the situation cut by the B line from the upper part.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a centrifugal rolling granulation coating apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a CF device according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of blowing air from an air supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CF apparatus 2 Granular material 2a Supply pipe 2b Spray nozzle 3 Centrifugal rolling part 4 Rotation drive part 5 Centrifugal rolling chamber 6 Side wall 6a Powder contact part 6b Air supply port 6c Hem narrowing part 7 Rotating dish 7a Central part 7b Inclined part Reference Signs List 8 Upper reduced diameter portion 8a Powder contact reduced diameter portion 9 Raised portion 10 Slit air 11 Fluid chamber 12 Rotation driving means 12a Shaft 13 Casing 14 Rotating plate 14a Central portion 14b Inclined portion 15 Raised portion 16 Side wall 16a Contacting portion 16b Projecting portion 17 Centrifugal rolling chamber 18 Plate member 18a Tip 19 Fixing member 20 Nut 21 Air supply device 22 Straight pipe portion 22a Opening 23 Air supply opening 23a Opening 23b Side wall 23c Lower peripheral edge 23d Flange 24 Dry air 25 Flange 26 Cover 27 Gap 27a Opening 28 Branch pipe 29 Opening 30 Opening / closing door 31 Convex part 32 Agitator 3 Air guide path

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Kuniaki Yamanaka, Inventor 2-14-2 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Freund Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shigetomi Isobe 2- 14-2 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. F-Terminus Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 4B048 PE02 PE09 PN02 PN17 PQ10 PS01 PS09 4G004 BA01 JA02

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A rotary drive means provided at least with a side wall having a circular horizontal cross section of a powder contacting portion with a granular material, and a gap inside the side wall for allowing gas to flow upward from below. A rotating plate that rotates in the horizontal direction by means of: and an inward guiding unit that is provided at the powder contacting portion at a position above the rotary plate and guides the powder material to the inside of the powder contacting portion, A centrifugal rolling granulator characterized in that a lower part of the powder contact portion from the position where the inner guiding means is formed is formed substantially in a cylindrical shape. 2. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 1, wherein the inward guiding means is provided with an upper diameter-reduced portion which is reduced in diameter upward at an upper portion of the powder contacting portion. A centrifugal rolling granulator characterized by the above-mentioned. 3. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 2, wherein the upper diameter-reduced portion is formed by inclining a peripheral portion of the powder contacting portion upward in a conical shape. Granulation equipment. 4. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 2, wherein a distance from a position corresponding to a peripheral edge portion of the rotating plate of the powder contact portion to a position where the upper reduced diameter portion is formed is the powder contacting device. A centrifugal tumbling granulator characterized by having a diameter of 0.1 to 0.4 times the diameter of the portion. 5. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 3, wherein the upper reduced diameter portion has an upward inclination angle of 40 to 80 degrees,
A centrifugal rolling granulator characterized by being inclined upward toward the center. 6. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 2, wherein the upper reduced diameter portion is formed into a curved surface that is upwardly convex toward a center of a peripheral portion of the powder contact portion. Centrifugal rolling granulator. 7. The centrifugal rolling granulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inward guiding means projects a portion of the powder contacting portion in a direction of rotation of the rotating dish to reduce the diameter. Is formed. 8. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 7, wherein the side reduced diameter portion is provided with a plate-like member whose base portion is in close contact with a side wall and whose tip protrudes along the rotation direction of the rotating plate. A centrifugal rolling granulator characterized by comprising: 9. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 7, wherein the powder contacting portion is substantially cylindrical except for the laterally reduced diameter portion. apparatus. 10. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein a plurality of the laterally reduced diameter portions are formed. . 11. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the centrifugal rolling granulator is disposed above the rotating dish, close to the rotating dish, and on an upper surface side of the rotating dish. A centrifugal tumbling granulator characterized by comprising an air supply means for supplying gas. 12. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 11, wherein the air supply means supplies gas to the rotating plate from above a central portion of the rotating plate. Dynamic granulation equipment. 13. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 12, wherein the air supply means communicates with the cylindrical straight pipe and the cylindrical straight pipe below the straight pipe. A centrifugal tumbling granulator characterized in that the centrifugal tumbling granulator is provided, and has a conical air supply port whose diameter is enlarged at the lower end. 14. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to claim 11, wherein said air supply means supplies gas to said rotating plate from above a peripheral portion of said rotating plate. Granulation equipment. 15. The centrifugal rolling granulator according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the air supply means is provided at a lower position close to the rotating plate and at a position lower than the lower position. A centrifugal rolling granulation device, which is disposed so as to be vertically movable between a distant upper position. 16. A method for treating a granular material using the centrifugal tumbling granulator according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: Rotating the granular material on a rotating plate while flowing gas upward from below the gap to move the granular material to the inward guiding means along the powder contact portion. And granulating or coating the particles while imparting a rolling operation to the particles. 17. A method for treating a granular material using the centrifugal tumbling granulator according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the centrifugal tumbling granulator is charged with a granular material, Rotating the rotary dish while supplying gas upward from the bottom of the gap, and supplying at least one of a solvent, a solution, a dispersion and a melt to granulate or coat the granular material; A method for treating a granular material, comprising: 18. The method for treating a granular material according to claim 17, wherein a gas is supplied from the air supply means to dry the granulated material of the granular material. 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein a swirling airflow is supplied from the air supply unit.