Abstract: Method of agglomerating powders and non-flowing fine particle minerals such as clay, silicas, and silicates including the steps of establishing a minimum level of wetting agent content in the material to be agglomerated, tumbling the material to be agglomerated over itself within a rotatably mounted drum, adding additional wetting agent to the material within the drum, and removing the agglomerated powder, which is now formed into pellets of an advantageous pellet size distribution, from the drum. The wetting agent may be added by strategically positioned nozzles within the drum. The establishing of a minimum level of wetting agent content in the powder, preferably in the range of 11/2 to 5%, is achieved either by incomplete drying of the material during wet processing or by the application of a wetting agent prior to introduction into the drum.

Abstract: Apparatus for agglomerating powders and non-flowing fine particle minerals such as clay, silicas, and silicates involving means for establishing a minimum level of wetting agent content in the material to be agglomerated, a rotatably mounted motor driven drum for tumbling the material to be agglomerated over itself, spray nozzles located within the drum to add additional wetting liquid to the material within the drum, and conveying means for passing the material into the drum and discharge means for removing the agglomerated powder, which is now formed into pellets of an advantageous pellet size distribution, therefrom. The spray nozzles are situated to spray the wetting agent onto the material at the curl thereof. The establishing of a minimum level of wetting agent content in the powder, preferably in the range of 1-1/2% to 5%, is achieved either by incomplete drying of the material during wet processing or by the application of a wetting agent prior to introduction into the drum.