Engineered Materials – Product Improvement Through Granulation
Engineered materials are a diverse group of substances such as polymers, ceramics, alloys, synthetic compounds or any combination of the aforementioned. Typically, engineered materials are developed to overcome some sort of challenge or to outperform a naturally occurring material. Often, these materials need to be manufactured or processed into a granular or powder form for maximum effect. Some common types of granular engineered materials include oilfield additives for drilling fluids, adsorbents, specialty fertilizers, fire retardants and much more.
The process of granulation, also known as agglomeration, compacts material into particles of a distinct size range and consistency. Granulation provides many benefits to engineered material such as ease of dispersion, particle uniformity, dust reduction, flowability, dissolution, transportation and manufacturing.
Engineered materials are often combined to create new products with enhanced benefits. One example would be to combine a specialty polymer with an engineered ceramic to create a novel fire retardant. Another would be an engineered two component fertilizer designed to provide different nutrients at different points in a plants lifecycle.
Co-granulation is an important technique when manufacturing an engineered material composed of two or more components. When co-granulating, the components are blended together then granulated in a continuous in-line process. This ensures that each particle produced has a uniform composition. If each component was granulated and then blended, the resulting mixture would be prone to particle segregation and other challenges.
At Stellar Manufacturing we have experience granulating engineered materials for a variety of industries. We can granulate both single component materials as well as provide co-granulation for multi-component materials. We have a variety of compaction systems (50, 75, 150, and 300-ton) and can manufacture particles in the 70 mesh to 1/2” range.
Do you have an engineered material that needs to be granulated? If so, please contact us at (618) 337-1700 or info@stellarmfg.com to find out how Stellar can support your manufacturing needs.
About Stellar Manufacturing
Stellar is a contract manufacturer with 25 years of experience helping companies manufacture consumer and industrial products. Stellar is a leader in solid particle and bulk material processing for products requiring unique safety and handling procedures. Our services include compaction granulation, briquetting, blending, tableting and packaging of chemicals and materials for use in a variety of applications by Fortune 500 and 1000 companies.
If you have ever worked with solid powdered polymer materials you understand that proper flowability and mixing is critical to creating a homogeneous product. 
Sauget, IL – March 26, 2014 – Stellar Manufacturing, a contract manufacturer specializing in solid particle processing of chemicals and materials for diverse industries, is pleased to announce the celebration of its 25th year of operation this March. Founded in 1990 by President Tom Connelly, Stellar initially operated in a 60,000 sq. ft. facility in Hazelwood and primarily provided services to the pool chemical industry. Today, Stellar operates in a 392,000 sq. ft. custom built facility in Sauget, Illinois, employs over 100 people and provides services to companies across a variety of industries. After a quarter decade Stellar is known nationwide in the chemical industry as a leader in solid chemical processing and has built a solid reputation for quality customer service.