FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention relates to a pan granulation method for granulating Sugar Distillery ash produced in the Co-generation boilers into pellets or granules and more particularly, the present invention relates to a Pan granulation method for granulating Sugar Distillery ash into fertilizer pellets or granules using a binding agent. More specifically it relates to granulating the sugar distillery ash produced in the co-gen boilers by using concentrated spent wash as binder which is another byproduct generated in sugar distillery."

PRIOR ART:
Many fertilizers are required to be marketed in granular form which needs to be stable to weather conditions and easy for handling. Fly-ash from sugar distillery contains K20 of marketable form. But this fly-ash is dusty powder which bears a lot of discomforts while applying in the fields, thereby suffering disadvantages in its actual usage.

Fertilizers are widely used in soil and foliar application to desired plants to give better yield. Typically, fertilizers are formulated into conventional forms such as dusts, granules, liquids and emulsions. But the most preferred means of applying fertilizers is granules for ease in delivery and application.
Hence granular fertilizers are very important and essential commercial products due to their ease of application, either by hand or a mechanical means. These granular fertilizers can be applied to plants through an inert material, like clay or ground corn cobs or it can be a combination of fertilizers.
One of the greatest disadvantages known in the granulation process is the use of seed material to achieve the proper conditions for material accretion to result in a pellet or granule shape. By making use of a seed, the resulting granule is adversely affected in its roundness and cross sectional uniformity.

Typically, if seeding material is not round, the result is an out-of-round particle formation.

Commercially, fertilizers can be purchased as prills or as a granulated material which are prepared by known processes such as Once Through Process, Partial Recycle Process and Total Recycle Process but all these suffer from non-uniform size.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION:

High friability is a significant restraint to the use of prilled and granular products. Upon physical impact, the prills or granules tend to break into smaller particles, and produce substantial dust while being handled, transported, and applied to the intended soil environment. Thereby the particle hardness and non-friability become important. Firstly, when fertilizers are used as generally bulk blend fertilizer products there needs to be a predetermined, closely-sized range of granules to avoid unwanted segregation of the component products. If the granulated product breaks into smaller particles, segregation of the fertilizer composition is likely to occur. Further particle hardness and non-friability are vital to prevent the break down of prilled or granular fertilizer products when introduced into a modern, power operated distribution gadgets commonly in agriculture industry. The breakdown of the granules or prills results in uneven distribution of the fertilizer from gadgets to the soil/air. These granulated products may be shattered to an extent that the smaller pieces fall in a shorter trajectory from the gadgets and thus form a more narrow and a more concentrated swath on the soil surface than is intended.

Commercial fertilizer distributors and farmers recognize the superior chemical properties of granular products and have accordingly made heightened demands for the hardness and non-friability of said particles. This greater emphasis on particle hardness and non-friability arises from the fact that the modern methods of handling and transportation result in more crushing of the granulated particles. In addition, those involved in the handling, transportation and distribution of the fertilizer products are making increased demands for a non-dusting product. Such demands are based in large part on health and safety considerations.

Fertilizers can be manufactured as granules and many methods are known in prior art. Granules are larger, harder, and more resistant to moisture. As a result, granulated fertilizers have become a more suitable material for fertilizer blends. Commercial granulation of fertilizers is done by known processes such as Fluidized Bed Granulation, Spouted Bed Granulation.

In Pan Granulation process tumbling agglomeration technique is employed in a pan granulator. Product with desired size range can be produced by playing with only few parameters like choice of binders, dosage rate of binders, rpm of pan, granulation time, angle of inclination feed position, binder spray position etc.. A threshold quantity of binder is required for optimum granulation yield. Generally speed of the pan is inversely proportional to the rate of granulation. Granulation time is also inversely proportional to the granulation yield however it becomes critical at certain points. Angle of inclination of the pan also has significant effect on the granulation yield.

But the prior art, when read singly or collectively, is deficient of uniform cross section, tightly packed ness and granule strength of fertilizer granules.

There has been a long felt need for granules having these desirable properties and the present invention addresses these needs.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for generating distillery ash granules, which particles devoid the drawbacks of the prior art.
In the present invention, the maintenance of non pulsating pan and the moisture content in the pan, moisture content of product specifically by usage of liquid and solid route, more specifically through liquid route which substantially prevents dust formation during the process.. Furthermore any of plant nutrients, growth regulators, minerals, time release compositions and suitable bacteria can be included in the granules.
The important inventive concept of the present invention is the ability to granulate economically using seed material during the initial stage of pan granulation process. In this manner, the process can be loosely referred to as a pan accretion -

nucleation process; the process proceeds generally as accretion i.e., a nucleation site accretes the surrounding material. The present technology, i.e. feeding of fly-ash product to the pan should not be pulsating and binder assist in the material accretion around the nucleation site to produce a tightly packed granule with high feedstock content.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIOF THE INVENTION
Fig. 1 is a drawing of pan granulator.
Fig. 2 is a photograph of pan granulator with table feeder.
Fig. 3 is a photograph of K-Ash granules produced in pan granulator.
Fig.4 is a photograph of K-Ash granules produced in pan granulator
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION:
This invention relates to a particulate fertilizer product in granular form having sufficient hardness, non-friability and anti-caking characteristics of the product in granular form.
To inhibit the dust formation and to improve the handling quality of this fly-ash the present invention relates to a process for pan granulation with a simple mechanical configuration, and selective operation of the pan. Granulation can be done using binders to produce narrowly desired size granules of reasonable strength with good efficiency and economic performance.

Methodology is required for synthesizing a granule with the seed material and which is round, tightly packed with a uniform homogeneous cross section and capable of eliminating hazards associated with fertilizer granule production.
Granular size becomes crucial in many applications as many of these fertilizers may require slow dissociation in the soil. Hence attention on high crushing strength and larger size fertilizer is the demand of the market need though standardized products are achieved in prior art. Thus there is a need for improved method of granulation in the field of fertilizers.
In this invention, art of fly-ash granulated in a very high yield process in conjunction with a specially designed pan granulation system is disclosed. Accordingly, this invention provides a process for pan granulating the fly-ash, wherein the process comprises:
a. providing feed material having a size of about 50% minus 150 tyler
mesh.
b. initial feeding of the sugar distillery ash to a pan granulator with seed
material occupying 10% to 40% of pan volume,
c. feeding the sugar distillery ash to a pan granulator containing seed
material having a size of -10 to +14 mesh, and
d. feeding a binder solution to the pan granulator containing an amount of
about 0% to 70% by weight of the sugar distillery ash material; and treating the sugar
distillery -ash in the pan granulator to form an enlarged material about 95% by
weight or greater of which has a particle size distribution of about -5 to about +8 tyler
mesh.
Thus in the granular form, a fertiliser may be impregnated into or absorbed onto an inert material or any other fertilizer material.
The invention also includes that additional nutrients such as Nitrogen compounds, organic carbon, sea weed extract, P205 containing fertilizers etc can also be added to enrich the nutrient value to the substance during the pan granulation process.

"i ypically the granular product of the present invention comprise a fertiliser or mixture of fertilisers blended in, absorbed, impregnated or coated onto a solid substrate. The solid substrate can be an inert material, for example, clay, and/or a fertilizer material and mixtures and combinations thereof, both synthetic and naturally occurring organic and inorganic materials.
The present invention is related to achieving a granular formulation with enhanced biological activity. The granular formulation is generally a dry composition that can be applied to soil and/or vegetation by spreading or broadcast application. Upon application and subsequent irrigation or rainfall the active chemical agent will associate with the water and allow the active chemical agent to spread to the surrounding locus. This association allows the active chemical agent to be transported with the passing water, thereby further increasing the coverage of the active chemical agent.
Ideally, the granules are spherical and have a smooth surface, which lends to desired flow characteristics of the granules in bulk form.
A schematic diagram for granulation is shown in figures 1-4. The granulator consists of a rotating pan with adjustable speed and minimum vertical drop. Spray nozzle or any other means may distribute fine mist of atomizing sprays of binder powder and solution flow continuously at predefined rate. The slope degree of its pan can be adjusted.
The pan revolves at a certain angle with the horizontal plane. The powder will tend to rise along with the revolving pan under the friction between the powder and the pan. But, the powder will also tend to fall down under the function of its gravity. Simultaneously, the powder moves to the pan edge because of the centrifugal force. The powder material rolls within the pan in a certain trace under the combined function of these three forces. It gradually attains the required size. Product may be withdrawn and segregated with standard sieves and oversized may be sent to crusher and undersized is generally recycled. Bulk density of the product of required

i.
size can be determined. Standard deviation of whole product and granulation yield can also be calculated.
Effect of rpm has a very pronounced effect on the amount of sugar distillery -ash granulated. As the speed of the pan increases, the amount of granules formed decreases significantly. During the course of granulation, collision occurs between granules themselves and also with the wall of the pan. At high speed collision becomes higher and it breaks the granules. At low speed of pan most granules loose contact with the wall of the pan depending on the balance between gravitational and centrifugal forces and cause breakage of themselves and other granules as well. Both bulk density and granulation yield show increasing trend upto certain rpm and then decrease. Thus granulation yield is maximum at 15-30 rpm. Consequently the optimum speed of pan granulator emerges out to be at 10-35 rpm but preferred to be within 12-30 rpm.
So, there exists a specified speed of pan which is favorable for the granulation of sugar distillery ash. Thus the product obtained falls in a narrower range of size and more product of required size is obtained for that specified speed which is detailed above.
Effect of time of granulation on yield (%) and bulk density is also studied. Bulk density first decreases and beyond certain duration of granulation time, it shows ascendancy in trend. An increase in the bulk density with increase in granulation time supports the fact that more desirable product is formed. Thus quality of the product is increased with time. Meanwhile the granulation yield (%) also goes on increasing. Thus both quality and well as volume of yield are improved with time. But there is optimum time because after certain increased time the effect of granulation is reversed.
By increasing the time of granulation, mean diameter of the product (granules) may increase but at the same instant, the standard deviation is much less which indicates optimum granulation time is necessary for each process. The preferred granulation time in the range of 10-15 minutes. Different chemicals can be used for binding

during granulation at different concentrations. As far as the ratio of chemical used is concerned initially with the increase of the ratio of binder used, the amount of fly-ash agglomerated or granulated will increase but with more increase, in the ratio the reverse effect will occur. It means a definite proportion of binder and fly-ash is needed for granulation. Because when ratio increases it yields very soft granules that break during the process. The preferred range is 0% to 70% of binder by weight of the sugar distillery ash material. Sugar distillery ashes are very well utilized in this invention.
In this invention, a cheap and efficient method to reuse wastes such as sugar distillery ash by means of pan granulation at room temperature is disclosed, so that the aim of this invention is to characterize these sugar distillery ash residues and to investigate the physical and mechanical behaviour of granulated products with the final goal to produce an aggregate that will be utilized as the fertilizer or combination thereof.
In this way the sugar distillery ash generated from the co-generation boilers of sugar distillery plants can be better utilized as a fertilizer in the agricultural area and there by becomes a solution for the disposal of the same. Earlier ways of disposing this ash like for land filling, road formation etc are involved with nuisance because of flying nature of the ash. Hence the invention incudes the utilization of ash generated from co-generation boilers of sugar distillery plants as a fertilizer.
The invention also includes that this sugar distillery ash contains considerable percentage of K20 which is useful nutrient for the plants hence it can be utilized as a fertiliser in the agricultural field.
Sugar distillery ash is being used as the basic granulating material. The fly-ash is from sugar distillery characterized in containing K20 thereby usable as a fertilizer in agriculture. The particulate material is sugar distillery fly-ash generated from Co-generation boilers. Additional nutrients and binders can also be added to evaluate the behavior of granulated material. Results indicate that granulation rate depends closely on the slant angles of the disc, the revolving rate, the methods of adding

r
admixtures, and granulation time. All of these parameters have been exploited
intelligently to arrive at a novel method to achieve a better yield.
In another embodiment of the invention, the desired sugar distillery ash is first metered by a table feeder onto the pan kept at about the desired position so that there is minimum vertical drop. The feed flow rates are to be maintained at a uniform rate. To control the growth of the granules seed material typically of -10 to +14 tyler mesh can be introduced into the pan. A still finer material can be fed but the productivity of a given pan granulating system declines as the proportion of finer material increases. Binder solution is introduced by atomizing sprays at between 0 -70% by weight of feed material. The uniqueness of this granulation system is the yield of product in the size distribution of -5 to +8 tyler mesh is more than 95%.
In another embodiment of the invention, the binder solution is spent wash solution which is also a bye-product of sugar distillery plant which generally a viscous liquid with dissolved and un-dissolved organic compounds along with water content, generally in the temperature range of 30-60 deg. C, specifically in the range of 30-50 deg. C and more specifically in the range of 30 to 45 deg. C.
The process concept used in this invention of granulating the sugar distillery -ash is an accretion method i.e. layering of -ash over a seed in a single pass. This will enable the use of pan granulator in an economic way. Keeping a narrow size range for the seed will minimize the tendency for the product distribution to broaden. The more uniform the seed size, the more uniform is the product size and so the overall product size is controlled by the amount and size of the seed material. This invention makes on-spec material at high yields in a single pass without significant recycle. The whole process will be done at room temperature.
For stable operation of the pan, the feeding of fly-ash powder to the pan should not be pulsating. The appropriate feed rate of fly-ash powder shall be in the range of 1 to 20 Kg/hr, specifically in the range of 1 to 17 kg/hr and more specifically in the range of 1 to 14Kg/hr. Similarly seed material quantity and size are also important. Too much seed will give rise to undersize while little seed can result in oversize of the

product. So, the change in product size can be achieved by changing the seed quantity. Binder solution is generally viscous liquid with dissolved and un-dissolved organic compounds and also with water content of generally in the range of 20 to 90%, specifically in the range of 20 to 80%, more specifically in the range of 20 to 70% by weight. The moisture of the product coming out of pan will be in the range of 7% to 20% w/w.
For the desired product size in the range of -5 to +8 tyler mesh, the operating angle of the pan shall be generally in the range of 15° to 70° from the horizontal, specifically in the range of 20° to 65° from the horizontal, more specifically in the range of 25° to 60° from the horizontal. For the desired product size in the range of -5 to +8 tyler mesh, the operating speed of the pan shall be generally in the range of 10 to 35 rpm, specifically in the range of 12 to 30 rpm, more specifically in the range of 15 to 30 rpm. Water of hydration is present as bound water.
In the process of this invention, the pan acts as a device where growth of granule takes place by internal recycle based upon controlled seeding to the pan and the size segregating capacity of the pan. During the rotation of the pan small particles roll around the face of the pan and picks up the binder and moisture. These particles reside at the bottom of the granulation bed and get layered by the fresh feed until they rise vertically to the bed surface and then exit as product.
By taking care of the critical parameters like angle of the pan to the horizontal, speed of the pan, fly-ash feed rate, location of feeding, binder spray rate and location product characteristics can be varied. The discharged product is then dried in a dryer to a desired moisture percentage where the granule strength is in the acceptable level.
A particulate fly-ash product having improved hardness, non-friable and anti-caking properties and which is useful for either direct application to the soil or as an intermediate product for the subsequent incorporation with other fertilizer materials into solid bulk blends has been made available in this invention. The product consists of an admixture of fly-ash and a finely divided seed material.

m
The friability and caking problems as well as other problems suffered in the storage, handling and distribution of the fertilizer products have been alleviated to a significant degree in this invention. The invention as disclosed imparts to the product satisfactory anti-caking and hardening characteristics and overcomes prior art disadvantages.
The present invention relates to an improved fertilizer particulate products and a method to prepare a novel seed particulate products. The hardness, non-friability and anti-caking of a granular or prilled product is enhanced as per this invention.
The improved granulated product as obtained in this invention is useful for either direct application to the soil or as an intermediate product for the subsequent incorporation with other fertilizer materials into solid bulk blends. The improved hardness, non-friable and anti-caking characteristics render the product equal or in some cases superior to other fertilizer granules produced by other methods known in prior art.
Thus, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a particulate product having improved hardness, non-friable and anti-caking properties, said product being transformed into particulate form from an admixture of fly-ash and seed material.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a particulate product having improved hardness, non-friable, and anti-caking properties comprising the steps of incorporating fly-ash into seed material to form a mixture and transforming said mixture into a particulate form.
Any material which may be granulated in known devices may be processed in the granulation device of the present invention. Examples of specific materials which may be used include: herbicides, fungicides, flue dust, etc. but it is not limited to those.

A method of pan granulation of fertilizer and other materials into granules has been disclosed substantially. The method involves formation of the granule directly on the pan from the feedstock without intermediate steps. The result is a product having a completely uniform cross section and sufficient granule strength. This method has the advantage of allowing granulation of material that is difficult to granulate in prior art in a safe and expedient manner.
The process involves the conversion of particulate into agglomeration using a conventional pan granulator but under certain operating conditions.
It is to be noted that generally wet granulation is inherently complicated, since irregular particle crystallography is inherently difficult to control. Wet powder is not uniform and this would lead to non-uniform accretion, over nucleation and eventual breakdown of the process. For these reasons among others, the prior art has not realized an effective and viable process for wet granulation. But this invention has disclosed a simple but successful method.
In this invention, art is disclosed whereby most any industrial material, including fertilizers, chemicals and minerals, may be granulated in very high yield by a new process that is used in conjunction with a specially designed /configured pan granulation system.
Conclusively, this invention provides a process for pan granulating sugar distillery fly-ash, wherein the process comprises of 3 steps:-First Stage:-
a. Providing particulate material having a size of about 50% minus 150
tyler mesh,
Second Stage :-
b. Feeding the particulate material from step (a) to a pan granulator
containing weight seed material having a size of -10 to +14 tyler mesh and
occupying 10 to 40% of pan volume
Third Stage:-

1.,
c. Feeding a binder solution to the pan granulator in an amount of about 0
to 70% by weight of the sugar distillery fly-ash material and treating said particulate
material in said pan granulator to layer the particulate material onto the seed material
in a single pass to form an enlarged particulate material of about 95% by weight
which has a particle size distribution of about -5 to about +8 tyler mesh.
The drying of said enlarged particulate material is done in any conventional equipment such as rotary dryer, fluid bed dryer and travelling belt dryer.
The enlarged particulate material has a particle size distribution of about -5 to +8 mesh.
The feeding of binder solution is an atomizing spray through plurality of nozzles.
The particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the pan angle shall be 15 - 70° from horizontal.
Alternatively particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the pan angle shall be specifically in the range of 20° - 65° from horizontal.
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the pan angle shall be more specifically in the range of 20° - 60° from horizontal.
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the operation speed of pan shall be 10-35 rpm
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the operation speed of pan shall be specifically in the range of 12-30 rpm
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the operation speed of pan shall be more specifically in the range of 15-30 rpm
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the number of nozzles is 1-5

Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh

and the number of nozzles shall be specifically in the range of 1-4
Alternatives the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the number of nozzless hall be more specifically in the range of 1-3
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the
spray angle is 10 -130°
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the spray angle shall be specifically in the range of 30° -100°
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the spray angle shall be more specifically in the range of 40° - 90°
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the spray angle spacing is 1-100mm
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the spray angle spacing shall be specifically in the range of 20-80mm
Alternatively the particle size distribution may be about -5 to +8 tyler mesh and the spray angle spacing shall be more specifically in the range of 30-60mm.
The pan may have 0.40 m diameter and 12.6cm depth for lab scale and 2.4 m dia and 35.5 cm depth for commercial scale.
The rate of feeding of particulate material to dimensioned pan may be in general 1-20 Kg/hr for lab scale.
Specifically the rate of feeding of particulate material to dimensioned pan may be 1-17Kg/hrin lab scale.

more specifically the rate of feeding of particulate material to dimensioned pan is 1-14 Kg /hr in lab scale.
The granules shall have a moisture percentage of 7 to 20% w/w

The binder spray nozzle type shall be selected from any conventional systems such as rain drop type, flat fan, even flat fan, twin orifice flat fan, extended flat fan, high pressure, low pressure, flood, hollow cone, fine hollow cone, full cone, solid cone, and spiral.

The binder solution is generally a viscous liquid with dissolved and un-dissolved organic compounds along with water content and the water content shall be in the range 20-90% by weight and preferred water content shall be in the range of 20-80% by weight and more preferred in the range 20-70% by weight

The feeding of particulate material to pan should not be pulsating is one of the essential condition of the method.

Although the invention has been described in detail in the foregoing for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be limited by the claims.

\A/E CLAIM:

1. A process for pan granulating sugar distillery fly-ash material, wherein the process
comprises:

a. providing particulate material having a size of about 50% minus 150 tyler mesh,

b. feeding the particulate material from step (a) to a pan granulator containing weight seed material having a size of -10 to +14 tyler mesh and occupying 10 to 40% of pan volume, and

c. feeding a binder solution to the pan granulator in an amount of about 0 to 70% by weight of the sugar distillery -ash material and treating said particulate material in said pan granulator to layer the particulate material onto the seed material in a single pass to form an enlarged particulate material of about 95% by weight which has a particle size distribution of about -5 to +8 tyler mesh.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises drying said enlarged particulate material in any conventional equipment such as rotary dryer, fluid bed dryer, travelling belt dryer etc.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the enlarged particulate material has a particle size distribution of about -5 to +8 tyler mesh

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the feeding of binder solution is an atomizing spray through plurality of nozzles.

5. The process as claimed in claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the pan angle shall be 15 - 70° from horizontal.

6. The process as claimed in claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the pan angle shall be specifically in the range of 20° - 65° from horizontal.

7. The process as claimed in claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the pan angle shall be more specifically in the range of 20° - 60° from horizontal.

8. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the operation speed of pan shall be 10-35 rpm.

9. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the operation speed of pan shall be specifically in the range of 12-30 rpm.

10. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the operation speed of pan shall be more specifically in the range of 15-30 rpm.

11. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the number of nozzles is 1-5.

12. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the number of nozzles shall be specifically in the range of 1-4.

13. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the number of nozzles shall be more specifically in the range of 1-3.

14. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the spray angle is 10 -130°.

1 5. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the spray angle shall be specifically in the range of 30° -100°.

16. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the spray angle shall be more specifically in the range of 40° -90°.

17. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the spray angle spacing is 1-100mm.

18. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the spray angle spacing shall be specifically in the range of 20-80mm.

19. The process as claimed in Claim 3 with particle size distribution about -5 to +8 tyler mesh wherein the spray angle spacing shall be more specifically in the range of 30-60mm.

20. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pan has 2.40 m diameter and 0.355 m depth in commercial scale.

21. The process as claimed in claim 20 wherein the rate of feeding of particulate material to dimensioned pan is in the range of 1-1000 Kg /hr.

22. The process as claimed in claim 20 wherein the rate of feeding of particulate material to dimensioned pan is specifically in the range of 1- 800 Kg / hr.

23. The process as claimed in claim 20 wherein the rate of feeding of particulate material to dimensioned pan is more specifically in the range of 1- 600 Kg / hr.

24. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the granules have a moisture percentage of 7 to 20% w/w.

25. The process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the binder spray nozzle type shall be selected from any conventional systems such as rain drop type, flat fan, even flat fan, twin orifice flat fan, extended flat fan, high pressure, low pressure, flood, hollow cone, fine hollow cone, full cone, solid cone, and spiral.

26. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the binder solution is spent wash solution which is also a bye-product of sugar distillery plant which generally a viscous liquid with dissolved and un-dissolved organic compounds along with water content, generally in the temperature range of 30-60 deg C, specifically in the range of 30-50 deg C and more specifically in the range of 30 to 45 deg C.

27. The process as claimed in claim 26 wherein the water content is in the range 20-90% by weight.

28. The process as claimed in claim 26 wherein the water content shall be specifically in the range of 20-80% by weight.

29. The process as claimed in claim 26 wherein the water content shall be more specifically is in the range 20-70% by weight.

30. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the feeding of particulate material to pan should not be pulsating.

31. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the particulate material is sugar distillery fly-ash generated from Co-generation boilers.

32. The process as claimed in claim 1 & 31 wherein the fly-ash is from sugar distillery characterized in containing K20 thereby usable as a fertilizer in agriculture.

33. A fertilizer comprising of pan granulated sugar distillery fly-ash material coated onto a seed material and characterized in the enlarged particulate material with particle size distribution of about -5 to +8 tyler mesh.

34. The fertilizer as claimed in claim 33 may include additional nutrients.