RICHI MACHINERY Successfully Commissions 3 T/H Activated Carbon Pellet Production Line in Saudi Arabia

RICHI MACHINERY has officially completed commissioning of a 3-ton-per-hour activated carbon pellet production line in eastern Saudi Arabia, marking an important milestone in the company’s expansion into industrial material pelletizing applications across the Middle East. This project reinforces RICHI’s commitment to supporting regional industrial development and providing turnkey solutions for high-value materials.

The project was initiated by a regional industrial investor seeking to localize activated carbon pellet manufacturing for air filtration, wastewater treatment, and chemical processing sectors. Traditionally, activated carbon pellets used in these industries have been imported at high cost. This new facility enables domestic production, reducing supply chain dependency while improving response time to regional demand.

Market Background and Project Objectives

Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in environmental protection, industrial upgrading, and water resource management. Activated carbon plays a critical role in gas adsorption, odor control, and contaminant removal across oil & gas facilities, desalination plants, and manufacturing operations.

The customer approached RICHI MACHINERY with clear performance requirements: consistent pellet geometry, high mechanical strength, stable adsorption capacity, and continuous production capability under desert climate conditions.

After technical evaluation and raw material testing, RICHI proposed a customized pelletizing solution tailored to coconut shell-based activated carbon powder blended with mineral binders.

Raw Material Characteristics and Process Challenges

Activated carbon powder features extremely fine particle size and low natural binding properties, making pellet formation technically demanding. Excess moisture can compromise adsorption efficiency, while insufficient compaction leads to fragile pellets and dust generation.

RICHI engineers designed a controlled process incorporating:

• Precision dosing of binders
• High-shear mixing to ensure uniform moisture distribution
• Optimized die compression ratios
• Low-temperature drying to preserve pore structure

These measures allow the production of cylindrical pellets with consistent density and durability while maintaining adsorption performance.

Equipment Configuration and Production Capacity

The production line is designed for a nominal capacity of 3 T/H and includes:

• Fine grinding and classification system
• Intensive paddle mixer with liquid injection
• Vertical ring die pellet mill
• Low-temperature belt dryer
• Cooling and polishing unit
• Vibrating screening system
• Automatic packaging section

All contact components are manufactured from wear-resistant alloys to accommodate abrasive carbon materials. The pellet mill is equipped with a forced feeding system to maintain stable throughput, while the drying module ensures final pellet moisture remains below 8%.

Commissioning and Performance Results

RICHI technical engineers arrived on site in December 2025 to supervise installation and commissioning. After three weeks of mechanical alignment, electrical integration, and parameter optimization, the line entered continuous operation.

Trial production confirmed:

• Pellet durability index above 95%
• Uniform pellet diameter within ±0.3 mm
• Stable output at 3 T/H
• Low dust generation during packaging

Operators also received training covering binder management, die maintenance, and production optimization.

Supporting Regional Industrial Development

With the facility now operational, the customer can supply activated carbon pellets directly to nearby industrial users, reducing transportation costs and improving delivery timelines.

This project demonstrates RICHI MACHINERY’s capability to extend pelletizing technology beyond traditional biomass and feed applications into high-value industrial materials.