Other methods for the determination of agglomerate strength

All methods for the determination of tensile strength described above are too complicated and time consuming to be suitable for routine industrial quality control applications. In those cases it is the task of the test procedure to determine a specific characteristic of the agglomerate easily, quickly, and reliably. The results must only be reproducible and comparable within the own organization and a relation to theoretical predictions is normally not required comparisons with results from other plants are often not necessary or, in case of competing products, not desired. 

Some of the drum tests stress the materials much more severely. Methods 1 and 2 particularly are grindability tests producing abrasion values of up to 70%. On the other hand, methods 3 and 4 are so gentle that the results hardly differentiate between samples of different quality. Method 5 differentiates well but the relative measures of quality of materials A, B, and rock salt are switched. 

Briibach and Gohlich compared other methods for the determination of physical characteristics of granular fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides with similar results, and corresponding conditions have been found for many other practical test methods which are being applied in industry. 

The test can be carried out in different ways. One method is to drop individual briquettes, say five pieces, one after the other, from increasing heights. Strength is defined as that height from which all five briquettes survive the drop without damage. This test determines the maximum drop height in a plant that must 

The above descriptions of alternatives available in the execution of one test and additionally conceivable variations indicate again that data obtained during industrial testing are normally not comparable unless a standardization has taken place between different facilities. However, even in such cases results may vary considerably due to the influence of the human factor introduced by the technician doing the test. 

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