Laboratory
& Pilot Scale Equipment - Three
Basic Designs
Technical Presentations At Your Site – Or Ours
Technical presentations and seminars are available for
R&D staff personnel who may need more detailed information on
selection, installation, operation and maintenance of drying systems, as
well as the scale-up methods required to take development data to
production. Presentations can be conducted on-site in Niro's conference
center or in your own facilities.
Niro pilot scale drying systems are offered in
three basic designs:
Spray Dryer
Spray drying is a method of blending and drying different liquid
components in one continuous step. Liquid feed is introduced into a
heated drying chamber. An atomizer is used to break the feed into a
spray or mist which dries in particulate form.
The dried particles and the moisture laden air pass
from the drying chamber into the powder separator. The dried particles
are discharged from the bottom of the separator while the air is pulled
out of the top.
Three types of atomization are generally used. A
rotary atomizer centrifugally accelerates the liquid feed to a high
velocity, producing a fine discrete spherical particle averaging 10 to
40 microns.
For a larger or coarser particle, a two-fluid or
pneumatic nozzle uses air to break up the liquid feed into droplets,
producing powders in the range of 60-110 microns.
The co-current, two-fluid nozzle is used in place of
the rotary atomizer because of chamber size or product specifications.
Placed in the top of the drying chamber, it is capable of producing fine
particles much like the rotary atomizer. Maximum particle size varies
depending on the length of the drying chamber.
Typical Applications
Spray drying is ideal for ceramics, polymers, flavors, pharmaceuticals,
agro-chemicals and biochemicals.
Vibro Fluidizer (Fluid Bed Dryer)
The Vibro Fluidizer is especially suited for products that fluidize
poorly due to broad particle size distribution and/or irregular particle
shape.
The fluid bed contains a specially designed perforated
air distributor plate built into a long, narrow enclosed chamber. This
gives close control of product residence time during processing. The
feed material is continuously fed on to the distributor plate and forms
a shallow powder layer of up to 200 mm. Air is forced through the plate
to fluidize the powder and create ideal conditions for processing.
If the product is readily fluidizable, little or no
vibration is required. For products with poor fluidization
characteristics, vibration is essential to promote the best processing
conditions and control product transport.
The continuous fluid bed is successfully used on all
types of powders, agglomerates and granulates.
The Vibro Fluidizer can be operated either as an
individual unit for drying, heating or cooling powders, or in
association with spray dryers as an after dryer cooler, de-duster and
agglomerator.
Typical Applications
The Vibro Fluidizer is ideal for general chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
biochemicals, polymers, foodstuffs and dairy products.
Swirl Fluidizer (Flash Dryer)
The Swirl Fluidizer is the best solution when viscous fluids, sludges,
pastes and filter cakes must be converted to fine powder.
The heart of the drying process is a cylindrical
drying chamber consisting of three important components: an air
disperser, a rotating disintegrator, and a drying section.
The hot drying air enters the air disperser
tangentially, and with the use of an advanced guide vane arrangement is
introduced into the drying section as an intense, controlled swirling
air flow. The rotating disintegrator is mounted at the base of the
drying section.
Under the influence of the disintegrator operation and
swirling air flow, a feed comminution and drying process takes place,
and the resulting dry fine particles pass out with the exhaust air for
collection in a bag filter.
The disintegrator speed controls the degree of
comminution, and hence particle size.
As the air residence time in the drying section is
very short, typically 1-2 seconds, the Swirl Fluidizer is always a
compact unit.
Typical Applications
The Swirl Fluidizer is ideal for catalysts, dyestuffs, pigments,
inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, zeolites and kaolin.
Complete Test Facilities Available
Niro maintains a fully equipped test facility at our Columbia, MD site,
with seven spray dryers, five fluid bed dryers, three flash dryers and
an analytical lab. Niro can perform feasibility studies or product
testing and produce up to 1000 pounds of product for commercial trials.
Lease or Purchase
Niro offers either a direct purchase plan or a lease/purchase plan,
which allows customers to use small scale systems for a few months prior
to making a final decision.
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