Vacuum fluid bed

Fig. 6.2-27 P ID of a batch vacuum top-spray fluid-bed granulator with solvent recovery (courtesy Glatt, Binzen, Germany) Fig. 6.2 -28 Comparison of the drying temperatures and times achieved in contact and vacuum fluid-bed dryers (courtesy Glatt, Binzen, Germany)...

Fig. 6.2-29 SEM image of a granule produced in a vacuum fluid-bed granulator (courtesy Glatt, Binzen, Germany)...

Fig. 6.2-30 shows photographs of two batch vacuum fluid-bed granulators with liquid recovery, indicating the extent of the vacuum and recovery systems. 

Luy B, Hirschfeld P, Leuenberger H. Granulation and drying in vacuum fluid-bed system. Pharm Ind 1989 51 89. 

In detail, a vacuum fluid bed plant (Scheme 13.3) [1] consists ofthe following main components ... 

Thermochemical Liquefaction. Most of the research done since 1970 on the direct thermochemical Hquefaction of biomass has been concentrated on the use of various pyrolytic techniques for the production of Hquid fuels and fuel components (96,112,125,166,167). Some of the techniques investigated are entrained-flow pyrolysis, vacuum pyrolysis, rapid and flash pyrolysis, ultrafast pyrolysis in vortex reactors, fluid-bed pyrolysis, low temperature pyrolysis at long reaction times, and updraft fixed-bed pyrolysis. Other research has been done to develop low cost, upgrading methods to convert the complex mixtures formed on pyrolysis of biomass to high quaHty transportation fuels, and to study Hquefaction at high pressures via solvolysis, steam—water treatment, catalytic hydrotreatment, and noncatalytic and catalytic treatment in aqueous systems. 

Instant Active Dry Yeast. Instant ADY (lADY or HADY) production is similar to ADY production but requires a different strain of yeast. After pressing, the yeast is extmded into noodles 0.2—0.5 mm in diameter and 1—2 cm long and deposited on a metal screen or perforated plate in a fluid-bed air dryer. Drying time is shorter than with ADY, about 1—2 hours in practice, with a final moisture level of 4—6%. Instant active dry yeast does not require separate rehydration. It is always packaged in a protective atmosphere or under vacuum. On an equivalent soHds basis, the activity of lADY is greater than that of regular ADY, but stiU less than that of compressed yeast. 

Freeze drying has also been carried out at atmospheric pressure in fluid beds using circulating refrigerated gas. Vacuum-type vibrating conveyors, rotating multishelf dryers and vacuum pans can be used as can dielectric and microwave heating. 

Equipment commonly employed for the diying of sohds is described both in this subsection in Sec. 12, where indirect heat transfer devices are discussed, and in Sec. 17 where fluidized beds are covered. Diyer control is discussed in Sec. 8. Excluding fluid beds this subsection contains mainly descriptions of direct-heat-transfer equipment. It also includes some indirect units e.g., vacuum diyers, furnaces, steam-tube diyers, and rotaiy calciners. 

Fluidized-bed driers are also widely used due to their large heat- and mass-transfer coefficients. However, materials of even moderate adherence and cohesiveness cannot be dried in a fluid bed. The same applies to materials that are sensitive to oxygen, especially at elevated temperatures. Vacuum drying is often necessary for oxygen sensitive materials and this is not easy to realize in fluid-bed driers, although there are systems to deal with this problem. Fluid-bed driers are not as easy to clean as shelf driers or rotary driers. 

This cycle of vaporisation of the solvent, condensation, extraction, and vacuum-filtration may be repeated any number of times in a solid-fluid serial extractor. The occurrence of an extractive material fluid bed as a result of the flow of boiling hot vapour provides for effective extraction, while pressure filtration provides for short cycle times. This functional principle makes it possible to achieve filtration pressures which are 50-100 times more effective than when using the Soxhlet method, where only the low hydrostatic pressure of the extractive fluid operates. Solid-fluid-vortex extraction according to the proprietary FEXTRA (Feststoff Extraktion) principle is low cost. 

Extrusion with the aid of a vacuum applied to the screw. The process is applied particularly in the preparation of extrudates to be vulcanised by either the liquid curing medium or fluid bed techniques. It assists in removing the volatiles from the compound and thus improves the quality of the extrudate. 

Given that the introduction of solvent obviously produces wet granules, the wet granulation process includes a drying step. Drying typically occurs in a fluid bed dryer. But there are other options, such as microwave vacuum dryers. In 1994, White applied on-line NIRS to monitor moisture content and predict drying end point in two TK Fielder microwave dryers. The NIR spectral data were correlated to off-line Karl Fischer measurements which resulted in a standard error of prediction equal to 0.6% when the samples... 

Borax decahydrate is produced from borate ores, primarily colemanite and also from dry lake brines. When produced from its ore, the ore is crushed and then blended with B2O3. The blend is mixed with hot recycle liquor in a dissolving plant. Rock and clay particles from the liquor are removed over vibrating screens. The hquor is then fed to thickeners for settling of insolubles after which the underflow mud is washed with water. The strong liquor of borax hydrates is then pumped into continuous vacuum crystallizers for the separation of the pentahydrate first and then the decahydrate. The products are dried in rotary or fluid bed driers. 

Via HVAC systems, fluid bed driers, film-coaters, vacuum systems, and product containers... 

Vacuum tray Agitated Convection tray Through-circulation Fluid bed Agitated Through-circulation Fluid bed Fluid bed Vacuum band Indirect rotary Spray Pneumatic Band Tray Through-circulation Indirect rotary Spray Pneumatic Direct rotary Fluid bed ... 

Agitated batch Through-circulation Fluid bed Vacuum band Pneumatic... 

It seems that fluid-bed cracking reactor (thermal or catalytic) is the best solution for industrial scale. However, regeneration and circulation of so-called equilibrium cracking catalyst is possible for relatively pure feeds, for instance crude oil derived from vacuum gas oils. Municipal waste plastics contain different mineral impurities, trace of products and additives that can quickly deactivate the catalyst. In many cases regeneration of catalyst can be impossible. Therefore in waste plastics cracking cheap, disposable catalysts should be preferably applied. Expensive and sophisticated zeolite and other molecular sieves or noble-metal-based catalysts will find presumably limited application in this kind of process. The other solution is thermal process, with inert fluidization agent and a coke removal section or multi-tube reactor with internal mixers for smaller plants. 

Agitated batch Drum Spray Agitated batch Vacuum band Drum Spray Vacuum tray Agitated batch Convection tray Fluid bed Vacuum band Drum Spray Pneumatic Convection band Cont. tray Vacuum tray Convection tray Batch through-circulation Fluid bed Pneumatic Convection band Cont. tray Cont. through-circulation... 

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