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Drying 1 PDF
Drying 1 PDF
Drying: is defined as the removal of small amounts of water or other liquid from a material
by the application of heat.
Psychrometry: The determination of the vapor concentration and carrying capacity
of the gas is termed as Psychrometry.
Air-water system is mostly employed in pharmaceutical drying operations.
Humidity measurement:
The most accurate means of measuring humidity is by gravimetric method.
Humidity can be determined by taking two temperature measurements. The simplest
instrument for this purpose is the sling psychrometer.
Another different method for measuring humidity employs the hygrometer.
Theories of Drying
Drying involves both heat transfer as well as mass transfer. Heat must be transferred to the
material to be dried in order to supply the latent heat required for vaporization of the
moisture. Mass transferred is involved in the diffusion of water through the material to the
evaporating surface, in the subsequent evaporation of the water from the surface, and in
diffusion of the resultant vapor into the passing air stream.
Consider the film of liquid at the surface of material being dried. The rate of evaporation of
this film is related to rate of heat transfer by the equation: (temperature differential)
dW/dθ = q/λ -------❶
Where,
dW/dθ = rate of evaporation pounds of water per hour
q = overall rate of heat transfer (BTU per hour)
λ = latent heat of vaporization of water (BTU per pound).
The rate of diffusion of moisture into air is expressed by rate equations similar to those for
heat transfer. The driving force is humidity differential, whereas for heat transfer is a
temperature differential. The rate equation is as follows.
dW/dθ = K´A(Hs-Hg) ----------❷
Where,
dW/dθ = rate of diffusion
k´= coefficient of mass transfer
(it is not constant, but varies with velocity of passing air stream)
A = area of evaporating surface
CHAPTER DRYING SUBJECT: INDUSTRIAL PHARMACY
Depending upon temperature and humidity conditions, solids may absorbs or lose moisture.
Free Moisture Content (FMC)
FMC is the amount of water that is free to evaporate from the solid surface.
Free moisture content (FMC) = total water content – EMC
Such dry spot start appearing & drying rate start falling & point (point C) at which
decrease in drying rate start is referred to as the critical moisture content (CMC)
3. First falling Rate period
Also known as period of unsaturated surface drying. It is time corresponding to CD curve.
During this period, surface water is no longer replaced at a rate fast enough to maintain a
continuous film on the surface.
Dry spots begin to appear & rate of drying begins to fall off. The point D is referred to as
second critical point.
Second falling rate period
It is time corresponding to DE in graph. During this period, rate of drying falls even more
rapidly than the first falling rate & no film is present on surface.
At the end, the drying rate becomes zero & moisture content of solids at this point
(Point E) referred to as Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC).