P1: OTA/XYZ P2: ABC

JWBS080-c08 JWBS080-Vant November 1, 2011 10:7 Printer Name: Yet to Come

SPRAY DRYING

In Section 8.1, a general description of spray drying is given. Sections 8.2 through
8.4 deal with feed atomization. The single-fluid nozzle is discussed in Section 8.2,
and the rotary atomizer and the pneumatic nozzle are discussed in Sections 8.3 and
8.4 respectively. The quality of spray-dried products is treated in Section 8.5, and the
heat of crystallization in Section 8.6. Section 8.7 covers the recovery of the powder
and Section 8.8 the product transport by pneumatic conveying. Design methods are
dealt with in Section 8.9. The chapter concludes with an example.
Copyright © 2011. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

8.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Spray drying equipment accepts a feed in the fluid state (solution, suspension, or
paste) and converts it into a dried particulate form by spraying the fluid into a warm
or hot drying medium (usually, air).
There are four principal stages in the spray-drying process (see Fig. 8.1): (1) feed
atomization, (2) free moisture evaporation, (3) bound moisture evaporation, and (4)
product recovery (air cleaning).
As the feed is in the fluid state, generally, at least 1 kg of liquid (usually, water)
must be evaporated per kilogram of product. The limitation on solids content is the
feed rheology, which determines both the pumpability and the spraying behavior.

Drying in the Process Industry, First Edition. C.M. van ’t Land.

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

133
van, '. L. C. M. (2011). Drying in the process industry. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from mkuke-ebooks on 2020-03-30 00:20:20.
P1: OTA/XYZ P2: ABC
JWBS080-c08 JWBS080-Vant November 1, 2011 10:7 Printer Name: Yet to Come

134 SPRAY DRYING

Feed
Atomization Product
recovery,
Air
Baghouse

Spray-air
contact
Evaporation

Product

Figure 8.1 Process stages of spray drying.

Thus, the variable costs are high and the reasons for using spray drying must be
discussed. These reasons are:

1. The conventional sequence of concentration by evaporation, crystallization,

liquid–solid separation, and drying is too complicated.
Copyright © 2011. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

2. The quality of the spray-dried material is better than the quality of the material
made conventionally. The use of spray drying in ceramic manufacturing is an
example. A spray-dried pressbody has a controllable particle-size distribution,
consists of spherical particles, and is, because it does not contain fines, ideal
for pressing operations.
3. Proper mixing of the feed is important. The past use of spray drying in the
manufacture of detergents is an example. The spray dryer feed contained a
large number of ingredients that had to be mixed well.
4. Spray drying can function as a shaping step. The manufacture of fluid cracking
catalysts is an example. The spray dryer feed is a suspension of the active
ingredients in a waterglass solution. Spray drying produces spherical particles
of approximately 80 μm, which consist of a matrix of waterglass, in which the
active ingredients are embedded. These particles are subsequently re-slurried,
separated and leached on a belt filter to remove alkali, and the final drying
occurs in a flash dryer.
5. Spray drying does not need a mother liquor purge. Process control is thus rel-
atively easy.

van, '. L. C. M. (2011). Drying in the process industry. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from mkuke-ebooks on 2020-03-30 00:20:20.
P1: OTA/XYZ P2: ABC
JWBS080-c08 JWBS080-Vant November 1, 2011 10:7 Printer Name: Yet to Come

8.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION 135

Air Feed Feed Air Air Air

Feed

Feed

Air
Air, Product
Air, Product
Air

Product

Product Concurrent flow Countercurrent flow Mixed flow

Figure 8.2 Product and air flow modes.

Copyright © 2011. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

The spray dryer’s short residence time (about 25 s for both the product and the
gas) is a bonus for materials that cannot be exposed to high-temperature atmospheres
for long periods.
Typical products produced by means of spray drying are milk powder, coffee
powder, ceramic materials, detergents, and pigments.
Spray drying may proceed concurrently, countercurrently, or as a mixed-flow pro-
cess (see Fig. 8.2). Both concurrent spray drying and the mixed-flow process occur
more often than countercurrent spray drying.
Concurrent drying exposes the droplets to the highest air temperature and, hence,
rapid evaporation results. Initially, however, the droplet is at the adiabatic saturation
temperature and the mode is therefore suitable for thermolabile materials such as
milk powder. The initial rapid evaporation may affect the powder properties, such as
the bulk density, strongly.
Countercurrent drying exposes particles that are almost dry to the highest tem-
peratures, and hence very dry products can be produced. The mode is suitable for
relatively heavy particles that are thermally stable. The spray drying of detergents is
an example.

van, '. L. C. M. (2011). Drying in the process industry. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Created from mkuke-ebooks on 2020-03-30 00:20:20.