FEATURES :
ALPEN Turbo-drying technology offers an efficient and optimal means of drying low percent solids solutions, containing heat-sensitive product. This is particularly true of several of the ingredients in the Pharmaceutical & Drugs (including APIs), Nutraceutical, Biotechnical and Food Industries which are manufactured from the extraction or reaction of plant materials using solvents ( water, methanol, hexane, etc. ). These processes result in an end-product in the form of a liquid with very low percent solids level.
These products have one common undesirable characteristic – they exhibit stickiness while transitioning to the solids phase during drying. Drying methods such as freeze drying, spray drying, tray drying etc. prove to be either expensive or less energy-efficient, besides requiring scraping of the product stuck to the container surface. De-agglomeration becomes an additional process-step before powder phase is obtained, often resulting in yield loss, extra labor resource and space and spillage issues.
The ALPEN Turbo Dryer operates in a novel way, combining the advantages of fluidizing ( through high-speed agitation ) and vacuum drying ( with solvent recovery ), conserving heat-energy consumption and operating efficiency. Inherent in the process is de-agglomeration, shortening the drying time further and resulting in an end-product with very low moisture content. Optionally, for obtaining very-fines, milling of the dried product can be achieved in the dryer itself, incorporating a disintegrator as an integral component of the dryer. The Turbo-Dryer also incorporates specially designed scraping mechanism that can effectively minimize manual post-drying scraping needs to an absolute minimum. To achieve this, the agitation cycle is redefined.
These Dryers are engineered to maximize heat transfer rates, resulting in overall heat transfer coefficients that are many times higher than those of traditional dryers. This advanced drying technology generates rapid drying in a single drying chamber and in a single batch-run.
Optionally, to prevent carry-over of solids into the vacuum line, the ALPEN Turbo Dryer incorporates an enhanced Pulse Back Filter mechanism in which a pneumatic pulse jet system ( using air, Nitrogen, or suitable inert gas ) provides continuous automatic bag cleaning. This provides an efficient dust control system for the Turbo Dryer.
Trials conducted on the Turbo Dryer confirm the following design features :
- Controlled drying through effective/optimum heat transfer.
- Improved drying rates.
- Increased efficiencies of drying.
- Efficient single unit processing of the entire process.
Drying in ALPEN Turbo Dryer enables the customer to produce a pure, dried product with solvent levels below the limits set by the FDA. Also, the design and construction of the Dryer conforms to GMP standards and can be offered to meet or exceed FDA / 3A / USDA compliance as required by the customer.
Capacities Offered :
Pilot Lab Unit ( 10 Litres batch-size ) to Production Plant Unit ( 3,000 Litres batch-size ).
