YC-501 Inert Loop Spray Dryer

Inert Loop Spray Dryer: The Complete Buying Guide

Laboratory needs dry samples: one is aqueous solution and the other is organic solvent. Most laboratory spray dryers can only be used for spray drying aqueous solution. However, if your materials are flammable and explosive organic solvents, YC-501 inert loop spray dryer could be your best choice.

YC-501 Inert loop spray dryer are specially used for spray drying organic solvents. They are safe and reliable and can also be used to spray dry aqueous solutions.

Pilotech YC-501 inert loop spray dryer replaces compressed air with nitrogen or other inert gases instead as hot air. Their working process is as follows: a sample is transported to the spray head through a peristaltic pump and atomized into small liquid droplets under the action of compressed nitrogen. During atomization, the small liquid droplets meet heated nitrogen and are rapidly dried. The dried materials (powder) pass through a cyclone separator and are collected into a collection bottle. After entering the nitrogen circulation system, the waste gas is first filtered precisely to recycle some powder inside and then condensed to recycle organic solvent vapor, the recycled nitrogen enters the next cycle.

Safety is an important index for inert loop spray dryer. We have set that if the oxygen concentration in the system goes beyond 2.5%, the equipment will automatically stop or be unable to start so as to ensure the safe use of YC-501 spray dryer.

YC-501 inert loop spray dryer is applicable to spray drying various organic solvents including methanol, ethanol, acetone, diethyl ether and toluene.

They are also well applied to various industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, chemicals, polymer materials, ceramics, and energy.

And YC-501 inert loop spray dryer has three specifications, 500ml/h, 1500ml/h and 3000ml/h. The 500ml/h model is suitable for spray drying micro samples, while the 3000ml/h model are suitable for pilot scale experiment.

You don’t have to worry about the use of the equipment because we have made a video about the operation procedures. That video will teach you how to use YC-501 spray dryer system, in a step by step process.

If you are looking for the right inert loop spray dryer manufacturer for your applications and needs, don’t hesitate, get a quote now.

Inert Loop Spray Dryer: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

This guide will answer all questions you have been asking about inert loop spray dryer machines.

It covers everything including installation, maintenance, components, working principle, price, and benefits, among other critical factors.

Keep reading to learn more about this spray dryer machine.

What is an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

An inert loop spray dryer is a type of dryer that mainly uses nitrogen in drying your product.

The use of nitrogen is due to its advantages, such as ease of use and its healing properties.

Inert loop spray dryer system

Where can you use an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

Application of an inert loop spray dryer are in:

• Pharmaceutical industry
• Food and beverage industry
• Chemical and mineral industry
• Environmental pollution control

What should you consider when Purchasing Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

The key considerations that you need to check when purchasing an inert loop spray dryer include:

· Type of Inert Loop Spray Dryer

Specifying the type of inert loop spray dryer to use facilitates your drying process.

These types may vary due to the type of nozzle and how air flows during the drying process.

· Quality

Ensuring a particular inert loop spray dryer meets all its quality standards before purchasing is essential.

This is because it assures you of the quality drying of your products.

A sure way of getting a quality inert loop spray drier is by purchasing it from certified manufacture.

You can also check with relevant authorities to get a list of quality standards for your machine.

· Drying Capacity

These machines come in various drying capacities. Selecting one for your use depends on the volume of output you have.

It is better to purchase a dryer with a higher capacity than one with which is less than your production capacity.

This is to allow for future increases in production.

The higher the capacity, the higher it costs you to purchase your inert loop spray dryer.

· Spare Parts

Easy access to spare parts facilitates the maintenance process of your inert loop spray dryer.

You must inquire from your manufacturer if they have the spare parts before purchasing from them.

· Warranty

A warranty is a confidence statement from the manufacturer on your machine’s lack of failure for a given time.

However, if it fails, you can return the machine to them for repair at no extra cost.

Reliable manufacturers have warranties on the inter loop spray dryer.

Such manufacturers are the best ones from whom you can purchase your dryer.

What are the Benefits of an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

Benefits that an inert loop spray dryer offers include:

· Extends Product’s Lifespan

Through the drying process, you get to remove harmful bacteria that tend to destroy your products.

This enhances the lifespan of your product; hence you can store such products for later use.

· Reduces Cost

Using this machine reduces various costs of your factory. Such costs include transportation costs and storage costs.

· Product Variation

You can produce the same product with different properties, such as the particle size, using an inert loop spray dryer.

This allows for the production of the same product to cater to different market requirements.

Are there Limitations of the Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

Yes.

You have to expect certain limitations when using an inert loop spray dryer.

For instance, its pricing is higher compared to other drying equipment.

This calls for proper budgeting if you are to purchase this machine.

This machine is limited to drying products that are in liquid form or are soluble.

This means you have to search for alternatives if you are drying both solid and liquid products.

That implies an additional cost that may not be readily available.

Cleaning the machine can be a challenge due to particles sticking on the corners of your machine.

Lack of proper cleaning can lead to contamination of your product.

This is through the interaction of the various powders.

What the Components of an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

The components you should expect in a functioning inert loop spray dryer are:

Schematic of spray dryer

· Feeder

This is the topmost part where you introduce your products to the drying process.

Some models allow for the mixing of the product to form a solution in the feeder.

Controlling the quantity of what flows through the filter facilitates the drying process.

· Atomization Chamber

The drying chamber is where conversion of the solution into tiny droplets.

When hot, dry inert gas comes into contact with the solution, the process occurs, thereby removing the excess liquid from the solution.

·  Nozzles

The nozzles facilitate the atomization process.

This is by spraying hot inert gas to the tiny droplet.

The process is usually uniform, which ensures the droplets are of uniform size.

There are different nozzles for your use.

You can use an individual type or have different types within your inert loop spray dryer.

·  Inlets and Outlets

The inlets and outlets allow for the flow of various materials into and out of your spray dryer.

Such materials include a heated inert gas, powder particles, and waste during the cleaning process.

· Heater

This is that component of your dryer that heats your dryer, which heats your inert gas.

This is the gas that is responsible for drying your product into fine particles.

· Heat Exchanger

This is a component that is available in some models.

It facilitates the heat transfer from the hot inert gas flowing out of the drying unit to the cold air flowing into the heating unit.

The use of this unit reduces the energy costs required to heat your inert gas.

· Pressure Gauge

A pressure gauge is essential in controlling the inert gas flowing from the nozzles during the drying process.

You can monitor and increase or decrease the pressure flowing through.

· Cyclones

This is the collection point for the powder particles from the drying process.

These cyclones come in different capacities depending on the drying capacity of your inert loop spray dryer.

· Filters

The function of the filter is to collect finer powder particles flowing through the cyclones.

The fine powder here flows back for recycling purposes.

· Control Unit

This is a safety point on the inter loop spray dryer that allows you to manipulate its functioning.

It consists of buttons and a screen that facilitates the controlling process.

Some models allow you to check where a problem is in case of malfunctioning of the dryer.

How do you Install Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

The installation process involves taking into consideration all the components of your dryer.

This reduces accidents when installing.

You have to consider your safety when installing this machine.

Proper installation involves following your manufacturer’s manual.

You have to consider the electrical cables and connect them appropriately to the power source.

How does an Inert Loop Spray Dryer Work?

An inert loop spray dryer works under the following steps:

· Wetting

The product you are drying should be in liquid form.

This means you have to mix the product with water to make a solution.

For this to happen, the product you want to dry should be soluble with water.

Wetting aims to condition the product to allow for spray drying while optimizing the yield.

Proper wetting involves dissolving the product if it is in solid form and evaporating to attain the necessary concentration.

Concentration aims to increase the solid particles in the solution for better dry spraying yields.

Heating in this step facilitates counterbalancing of the viscosity increase as a result of the evaporation.

Once you have your solution, you have to pump at high pressure towards the spray dryer.

· Atomization

Atomization converts the solution into tiny droplets.

This process aims to remove as much humidity as possible from the solution.

There are nozzles in the atomizer unit which facilitate the process.

Different nozzles exist depending on the design of your inert loop spray dryer.

Common nozzles include a rotary nozzle, pressure nozzle, and two fluids nozzles.

The type of nozzle you have affects the droplet formation for your solution.

· Contact between Air and Drying Material

Contact between dry air and the droplets facilitates the drying process.

This is because air takes up the moisture present in the droplets.

You can increase this process by heating the air before it comes into contact with the droplets.

Air can get into contact with the drying material in different ways.

That is, you can introduce it to co-currently or counter-current.

Co-current direction involves introducing the air in the same direction as that of your fluid.

This involves introducing the air from the tower top while the fluid droplet enters the drying unit.

In a counter-current introduction, air flows from the bottom while the droplets flow from the top.

Heated air gets into contact with particles containing high humidity.

This prevents the particles from overheating during the process.

· Drying

As the particle moves along your inert loop spray dryer, so does drying take place.

Moisture reduces in the particles hence drying them.

The use of hot inert gas is critical in ensuring there is effective drying of your product.

There are two primary sources of hot inert gas that you can use on your dryer.

That is direct combustion of the inert gas.

This is an expensive and complicated method that makes your machine difficult to operate.

It entails heating the inert gas directly and using it to dry your product.

You can also use a heat exchanger system to heat your product.

It is an efficient and cost-effective way of heating your inert gas.

It entails heating your inert gas and letting it flow as it dries your product.

This method allows for the recycling of the inert gas as minimal heat is lost during the process.

This is because it does not come into direct contact with the product but only passes the heat.

Various controls determine the particle drying process.

Such controls include falling rate, constant drying rate, and bubble formation.

The constant drying rate depends on the mass transfer of the saturated particles in solution form.

The falling rate is a diffusion-dependent process that depends on the liquid’s ability within the solution to evaporate.

Bubble formation works well when the particles’ temperature is higher than that of the liquid’s boiling point.

This causes the liquid to evaporate, thereby forming a bubble.

·  Solid Separation

Particle separation takes place after the drying process is over.

This takes place within cyclones consisting of filters, which increase the efficiency of the process.

It involves collecting the powder at the lower part of your dryer from where it flows to the cyclone.

In the cyclone, separation mainly takes place using air.

The air flowing through the cyclone blows any fine particles present, directing them back for the recycling process.

You have to avoid the use of humid air since it affects the quality of the powder particles.

If possible, you have to use hot, dry air.

· Packaging

The final step involves putting the dry powder particles in appropriate packaging material.

The packaging material should be weatherproof and resistant to wear and tear.

Packaging allows for safe storage of the product so it can reach the final customer in perfect condition.

What is the Price of an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

Different manufacturer prices their inert loop spray dryer differently depending on factors like:

· Capacity

The different capacities for inert loop spray dryers have different prices.

This is due to the drying quantity that they can handle at a given time.

It is upon you to specify your drying requirements before deciding which inert loop spray dryer to purchase.

· Type of Inert Loop Spray Dryer

Different types of inert loop spray dryers cost differently due to their unique characteristics.

Such characteristics include the type of nozzles present and their drying process.

These characteristics affect the quality of your drying process.

Therefore, you have to check on the unique characteristics of a given inert spray dryer before you purchase it.

· Manufacturer

The pricing of a manufacturer depends on different factors, including the material and production cost.

This results in price differences among the manufacturers.

You have to consider a manufacturer who offers a lower price.

However, it would be best to consider other factors like the quality and after-sale services of a given manufacturer.

What is the Capacity of an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

 Inert loop spray dryer

Inert loop spray dryers are available in different operational capacities.

You have to consider your drying requirements before selecting the perfect inert loop spray dryer capacity for your use.

Which Problems do you Experience when Using an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

You are likely to experience the following problems when operating and inert loop spray dryer:

· Cleaning Challenges

The design of an Inert loop spray dryer makes it hard to clean.

The effect of this is that it encourages contamination of your product.

· Low Productivity

Low productivity is a problem that affects your final output.

Different factors may cause your machine to experience low productivity.

For instance, it may be due to using the wrong solution or having your nozzle bearding.

· Friction

Friction cause wearing out of various parts of your machine resulting in low drying capacity.

Replacing worn-out parts can be expensive.

· Product Build-up

Product build-up delays the drying process by not allowing the product to flow efficiently.

This may be due to the wrong configuration of your dryer or using a wrong nozzle.

How do you Troubleshoot an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

Depending on the problem you are experiencing, you can troubleshoot your inert loop spray dryer in the following ways:

Inert loop spray dryer system

· Cleaning Challenges

Troubleshooting cleaning challenges involves the use of pressurized water to remove hidden dirt.

You also have to use the required cleaning detergent to clean your machine.

You may have to disassemble certain parts of your machine to remove the dirt present in these areas.

Given the nature of products that such a machine handles, you have to ensure that it is sparkling clean always.

· Low Productivity

Solving this problem depends on what is causing it.

If you are using the wrong products, you have to ensure that the product dissolves completely before using it.

The problem may also be due to nozzle bearding.

This may be due to the wrong configuration of the dryer, using wide spray angles, and having a deficiency in the nozzle design.

The effect of this is you have to clean your machine frequently.

This reduces the drying time resulting in low productivity.

Solving this problem involves using configuring your machine properly and using the right spraying angle.

· Friction

Friction causes wear and tear on your machine.

This affects reducing the drying time, leading to low production since you have to repair these parts.

Solving friction problems involves lubricating the moving parts of your machine.

Also, you have to replace the parts which are worn out to ensure an efficient drying process.

· Product Build-up

Product build-up solution depends on the source of the problem.

For instance, if the problem is the spray dryer’s wrong configuration, you have to configure it correctly.

Also, you need to use the right nozzle if the problem is due to the type of nozzle in use.

How different is an Inert Loop Spray Dryer from other Types of Spray Dryers?

The use of nitrogen in an Inert loop spray dryer is what differentiates it from spray dryers.

Spray dryers normally use air to dry your products.

What is the Power Rating for an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

The power rating for an inter loop spray dryer varies depending on factors such as type and capacity.

However, an ideal power rating for a particular inter loop spray dryer does not affect your factor’s total power requirements.

Inert Loop Lab Mini Spray Dryer

Which Nozzles can you use on an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

Nozzles which you can use on an inert loop spray dryer are:

 Spray dryer nozzle

· Pressure Nozzles

They work by transforming the energy of the pressure liquid into kinetic energy.

The pressure liquid energy is present in the thin liquid layer.

Air friction effect and the physical properties of the thin layers separates them from each other.

Pressure variation is the main controlling factor in this type of nozzle.

The use of this nozzle reduces the sedimentation within your dryer chamber, and it also affects powder formation.

The two types of pressure nozzles available for your use are high pressure and two-fluid pressure nozzles.

· Pneumatic Nozzles

Atomization of the liquid uses high air pressure.

This results in a lot of friction, which breaks the liquid mass forming tiny droplets.

The formation of the tiny droplets takes place in two stages.

Also, the initial stage involves changing into coarse droplets the liquid solution.

The next step is changing into tiny droplets, the coarse droplets.

Now, the quality of these droplets depends on factors such as air feed, surface tension, and viscosity.

· Centrifugal Nozzles

The functioning of a centrifugal nozzle involves moving the liquid towards its center using centrifugal force.

The center consists of rotary disks which facilitate the formation of the tiny droplets.

Now, the particle size depends on the viscosity, surface tension, and density of your product.

The advantage of using this nozzle is you don’t experience problems such as clogging and fouling.

This makes it suitable for use in high viscosity products.

When selecting an inert loop spray dryer, you have to consider factors such as:

• The viscosity, density, particle size ad solid content of the spray media.
• The needed flow rate of the spray media
• Nozzle pressure drop

How do you Determine the Airflow Rate in an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

Determining your inert loop spray dryer’s airflow rate depends on the operating temperature, the size of the powder particle you want, and the concentration of the solution.

Can you use Steam Directly in an Inert Loop Spray Drying Process?

No.

The use of steam directly is not recommended due to the negative effect on your drying process.

Steam consists of moisture, which, when it comes into contact with the tiny droplets, affects the powder formation process.

Which Gas do you use in an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

The main gas that you use in an inert loop spray dryer is nitrogen.

Also, the unique characteristics of nitrogen make it ideal for use in this machine.

Such characteristics include its safety and ease of use.

How do you Enhance the Efficiency of an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

Schematic diagram of inert loop spray dryer

You can enhance the efficiency of your inert loop spray dryer by considering some parameters.

You need to check on the temperature of heated inert gas.

This is critical in ensuring the powder dries effectively.

High temperature causes the particles to over dry, which affects their quality.

Low-temperature results in the powder containing moisture, which tends to stick on the drying chamber’s sides.

You can also enhance the efficiency of your dryer by controlling the air flow rate.

Insufficient air flow rate causes your particles not to dry properly.

This affects the particle size of the powder.

The product you are drying should be highly soluble. This ensures there is a maximum drying of your product.

It also ensures there is uniformity in your powder particles.

How do you Test an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

You can subject the following tests on your inert loop spray dryer:

· Visual Inspection Test

This is a test that checks for the proper installation and working of your inert lop spray dryer.

It involves visual checking for any malfunctioning of your machine.

This ensures there is maximum functionality of your inert loop spray dryer.

· Factory Acceptance Test

This is a test that your manufacturer conducts on your inert loop spray dryer to ensure it meets all the quality standard specifications.

This test guarantees your machine quality performance.

· Initializing Test

This is a test that you carry before you start operating your inert loop spray dryer.

It involves connecting to the power source and carrying out a mock operation on it.

By conducting this test, you can determine your machine’s efficiency and any section that requires maintenance.

What is the Maintenance Procedure for an Inert Loop Spray Dryer?

The aim of maintaining your inert loop spray dryer is to enhance its efficiency and ensure it is in proper condition before using it.

You can achieve this in various ways. For instance, you need to clean your dryer after every use.

This removes dirt and unwanted particles from your machine, thus preventing contamination during the drying process.

When cleaning, you need to use the required cleaning agent to minimize your machine’s negative reaction.

Lubricating the moving parts is critical in preventing friction, which may affect the durability of your machine.

Always lubricate all the moving parts of your machine to reduce the wear and tear effect.

You have to carry out frequent inspections to your machine to check for any malfunctioning of the various parts.

This helps in timely repair and maintenance of your inert loop spray dryer.

Depending on your unique requirements, Pilotech designs and manufactures a range of spray drying machines including small spray dryer, low-temperature spray dryer, benchtop spray dryer, ceramic spray dryer, pilot scale spray dryer, vacuum spray dryer, nanospray dryer, and organic solvent spray dryer.

Contact us now for all your inert loop spray dryer machines.