Larger capacities are achievable with shorter residence times
Thin film dryers can continuously dry slurry, crystallizing, or amorphous products under vacuum conditions.
As contact dryers the heat is transferred from the cylindrical heating jacket into the product, while a rotor with specific blade elements enhances heat and mass transfer to achieve the dried and fluidized solid. Due to the created turbulence, larger capacities are attainable with shorter residence times compared to conventional drying systems. Depending on the drying task and the consistency of the product, either vertical or horizontal arrangements can be selected for the thin film dryer.
Performance Features
- Capacity: 0.1 kg/h up to several t/h
- Operating pressure: 1 mbar to overpressure
- Turn down ratio: not limited
- Heat exchange surface: 0.04 m² - 60 m²
- Minimal scaling on the heat exchange surface
- Residue discharge: specialized for solid, free-flowing materials
- Distillation process: fully continuous
Typical Applications
Continuous drying to powders such as
- Active pharmaceutical ingredients
- Glycerin recovery
- Organometallic compounds
- Metal chloride recovery
- Agrochemicals
- Sewage and industrial sludges
Features of Vertical Thin Film Dryers
- Short residence time during the drying process
- Operating pressures: Low operating pressures achievable to avoid degradation
- Distillation process: fully continuous
- High heat exchange rate due to the thin and turbulent product film
- Available scales: laboratory, pilot and industrial
- Material of construction: stainless steel, special alloys
- Low operating pressures are achievable to avoid degradation
Features of Horizontal Thin Film Dryers
- Vapor discharge: co-current & countercurrent
- Residence time: adjustable
- Drying of non-homogeneous: possible
- High heat exchange rate due to the thin and turbulent product film
- Low operation pressures: achievable
- Available scales: laboratory, pilot and industrial
- Material of construction: stainless steel, special alloys, glass for R&D units
VTA provides package units in laboratory, pilot, and industrial scales.
These package units, comprising skid-mounted, pre-assembled systems, cater to wiped film and short-path distillation, rectification, and thin film drying processes.
All essential components such as evaporators, condensers, vessels, and piping are crafted in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities by highly skilled personnel, either by VTA or within the STREICHER group. Our comprehensive engineering services are entirely conducted in-house at VTA, ensuring seamless project execution by minimizing interfaces.
