All You Need To Know About The Significance Of Spray Characterization During The Spray Drying Process!!
Spray drying is mainly a continuous, rapid and cost-effective process for the production of powders from a fluid material by the use of atomization and through an atomizer into a hot and drying gas medium, and usually air. Often times, spray drying is considered as only a dehydration process, but it can even be used for the process of hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds within various carriers and without substantial thermal degradation. The solid particles obtained from the entire process relatively present narrow size distribution at the micron-submicron scale that completely depends on the spray characterization of the process.
Spray characterization parameters
There are several parameters that should be utilized in order to characterize a spray. A few major parameters include:
- Droplet velocity
- Droplet size
- Volume distribution
- Volume flux
- Droplet shape
- Solid Particles
- Material solid contents
- Rheology testing
- Droplet shape
- Flow rate
- Spray impact
- Operating pressure
- Droplet velocity
- Spray angle and so on.
Many of the above-given parameters are of crucial significance so as to properly optimize a spray drying solution. The efficiency, as well as the effectiveness of the nozzle of the spray dryer to be sprayed, can be greatly enhanced by fully understanding the characteristics of a spray, and also by identifying the various parameters that may not be significant.
So, depending on its specific application, each of the parameters may provide an advantage from a decrease, increase or optimally fixed setting which can be accomplished through a thorough analysis and testing.
Different benefits of the spray drying process
The use of spray characterization in the spray drying process makes the entire procedure quick and convenient. This, as a result, offers several advantages to industries that are undertaking this process.
It offers versatility and speed
Spray drying process’s ability to complete the entire drying process within quick time gives it an edge as compared to other industrial drying techniques. For instance, in the food industry, fast drying process plays an important role in ensuring less flavor loss. The entire process is adaptable and versatile to a wide range of industries and their product specifications.
It offers quality control features
Spray drying process produces powders of controllable quality and particle size. Some other characteristics influenced during the spray drying process include the degree of crystallinity, solvent levels and bulk density of the particles. Being able to easily control the parameters makes the overall process desirable for different industries like pharmaceuticals, where the absorption of medicine completely depends on its particle size.
