Particle size control of detergents in mixed flow spray dryers

The Journal of Engineering

Luis Martin De Juan¹  Mark Jonathan Crosby²  Elaine Martin²  Gary Montague² 

[1] Procter and Gamble Technical Centres Ltd., Newcastle Innovation Centre, Whitley Road, Longbenton NE12 9TS, Tyne and Wear, UK;School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials (CEAM), Biopharmaceutical Bioprocess Technology Centre, Newcastle University, Merz Court, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

关键词: bulk density;    slurry rates;    mass flow rate;    small-scale pilot plant;    cascade control;    mean particle size;    powder detergent quality parameter;    mixed flow spray dryers;    mass slurry rate;    detergent particle size control;    atomisation technique;    automatic cascade loop approach;    online powder particle size measurements;   

DOI  :  10.1049/joe.2014.0250

学科分类：工程和技术（综合）

来源: IET

【 摘 要 】

Particle size is a key quality parameter of a powder detergent as it determines its performance, the bulk density and the look and feel of the product. Consequently, it is essential that particle size is controlled to ensure the consistency of performance when comparing new formulations. The majority of study reported in the literature relating to particle size control, focuses on the spray produced by the atomisation technique. One approach advocated to achieve particle size control is the manipulation of the ratio of the mass slurry rate and mass flow rate of gas used for atomisation. Within this study, ratio control was compared with an automatic cascade loop approach using online measurements of the powder particle size on a small-scale pilot plant. It was concluded that cascade control of the mean particle size, based on manipulating the mass flow rate of gas, resulted in tighter, more responsive control. The effect of a ratio change varied with different formulations and different slurry rates. Furthermore, changes in slurry rate caused complications, as the impact on particle size growth in the dryer is non-linear and difficult to predict. The cascade loop enables further study into the effect of particle size on detergent performance.

【 授权许可】

CC BY