Thermo-sensitive powder drying - a novel approach utilizing thin film evaporators to replace or enhance spray or freeze dryers

Abstract: Spray drying and lyophilizing of thermo-sensitive materials can involve both high capital equipment costs and high operating costs for processors manufacturing powders. This talk will describe a novel approach utilizing thin film evaporators to replace or enhance spray or freeze dryers. Major principals of horizontal TFE operation and how they apply to drying applications will be covered. The features of horizontal TFE will be compared to spray dryers and lyophilizers (freeze-dryers). Energy use and efficiency will be compared as well. Case studies that focus on temperature sensitive applications will be presented.

Some of the cases to be presented include:

• Concentrating and drying Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), intermediates and nutraceuticals
• Continuous drying of heat sensitive liquids or slurries to free-flowing powders in a single pass such as:
  * Plant / Animal Proteins
  * Isoflavones
  * Dairy Products
  * Starch & Fiber
  * Fermentation Products