Experimental studies on washing and melting ice crystals in the immiscible refrigerant freezing process

Abstract An extensive experimental research programme using equipment with a throughput of 20,000 lb/day of ice has provided information on the scale-up of the Immiscible Refrigerant Freezing Process. Good quality water containing less than 100 mg/l chloride has been produced for 90 hrs from sea water. The highly rated crystalliser has proved trouble-free and produces ice with a good permeability and invaluable information has been obtained using the wide transparent wash column. Of special importance is the accumulation of liquid butane and the variation of permeability with compaction pressure. The performance of dumped bed melters has been shown to be severely limited by drainage of the immiscible liquids; and the nucleation of metastable drops of butane entrained in water to be more important than the stripping of dissolved butane.