Experimental detergent drying analysis in a counter-current spray dryer with swirling air flow

AbstractThe paper presents an experimental analysis of the spray drying conditions on the product properties in a pilot plant counter-current spray dryer with swirling air flow. The influence of slurry – atomizing air ratio, drying air flow rate and swirl number on the product properties and the efficiency of the drying process was examined. The increase of the slurry – atomizing air ratio promotes agglomeration, ultimately leading to the development of wet, coarse granules. Through experimentation, the slurry-to-atomizing-air ratio can be optimized to maximize capacity ratio (i.e. acceptable product vs. total spray dried powder) and energy efficiency whilst achieving the desired product quality.