The Conical Paddle Dryer consists of a conical shaped process vessel, equipped with a central paddle rotor. When it rotates, the rotor creates a combination of vertical and axial motion in the vessel. The paddles guide the product gently to the surface of the batch, where it is dispersed and the gravitational pull at the centre of the dryer forces the product back down to create continuous motion throughout the drying cycle, even at low speed.
The thermal energy required for the drying process is transferred to the product via a heated jacket, which can be heated by various media such as steam, hot oil and water. The jacket ensures rapid distribution of heat into the product in combination with efficient mixing.
The vacuum inside the Conical Paddle Dryer allows vapour to be removed at low temperatures, which makes the Conical Paddle Dryer ideal for drying heat-sensitive products. The vapours are removed through a dust filter fitted on top of the vessel. This prevents the dust from entering the vacuum system.
The Conical Paddle Dryer is equipped with a condenser with a solvent recovery tank. This condenser can be installed before or after the vacuum pump, depending on the properties of the solvents.
The moisture content of the product can be controlled by monitoring the weight of the condensate or by using the Hosokawa Sampler to take samples from the product inside the dryer under vacuum.