Aim

1. To evaluate the drying characteristics using vacuum dryer

2. To find critical and equilibrium moisture percentage.

Batch or continuous

Batch process But if the vacuum dryer is part of a continuous process, we would need to install
surge hoppers and other material handling equipment before the dryer to create a hybrid batch-
continuous operation.

Advantages Disadvantages

Advantages

By controlling atmospheric pressure, the vacuum dryer increases the effective ΔT for a given process.
That is, vacuum drying simple reduces the boiling point - or vaporisation temperature - required for
removing the liquid.

By controlling pressure and the heat introduced to the dryer, you can significantly increase the
effective ΔT and thus dry the material faster than at normal atmosphere. For this reason, a vacuum
dryer is especially suited to drying a heat-sensitive material that degrades above a given
temperature and would otherwise require a lengthy drying cycle. Examples of such materials are
vitamins, antibiotics, and many fine chemicals.

The closed-system design required for achieving and maintaining the low-pressure atmosphere
inside the dryer also provides advantages for processing a hazardous material. Examples include
toxic chemicals or solvents and explosive materials. The vacuum dryer safely contains and condenses
the hazardous vapours from such substances without any threat to workplace environment or
outside atmosphere. With some hazardous materials, you can provide further protection by using
inert gas to limit the oxygen level in the vacuum dryer

Disadvantages

But if the vacuum dryer is part of a continuous process, we would need to install surge hoppers and
other material handling equipment before the dryer to create a hybrid batch-continuous operation.

Another vacuum dryer limitation is related to the equipment's heat transfer mode. A vacuum dryer's
upper temperature limit, typically about 315 deg C (600° F) is lower than that of a direct-heat dryer.

The rate at which material temperature can be raised in a vacuum dryer is also limited. This is
because the in direct heat vacuum dryer is limited by the surface area available for heat transfer,
unlike a direct-heat dryer, which is limited only by the hot gas volume in the drying chamber.

Bound/Unbound moisture

Bound Moisture : Moisture content in a solid which exerts an equilibrium vapor pressure less than
that of the pure liquid at the same temperature.

Unbound Moisture : Moisture content in a solid which exerts an equilibrium vapor pressure equal to
that of pure liquid at the given temperature.
Free moisture: The moisture content in a wet solid in excess of the equilibrium moisture: X – X*.
Only free moisture can be removed by drying under a given set of conditions (the temperature and
humidity of the drying gas).

Unit of drying rate

Kg/m^2-sec

Applications of vacuum tray drying

1. Pharmaceutical powders - active ingredients may lose their medicinal effect when warmed.
2. Food drying - certain nutrients may break down if exposed to high temperatures. Taste,
consistency, and appearance can also degrade under too much heat.
3. Plastics and chemical processing – synthetic materials can leach toxins with prolonged
exposure to heat. This can even make convection drying methods hazardous, as the hot air
stream must eventually be emitted.
Applications of drying

1. Sugar, Pharmaceutical industry

2. Soap bars are dried to reduce the moisture content.
3. Milk is dried in a spray chamber to produce milk powder.
4. Drying of leather under controlled conditions is an important process in leather processing.

What is Constant rate period and falling rate period

Constant Rate period : Constant rate drying proceeds until free moisture(unbound moisture)
appears from the solid surface is removed.
The constant rate period is characterized by a rate of drying independent of moisture content.
The constant rate period ends when the migration rate of water from the interior of the surface
becomes less than the rate of evaporation from the surface.

The period subsequent to the critical point is called ‘the falling rate period’. Beyond this point, the
surface temperature rises, and the drying rate falls off rapidly. The falling rate period take a far
longer time than the constant rate period, even though the moisture removal may be much less.

Critical moisture content

The average moisture throughout a solid material being dried, its value being related to drying rate 
thickness of material, and the factors that influence the movement of moisture within the solid. The
moisture content at which the drying rate ceases to be constant is known as the critical moisture
content

Is drying rate a function of thickness?

No drying rate is not a function of thickness of the material

The shape of the drying rate curve depends on the material being dried, its size and thickness, and
the drying conditions. Drying rate curves are measured using constant drying conditions, that is,
constant air temperature, humidity, flow rate, and flow direction. The moisture content and other
properties of the solid change under constant drying conditions, which refer only to the gas phase.

Is drying rate dependent on relative humidity?

Relative humidity is the actual air moisture compared to the air saturated with water at that
temperature. The higher the air temperature, the more moisture the air can hold.
The drying rate constant k could be expressed as a function of temperature, relative humidity, k
was a linear function of each variable, and it increased with increasing temperature,
decreasing relative humidity, and increasing fluidization velocity.

Hot summer air can hold significantly more moisture than cold winter air can. Similarly, hot air in a
drying oven can hold more moisture at a higher temperature.