Laboratory Report Submission Form

Chemical Process Principles (CLB 10904)

TO: SYED AZHAR BIN SYED AB RAHMAN Code: CLB 10904

From: (Student Name/Section) ID Number

1) Nur Irsyad Hafiq Bin Mohd Hishamuddin / Bioprocess 1) 55223122025
2) Nur Syahidah Binti Yahya / Polymer 2) 55224122011
3) Nurul Afifah Bt Zu-zaidi / Bioprocess 3) 55223122045
4) Tengku Muhammad Nazrin Bin Ku Iskandar / Bioprocess 4) 55223122114
5) Wan Nor Adrina Aimi Binti Wan Mohamad Azhar / Bioprocess 5) 55223122029

Title of experiment: Date of experiment:

DRYING PROCESS 1 December, 2022

Received by:SYED AZHAR BIN SYED AB RAHMAN Date Due: 8 December, 2022

VERY VERY
POOR GOOD EXCELLENT
CRITERIA POOR GOOD
2 3 5
1 4
1.0 OBJECTIVES 1 2 3 4 5
State the objectives of the experiment or report (in point form).
2 4 6 8 10
2.0 SUMMARY
Summarized the objectives and outcomes from the experiment.

3.0 INTRODUCTION & THEORY 3 6 9 12 15

1. State the background to the experiment conducted.
2. Summary of theories including formulations related to the experimental work.
10 20 30 40 50
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
1. Data are presented as deemed suitable with complete label and units
2. Explanations of the referred table and figure are presented after the table and
figure
3. Discuss on the findings and relations to the theory and objective of experiment

2 4 6 8 10
5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Summary of the results to relate the findings or results with the theory
applicable to the experimental
2. Suggest improvements in apparatus or measurement procedure, or
experimental procedures for future
1 2 3 4 5
5.0 TUTORIAL

1 2 3 4 5
6.0 REFERENCES / APPENDICES

TOTAL PERCENTAGE (100%)

Date of Submission:
Group:
Section:
Subject & Code:
Experiment title:

Lecturer's Name:
Stamp
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................... 1

2.0 SUMMARY....................................................................................................................... 1

3.0 INTRODUCTION AND THEORY .................................................................................. 2

4.0 DATA AND RESULT ...................................................................................................... 4

5.0 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ..................................................................................... 6

6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................ 9

7.0 TUTORIAL ..................................................................................................................... 10

8.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 12

9.0 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................. 13

9.1 Calculations for Total Moisture Content, XT ............................................................. 13

9.2 Mass Balance of Drying Process (Non-reactive Process) .......................................... 14

9.3 Energy Balance of drying process (Non-reactive Process) ........................................ 14

9.3.1 Interpolation (Sand)............................................................................................. 15

9.3.2 Heat Capacity - According to Table B.2 Physical Properties ............................. 15

9.4 Calculation for Energy Balance .................................................................................. 16

i
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 - Mechanism of drying process. .................................................................................... 2

Figure 4.1 – Graph of Total Moisture against Time. ...................................................................... 5
Figure 9.1 - Process Flow Diagram for Drying Process. .............................................................. 14

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 - Data of Experiment....................................................................................................... 4

Table 4.2 - Time vs Moisture content ............................................................................................. 5

ii
1.0 OBJECTIVES

• To perform mass and energy balances during the drying process

• To compare the experimental results to the accompanied from software.

2.0 SUMMARY

The aim of this experiment is to perform mass and energy balances during the drying
process and to compare the experimental results to the accompanied software. The experiment was
started by putting the sand into the tray and weighed. Then the sand was sprayed with water and
weighed. Both were calculated to get the weight of the sand. The tray was put into the drying
machine and the weight of the tray and sand were recorded every 5 minutes. Instead of the weight
of the tray and sand, the temperature of both the outlet and the inlet also were recorded. From both
outlet and inlet, there were dry and wet bulb readings of temperature. The air velocity was constant
throughout the experiment which was 2.04 m/s. From the data recorded, moisture content was
obtained by using the data mass of wet and dry sand. The results show that the total moisture
content decreased for each of every 5 minutes and the experiment stopped when the mass of sand
was the same as the mass of dry sand at the beginning of the experiment. It shows 0 total moisture
content which means the wet sand completely dried in the drying machine. The graph of moisture
against time shows an inversely proportional graph which means the moisture content decreased
over time. These results show that the drying process was effective. From the calculation of mass-
energy balance, the input of the drying machine was SiO2 and H2O, while the output was SiO2
only. The energy balance for this experiment was 820.63kJ. Hence, the objectives were achieved.

1
3.0 INTRODUCTION AND THEORY

Drying is the process of removing water from a solution, suspension, or other solid-liquid
mixture through evaporation. The technique can be used to remove water from liquids or gases in
addition to solids. Drying is utilised in a variety of chemical processing industries, including
agricultural products, medicines, polymers, and paints. The drying method's effect on the bulk
density, substance density, porosity, and shrinkage of quinces at different moisture contents was
examined. Drying methods used to dehydrate samples included conventional drying in fluid bed
and tray driers, infrared assisted air drying, osmotic dehydration mixed with conventional air
drying, and freeze drying. The drying procedure had an effect on all characteristics except material
density. Bulk density of freeze-dried materials declined with decreasing moisture content, but bulk
density and porosity increased with decreasing moisture content in all other dehydration
techniques. The highest porosity was obtained from freeze dried materials, while the lowest was
produced from osmotic dehydration. The shrinkage of freeze-dried samples was minimal.

The effectiveness of the drying process is crucial to product quality and process efficiency.
The drying phenomena can be defined as a simultaneous transfer of momentum, heat, and mass,
with the final consequence being the removal of humidity from desired products in order to lower
their water content. It is well understood that drying occurs primarily through two mechanisms:
humidity transfer from the core of a substance to the outside and humidity evaporation from the
hot surface of a material to the surrounding environment. Water movement is closely tied to
environmental elements such as humidity, pressure, the nature and kind of exposed surface,
temperature, and flow velocity.

Figure 3.1 - Mechanism of drying process.

2
 Batch drying is a chemical process that is frequently favored when different materials are
handled in the same drying unit, or when the drying is extensive and complex, and the batch system
is positioned downstream and upstream, for example, dried wood, brick, and so on. The main
challenge with a batch system is that the development does not reach a steady state, resulting in
constant alterations in the operative function. Heat applied during drying can be classified into
four types: convective, radiative, conductive, and dielectric. Heat transfer occurs in the process
when heat is applied by conductivity if there is a temperature gradient in a solid and necessary heat
is collected from a heat source such as an electric heater. The warm gas is spread into the dryer by
a fan to aid in the drying process by evaporation. The term convection refers to the transfer of heat
energy from a gas or air to a liquid, solid, or gas. The heat gained in the gas stream is used to
evaporate moisture from a surface. The phase used to remove evaporated humidity likewise uses
a gas stream as a carrier.

A tray dryer is a type of convectional drying equipment that consists of enclosed insulated
chambers and trays that are stacked on top of each other on a cart. Driers are employed in
operations where drying and heating are critical components of the industrial manufacturing
process, such as in the production of food, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and chemicals, among others.
The materials to be dried, whether solid or damp, are placed on the trays. The heat is transmitted
through the trays via hot air circulation by a stream in a radiator coil or electric heater.

The continuous circulation of hot air is the main operating mechanism of the drier process.
Moisture is removed from the solids deposited in the tray by forced convectional heating in the
tray dryer. The removal of moist air is done in stages but all at the same time. The wet solids were
initially loaded into the trays and placed in the dryer chambers. Fresh air is then introduced through
the inlet, and the air is heated by passing through the heaters.

3
4.0 DATA AND RESULT

Weight of Empty Tray 308.0 g

Weight of Dry Sand and Tray 1357.5 g
Weight of Dry Sand 1049.5 g
Weight of Wet Sand and Tray 1377.6 g
Weight of Wet Sand 1069.6 g
Air Velocity 2.04 m/s
Weight of Water 20 g

Table 4.1 - Data of Experiment.

Total
Mass of Inlet (˚C) Outlet (˚C)
Time Moisture
wet sand
(min) content,
(g) Dry bulb Wet bulb Dry bulb Wet bulb
XT
0 1069.6 0.0192 42 35 42 36
5 1065.0 0.0148 44 37 44 37
10 1061.4 0.0113 46 41 45 42
15 1056.8 0.0069 44 38 44 40
20 1053.6 0.0039 46 41 45 41
25 1051.7 0.0021 46 40 44 41
30 1050.4 0.0009 45 40 47 43
35 1049.8 0.0003 46 41 46 42
40 1049.5 0.0 46 40 46 41

4
 Table 4.2 - Time vs Moisture content
Time (min) Total Moisture Content, XT
0 0.0192
5 0.0148
10 0.0113
15 0.0069
20 0.0039
25 0.0021
30 0.0009
35 0.0003
40 0

Figure 4.1 – Graph of Total Moisture against Time.

5
5.0 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

The goals of this experiment are to perform mass and energy balances during the drying
process and to compare the experimental results to the accompanied from software. Drying is the
process of removing water from a solution, suspension, or other solid-liquid mixture through
evaporation. The technique can be used to remove water from liquids or gases in addition to solids.

The experiment began by weighing the mass of the empty tray (308.0g), the tray with dry
sand (1357.5g), and the tray with sand that had been sprayed with water (1377.6g). The data of the
entire mass and result for the experiment was recorded in Table 4.1. The SOLTEQ Tray Drier
(Model: BP 722) was then turned on, the fan and heat were activated, the power was set to
maximum, and the speed control was in the middle position. Every 5 minutes, the weight of the
tray was measured in order to determine the weight loss that would occur as the wet sand dried
and reached the same mass as the dry sand. Every 5 minutes, a psychrometer was used to measure
the temperature at the dry bulb and wet bulb's inlet and outlet.

The mass of wet sand, excluding tray weight, was recorded every 5 minutes. According to
Table 4.1, the mass of wet sand decreased with increasing time. The heated airflow applied directly
to flow in a circulation form over the moist sand was to blame for this. Because of this, the water
in the sand will start to evaporate. The procedure ended when it reached 40 minutes, as shown in
Table 4.1, when the amounts of wet and dry sand were equal. This demonstrated that all of the
water that was present in the moist sand had been removed.

As indicated in Table 4.1, this experiment also used a psychrometer to monitor the dry bulb
temperature and the wet bulb temperature from the inlet and outlet every 5 minutes to measure the
air humidity and temperature simultaneously. A psychrometer measures the humidity of the air. It
consists of two identical thermometers. One thermometer’s bulb is kept wet to record a lower
temperature and the dry-bulb thermometer due to evaporation cooling. This is accomplished by
determining the temperature differential between a thermometer bulb that is dry and one that is
wet that has undergone some evaporation of moisture (Admin, 2021).

6
 Dry bulb temperature is often categorised as "air temperature," which is the air attribute
that is most frequently used to refer to the temperature of the air. While using a thermometer with
the bulb wrapped in damp muslin, it is possible to measure the temperature of a wet bulb. The wet
bulb temperature or the adiabatic saturation temperature, is the temperature at which water
evaporates adiabatically into the air (CheggStudy, n.d).

Based on the results, a wet bulb will always have a lower temperature than a dry bulb
because evaporating water has a cooling impact. For example, at 20 minutes, at inlet, the
temperature of dry bulb was 46°C and temperature of wet bulb was 41°C, while at outlet, the
temperature of dry bulb was 45°C and temperature of wet bulb was 41°C. In addition, as indicated
in Table 4.1, the wet bulb temperature at the outlet was higher than the inlet temperature. This was
driven by the moist sand's water evaporation, which occurred at the inlet and increased air humidity
at the outlet. As a consequence, due to airflow, high humidity air gathered on the outlet. For
example, at 30 minutes, the temperature of wet bulb at outlet was 43°C while the temperature of
wet bulb at inlet was 40°C.

From Table 4.1, a graph of time against total moisture content, XT was constructed. From
the Figure 4.1, it shows total moisture content is indirectly proportional to time. In other terms, the
value of the total moisture content decreases when the time increases. The total moisture content
decreases due to the loss of water from the sand.

Based on Appendix 9.2, a mass balance was performed to characterise the performance
and capacity of each unit process inside the plant, as well as the effect of that performance on other
unit processes. Using Microsoft Excel, the mass balance was determined. The wet sand and water
mass in the input stream were 1049.5 and 20g, respectively. The output stream's mass was 1049.5g,
which was the same as the starting mass of dry sand before adding water. The total removal of
water from the sand, which causes the weight of the wet sand to equal the weight of the dry sand
as an outcome of the drying process, indicates that the drying process has been carried out
successfully. Thus, the output stream mass fraction was 1.

7
 Energy balance for this experiment has been calculated by constructing an inlet-outlet
enthalpy table as shown in Appendix 9.4. The energy balance calculated manually from
experimental result compared with excel are same which both was 820.683kJ.

Several factors may have contributed to the errors that occurred. First, before weighing,
confirm that the electronic scale has been calibrated to prevent mistakes, which may result in an
inaccurate result. Next, the water poured on it must be cleaned entirely since collecting water at a
particular location leads to ineffective drying. The drying period of the sand may take longer than
anticipated if the dryer is left open for too long since the heat within the dryer will escape into the
surrounding environment.

8
6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the collected data and the graph, it is possible to conclude that the experiment's
purpose was accomplished. The results of solid sample drying are consistent with the moisture
content theory, and the drying rate decreases with time. Air velocity is greatly dependent on the
dryer's fan. Since the fan speed is set at a constant, all changes in velocity are the result of changes
in the surrounding air or equipment problems. Given the condition of the equipment, the outcome
of the experiment exceeded expectations. In addition, it is crucial to handle the experimental issue
because it causes inaccuracies in the obtained data. As a result, this experiment was a success, as
all of its objectives were accomplished. A parallax error is another issue to prevent during
experiments. When preparing the sand, the water splashed on it must be uniform, and the surface
must be properly prepared; otherwise, water will concentrate exclusively in particular areas,
rendering the drying process ineffective. In addition, the sand should be distributed evenly so that
the thickness of each portion is identical. In order to avoid inaccuracies, the collected data must be
collected appropriately by taking many readings and averaging them.

As a recommendation for producing better results in the experiment, it is suggested that

the fan be set at a higher speed, as the sand will dry more quickly at a faster speed. In addition,
increasing the air temperature is advantageous since it increases drying efficiency, which in turn
reduces the moisture content of the sand at a faster pace because the drying rate is higher.
Performing simple system maintenance will increase data precision. During the experiment, it is
prudent to monitor the fan speed frequently, as it is susceptible to unintended changes. It is
important to ensure that the equipment is adequately insulated to prevent heat from escaping the
system, which would result in a slower drying rate. A parallax error is another issue to prevent
during experiments. When preparing the sand, the water splashed on it must be uniform, and the
surface must be properly prepared; otherwise, water will concentrate exclusively in particular areas,
rendering the drying process ineffective. In addition, the sand should be distributed evenly so that
the thickness of each portion is identical. In order to avoid inaccuracies, the collected data must be
collected appropriately by taking many readings and averaging them. Finally, dryer air circulation
can be enhanced to decrease drying time and permit the use of lower temperatures.

9
7.0 TUTORIAL

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a tray dryer in the drying process. Describe
an example of an industrial application that utilized a tray dryer in its process.

One of the advantages of using a tray dryer is to prevent material losses during when drying
process. This is because the material tends to fly away when exposed to the blower. Hence, the use
of tray dryers will increase the productivity of the material manufacturing process. Second, the
advantage of using a tray dryer is tray dryer supports processing in batches. In industry, all
chemicals will not be treated in the same way, and a lot of variation is needed. The environmental
factors need to be controlled to achieve this variation. Third, it suits to handle valuable products
as the construction of tray dryers is straightforward, and they don't require using a lot of force. The
disadvantage of using a tray dryer is due to poor airflow distribution in the drying chamber, the
tray dryer's worst flaw is uneven drying. Next, as the procedure is carried out at low to moderate
temperatures, it will consume a lot of time for the drying process and be expensive to run because
of the long cycle time and high personnel expenditures for loading and unloading. Third, it applies
only to a solid material in which thermolabile drugs, liquids, and slurries cannot be dried.

10
2. Write a one-paragraph summary of any journal article that studies the drying process. The
article must have been published within the last 5 years. Explain the drying equipment used in
the study and its significance to the study done.

The article that had chosen for this task is Spray drying of pharmaceuticals and
biopharmaceuticals: Critical parameters and experimental process optimization approaches. For
the processing of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products, spray drying is increasingly
becoming regarded as an effective drying and formulating technology. Although the optimization
of process parameters is frequently an expensive and time-consuming operation, it offers
considerable economic and processing advantages over lyophilization/freeze-drying processes.
While big biomolecules and biopharmaceuticals are increasingly being processed using spray
drying, it has traditionally been employed to manufacture small molecule therapeutics with low
solubility. The fundamentals of the spray drying process, current technology, and various
components used in the process are all examined in this review. The introduction of important
formulation and processing aspects in spray drying of small molecule pharmaceuticals and big
biomolecules, as well as their similarities and differences, are the main topics of this article.
Finally, it gives a general summary of experimental optimization techniques created to achieve the
best spray drying outcomes in the shortest amount of time while utilizing the least amount of
product.

11
8.0 REFERENCES

Admin. (2021, April 15). What is Psychrometer? - Working Principle and Uses with Suitable
Examples. BYJUS; BYJU’S. https://byjus.com/chemistry/psychrometer/

Basinger, J. (2018, January 9). Chemical Processing 101: Drying. Howard Industries.
https://howardchem.com/chemical-processing-101-drying/

Choudhary, A. (2022, October 18). Principle of Tray Dryer. Pharmaguideline.

https://www.pharmaguideline.com/2017/09/principle-of-tray-dryer.html

Dry Bulb, Wet Bulb and Dew Point Temperatures. Available from World Wide
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/dry-wet-bulb-dew-point-air-d_682.html

DS, S. D., & Dharak, S. (2022, November 24). Tray Dryer principle: Advantages of using a tray
dryer. SOLOBIS. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.solobis.net/advantages-
of-tray-dryer/

Principle, construction, working, uses, merits, and demerits of Tray Dryer. Pharmaguideline. (n.d.).
Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.pharmaguideline.com/2007/02/principle-
construction-working-uses-merits-demerits-of-tray-dryer.html

Real-Olvera, J. del. (2016, August 31). Introductory Chapter: Principles of Sustainable Drying.
IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/51677

Ziaee, A., Albadarin, A. B., Padrela, L., Femmer, T., O'Reilly, E., & Walker, G. (2019). Spray
drying of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals: Critical parameters and experimental
process optimization approach. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 127, 300–
318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2018.10.026

12
9.0 APPENDICES

9.1 Calculations for Total Moisture Content, XT

Time (min) Total Moisture Content, XT

(1069.6 − 1049.5)𝑔
0 𝑋𝑇 = = 0.0192
(1049.5)𝑔
(1065.0 − 1049.5)𝑔
5 𝑋𝑇 = = 0.0148
(1049.5)𝑔
(1061.4 − 1049.5)𝑔
10 𝑋𝑇 = = 0.0113
(1049.5)𝑔
(1056.8 − 1049.5)𝑔
15 𝑋𝑇 = = 0.0069
(1049.5)𝑔
(1053.6 − 1049.5)𝑔
20 𝑋𝑇 = = 0.0039
(1049.5)𝑔
(1051.7 − 1049.5)𝑔
25 𝑋𝑇 = = 0.0021
(1049.5)𝑔
(1050.4 − 1049.5)𝑔
30 𝑋𝑇 = = 0.0009
(1049.5)𝑔
(1049.8 − 1049.5)𝑔
35 𝑋𝑇 = = 0.0003
(1049.5)𝑔
(1049.5 − 1049.5)𝑔
40 𝑋𝑇 = =0
(1049.5)𝑔

13
9.2 Mass Balance of Drying Process (Non-reactive Process)

Figure 9.1 - Process Flow Diagram for Drying Process.

9.3 Energy Balance of drying process (Non-reactive Process)

Substance nin (mol) Ĥin (kJ/mol) nout (mol) Ĥout (kJ/mol)

Sand (SiO2) 17.467 0 17.467
Water 1.111 0 0 0

𝑸 = ∆𝑯 = ∑ 𝒏𝒊 Ĥ𝒊 − ∑ 𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒕 Ĥ𝒐𝒖𝒕

14
9.3.1 Interpolation (Sand)

Temperature (˚C) Heat Capacity (Cp)

41−26.85 𝑥−44.77
26.85 44.77 = =
126.85−26.85 53.43−44.77
314.15 X
𝐽
126.85 53.43 𝑥 = 46
𝑚𝑜𝑙

9.3.2 Heat Capacity - According to Table B.2 Physical Properties

For sand:
41
𝑘𝐽
∫ (46 × 10−3 )𝑑𝑇 = ( (46 × 10−3 )(41 − 40) = 0.046
40 𝑚𝑜𝑙

For water:
100
𝑘𝐽
∆𝐻1 = ∫ (75.4 × 10−3 )𝑑𝑇 = ( (75.4 × 10−3 )(100 − 40) = 4.524
40 𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑘𝐽
∆𝐻2 = 40.656
𝑚𝑜𝑙
41
∆𝐻3 = ∫ (33.46 × 10−3 ) + (0.6880 × 10−5 )𝑇 + (0.7604 × 10−8 )𝑇 2
100
+ (−3.593 × 10−12 ) 𝑑𝑇
(0.6880 × 10−5 )
∆𝐻3 = (33.46 × 10−3 )(41 − 100) + (412 − 1002 )
2
(0.7604 × 10−8 ) (−3.593 × 10−12 )
+ (413 − 1003 ) + (414 − 1004 )
3 4
= −2.005
𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽
∆𝐻 = ∆𝐻1 + ∆𝐻2 + ∆𝐻3 = ((4.524 + 40.656 + (−2.005)) = 43.175
𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙

15
9.4 Calculation for Energy Balance

𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒕 = (17.467 + 1.111)𝑚𝑜𝑙 = 18.578𝑚𝑜𝑙

𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒕 = (17.467 + 1.111)𝑚𝑜𝑙 = 18.578𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑘𝐽
Ĥ𝒊𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒕 = 0
𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽
Ĥ𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒕 = (0.046 + 43.175) = 43.796
𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙

𝑸 = ∆𝑯 = ∑ 𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒕 Ĥ𝒐𝒖𝒕 + ∑ 𝒏𝒊 Ĥ𝒊

𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽
𝑸 = ∆𝑯 = (18.578𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 43.175 ) + (18.578𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 0 ) = 820.683𝑘𝐽
𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙

16