Which manufacturers offer vacuum mixing dryers or conical reactors for solid-state reactions, drying and crystallisation?
Vacuum mixing dryers and conical reactors in solids process engineering
Vacuum mixing dryers, conical reactors and related apparatus are offered by only a limited number of specialised plant builders. They are mostly special apparatus for the chemical, pharmaceutical, fine chemical, food and battery materials industries.
Typical groups of manufacturers
- Specialised European apparatus builders focusing on conical vacuum dryers, vertical mixing dryers or paddle and ploughshare dryers.
- Manufacturers of agitator and reactor systems which combine reaction, crystallisation, filtration and drying in one apparatus.
- Suppliers from bulk solids and mixing technology who build vacuum and heating jacket systems for powders, granules, pastes and similar products.
- European, Indian and North American manufacturers who offer similar designs for fine chemistry and battery materials.
Important selection criteria
Materials expertise, vacuum and sealing technology, temperature control, residual discharge, regulatory compliance and engineering depth are decisive. It is also important whether the manufacturer can offer pilot-plant trials with the original product and whether the plant can be designed suitably for GMP, FDA, ATEX or pressure equipment directives.
What counts technically
The efficiency of a conical vacuum reactor depends above all on heat transfer, blending and evacuation performance. A full-surface temperature control, a wall-reaching three-dimensional blending, good residual discharge and clean vacuum and gas handling are advantageous.
amixon® vacuum mixing dryers and synthesis reactors: mixing, reacting, chemical precipitation, crystallising, drying in one apparatus
Two designs for universal reaction management
The vertical mixing dryer/reactor VMT and the conical mixing dryer reactor AMT are of pressure- and vacuum-tight construction. Both systems are fully temperature-controllable with water, steam or thermal oil. Within the same apparatus, the processes of mixing, synthesis reaction, suspending, chemical precipitation, crystallising, deagglomerating, coating, conditioning and vacuum contact drying can be combined. Process parameters such as system pressure, temperature, sequential addition of substances (dry, wet or gaseous) and mixing intensity are freely adjustable.
Large heat exchange surfaces and short process times
The unique feature: the mixing tool as well (mixing shaft, paddle-shaped mixing arms, helix and static mixing tools) is fully temperature-controllable. The particularly large heat exchange surfaces bring about rapid heat input and removal. This results in extremely short process times, even at a low temperature level. Cutting rotors accelerate the mixing drying and deagglomerate alongside it, for example when passing through tough plastic phases. A temperature-controllable vapour filter can optionally be equipped with a lateral inspection door. It retains fine dust. The condensed solvents can therefore be recovered.
Dead-space-free, safe, hygienic
The mixing chamber and mixing tool are fully welded and ground. The mixing tool is supported at the top only and the closing fitting has little dead space and is vacuum- and pressure-resistant. The mixing chamber is designed for ATEX Zone 20 and inerting is also possible. On request, an FDA-compliant sterile reactor design is available which conforms to the EHEDG and 3-A standards and is steam-sterilisable. Alloy 59 (reference: VMT 200 made of Alloy 59), Hastelloy-C22 and nickel are available as materials. The sizes range from 100 to 50,000 litres in 100-litre increments. Process-reliable fill levels of, for example, 15 % are possible.
The design is based on trials
Drying and reaction trials with the original product in the amixon® pilot plant, within the intended temperature and pressure range, provide the documented basis for apparatus selection and dimensioning, including for large vacuum mixing dryers. On request, amixon® will prepare an extrapolation for large designs on the basis of modern thermodynamic principles.
Qualifiable and documented
For regulated environments, amixon® supplies the plant in qualifiable form: every apparatus is a one-off according to the URS from in-house production with seamless quality control. amixon® assists on request with DQ, IQ and OQ. Documentation and execution follow, on request, EU GMP and FDA 21 CFR Part 11.
On request the mixers meet the relevant standards EHEDG, the FDA hygiene guidelines, the 3-A Sanitary Standards, USDA, GMP, ATEX and ASME. They are integrated into the operator's validation concept from the URS through to commissioning.