Spray Congealing Units
The Kreber spray congealer is an all-in-one solution for transforming molten materials into solid powders with enhanced functional characteristics, including increased solubility or encapsulation of active ingredients.
Operating from a melt-in to powder-out battery limit, the Kreber spray congealers handle all necessary processes within the equipment itself, such as cooling, emission treatment, and reintroduction of the cooling medium (e.g., air, nitrogen, or other gases). This closed-loop configuration ensures near-zero emissions to the environment. Our spray congealing equipment is designed to be flexible, low-maintenance, and scalable, supporting capacities of up to 15 tons per hour.
Full Package Overview
An overview of our full package for a Spray congealing unit
Atomizer
The atomizer nozzle breaks up the melt or slurry in small pre-defined droplets.
Cooling chamber
Inside the cooling chamber the droplets are contacted with a co-current gas cooling stream, allowing for rapid solidification.
Powder collection
The product is caught in a product cyclone, allowing for easy collection of the powder.
Bag filter
A bag filtering section is used to clean up any remaining particles from the air stream.
Heat exchanger
Just prior to re-introduction in the spray chamber, the cooling medium is cooled back to its operational temperature, allowing for closed loop operation.
Special options
Special options include ATEX equipment, encapsulation options, different cooling media.
Particle Technologies
Particle technologies are process technologies that produce, use, or separate particles.
For example, pharmaceutical industry produces precise drug formulations based on particle technologies. Activated carbon particles are commonly used in the food industry as an adsorbent to remove impurities, off-flavours, and odours from liquids such as water, beverages, and food ingredients. Chemical industries may use particles as adsorbents to remove certain components in separation processes. One example of separating particles in the chemical industry is the use of cyclones, which employ centrifugal force to separate solid particles from gas or liquid streams based on their particle size and density.
Particle Technologies
The technologies that produce particles can be divided into solidification, crystallization, and particle modification processes.
Solidification
We can define solidification as a widely applied process that shapes a melt into a specific form. For instance, a fertilizer melt is...
Soldification
We can define solidification as a widely applied process that shapes a melt into a specific form. For instance, a fertilizer melt is prilled into spherical fertilizer particles to conveniently distribute over the land to grow crops. Another example is the casting of iron into plates or sheets, which are used in construction, automotive body panels, and industrial process equipment. Solidification also includes processes that lead to the formation of amorphous or highly viscous particles which have a non-crystalline structure. Polymer solidification, for instance, involves the cooling or curing of a polymer melt to decrease the viscosity and convert it into a particulate product or a specific shape that is (for a large part) non-crystalline. For solidification processes the emphasis is on the physical characteristics of the shaped product and less on the specific arrangement of atoms or molecules within the solid.
Crystallization
Crystallization is a particle technology that involves the formation of solid particles with a well-defined crystal structure from...
Crystallization
Crystallization is a particle technology that involves the formation of solid particles with a well-defined crystal structure from a solution or melt. It is a widely used technique in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and materials science for purification and separation.
Crystallization selectively forms and grows crystalline particles. By carefully controlling the crystallization conditions, highly pure crystals with specific properties can be obtained from a single crystallization process step. Crystallization is specifically employed to separate or purify substances into a particulate product. The product from a chemical synthesis can for instance be purified by crystallization.
Particle Modification
Particle technologies can further be used to intentionally modify particles and their properties. During such a process, particles in the feed...
Particle Modification
Particle technologies can further be used to intentionally modify particles and their properties. During such a process, particles in the feed are transformed to particles with the desired particle properties or functionalities. For instance, milling and grinding processes are employed to reduce the particle size of particulate materials. These techniques involve mechanical forces that break down larger particles into smaller ones. Granulation refers to the process of agglomerating fine particles into larger granules. It is commonly used in chemical industry, where small particles are combined and bound together using binders or additives into larger particles to improve flowability or compressibility.
Another example of particle modification is encapsulation or coating. During the process a thin layer of material is applied onto the surface of particles. This can be done through methods like spray drying, fluidized bed coating, or chemical vapor deposition. Coatings can provide functionalities such as controlled release, improved stability, enhanced compatibility, or modified surface properties of the particles.
Particle Use
Particles can be used in processes to efficiently achieve purified and reaction products. For instance, adsorbent particles...
Particle Use
Particles can be used in processes to efficiently achieve purified and reaction products. For instance, adsorbent particles such as activated carbon, zeolites, and silica gel remove or recover specific substances from gases or liquids. The adsorbent particles possess a high surface area, allowing for increased adsorption capacity. Adsorbent particles can be used in a wide range of processes such as gas purification, water treatment, air pollution control, and adsorption chromatography.
Particles serve as catalysts to accelerate chemical reactions by providing an active surface which reagents quickly react to the preferred reaction product. Catalyst particles play a crucial role in numerous industrial processes, including petroleum refining, chemical synthesis, environmental remediation, and emission control.
Particle Separation
Mechanical separations involve the use of physical mechanisms to separate particles based on their size, density...
Particle Separation
Mechanical separations involve the use of physical mechanisms to separate particles based on their size, density, or other physical properties.
For instance filtration is a process that separates solid particles from a fluid (liquid or gas) by passing the mixture through a porous medium, called a filter. The filter retains the solid particles while allowing the fluid to pass through. The choice of filter medium depends on the particle size, desired filtration efficiency, and compatibility with the fluid and particles involved.
Sieving involves the passing of a mixture of particles through a sieve or screen with specific openings or mesh sizes. The smaller particles pass through the sieve, while the larger particles are retained.
Centrifugal forces are used in cyclone separators to separate particles from a gas or liquid stream based on particle size and density. The mixture enters a cylindrical chamber tangentially, creating a swirling motion. Due to the centrifugal force, the heavier particles move toward the outer wall and are collected, while the lighter particles and the gas or liquid continue to the outlet.
Spray Congealing
Spray congealing is an efficient process utilized in the manufacturing industry for the production of solid powders. This innovative technique involves atomization, rapid cooling, and solidification to create uniform and high-quality solid materials.
Atomization
The spray congealing process begins with the precise atomization of the liquid material. The liquid is heated to a specific temperature and then transformed into fine droplets using a high-pressure nozzle system. This atomization stage ensures that the liquid is converted into small, uniformly-sized droplets, setting the foundation for consistent particle formation.
Rapid Cooling and Solidification
The atomized droplets are introduced into a controlled environment, typically a temperature-controlled chamber. Within this chamber, the droplets come into contact with a cold gas stream or a cooling medium. The sudden exposure to the cool environment leads to rapid cooling and solidification of the droplets, transforming them into solid particles. The resulting particles exhibit spherical shapes, and uniform sizes.
Spray congealing enables the production of spherical particles with precise and uniform sizes. This uniformity enhances product quality and performance, making spray congealing ideal for applications where consistency is critical.
Our equipment is easy to operate, due to our well defined process operating parameters. Furthermore, the low amount of rotating and intricate parts result in a reliable process, giving the client an overall low operational and maintenance cost.
The process is particularly advantageous for encapsulating sensitive or volatile substances. By solidifying the liquid droplets quickly, spray congealing can protect and preserve the integrity of sensitive components during the manufacturing process.
Spray congealing allows for the incorporation of multiple ingredients into compounded particles, facilitating the creation of composite materials with tailored properties. This flexibility enables the development of advanced materials with enhanced functionalities.
Thanks to a constant stream of technical innovations, such as state-of-the-art air inlet filtration and closed loop operation, emissions can be cut to virtually non existing.
Prills: unique characteristics and advantages
Prills are grains of solid substances formed from molten drops. The result? A free flowing product with low dust and a narrow particle size distribution.
Prills are spherical and naturally resistant to abrasion or damage. Since no additives are necessary in the prilling process, prills of your product are 100% pure.
Thanks to their size and shape, prills have the smallest possible contact surface area and high bulk density. In bulk, prills behave like a fluid which is beneficial for transport, storage and further processing.
This is why prills offer the ideal form of solidification for a wide range of substances and markets.
Looking for more information about the main principles of prilling? Please read the following article: prilling meaning and prill definition.
Prills for bulk properties offer you significant advantages:
- Excellent 'free flowing' properties
- Low tendency to stick and agglomerate
- Distinguished for air lifting
- Highly resistant to abrasion or damage
- Minimal dust formation
- Well suited for transportation in road tankers, containers and big bags
- Excellently storable in silo installations
- Precise dosage
- No additives needed; pure materials
Prilling: more control, more profit
Prilling is a extremely effective finishing technology and offers you the following advantages over other solidification methods:
Prilling is one of the most economical finishing technologies in the world for large outputs. Compared with other solidification methods such as granulation and pastillation, CAPEX and OPEX will be multiple times lower at increased capacities.
Our equipment is easy to operate, due to our well defined process operating parameters. Furthermore, the low amount of rotating and intricate parts result in a reliable process, giving the client an overall low operational and maintenance cost.
Prilling production is easily scalable within the range of 70 to 110% of the original designed capacity. This makes the prilling production method an extremely flexible option for your total production process. Quickly adapt to changes in the market? With prilling you can.
With the design of our prilling tower and additional equipment, you benefit from a relatively small footprint, compared to other solidification technologies.
The high degree of ‘self-control’ makes it a robust finishing technology with a very stable processing procedure. It can therefore play a vital role in guaranteeing the continuity of your process and quality of your product.
Thanks to a constant stream of technical innovations, such as state-of-the-art air inlet filtration and scrubber technologies, prilling has evolved into a cleaner finishing technology than it has ever been.
Particles
Kreber designs processes and manufactures equipment that use particles or produce a particulate product.
Particles are used and produced in a wide range of processes in chemical, pharmaceutical, chemicals, food, and other industries.
Particles can be used in a separation process as adsorbents to adsorb unwanted compounds and purify a gas stream, or their surface can be used in a reaction process to catalyse selective reactions to synthesize pharmaceuticals.
A particulate fertilizer product allows the convenient distribution over land to let the crops grow while a particulate pharmaceutical product can be administered in the formulation of a tablet to treat a patient.
Particles
At Kreber we define particles as small, discrete units of matter. Depending on their use, particles vary significantly in composition, solid structure, size and shape.
Particle sizes range from nanoscale particles consisting of a few molecules or atoms to microparticles observable with a microscope, and larger particles visible to the naked eye. A particle size distribution (PSD) gives information on the collection of particle sizes in the product. The particle size distribution of fertilizer prills determines for instance how easy the product can be distributed over the land and how fast the product dissolves when coming into contact with water.
Particles usually are solids which have a crystal structure with a very specific arrangement of molecules or atoms in them. For instance, table salt, sugar and the fertilizer urea are such crystalline solid particles. Sometimes particles benefit from an amorphous structure, such as amorphous silica which can be employed in rubber, plastics, coatings, and paints to enhance properties such as reinforcement, viscosity control, and improved scratch resistance. Also, highly viscous liquid such as long chain polymers can form particles. For pharmaceutical particles the solid structure strongly impacts on particle product properties such as dissolution behaviour, bioavailability, and shelf life.
Specific compositions within the particle can be beneficial for the particle product application. Particles consisting of a mixture of fertilizers can have the optimal nitrogen and sulfur composition for specific crops. In the food, pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries high levels of purity are desired. For instance, impurities from side reactions during the synthesis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient could lead to unwanted additional biological activity of the administered drug if these impurities end up in the final particulate product.
The particle shape can be vital for the flow and storage properties of a product. A single crystal particle often has a very distinct shape with flat surfaces, such as the cubic crystal particles of industrially produced table salt.
Absolute prilling authority
Kreber is a Dutch family-owned company that has been located at the Europoort Rotterdam since 1902. It is there, in this industrial epicenter, that we have been specializing in prilling for the past 50 years. Over that time, we have refined this technology down to the most minute details, and our equipment is optimized to take full advantage of every innovation.
With an impressive track record we are able to prill a variety of chemical substances such as several fertilizers (Urea, AN, ANP, CAN), Bisphenol-A, Sulphur and various customized applications.
Top Team of Researchers
Particularly when it comes to technology, standing still always means falling behind. In order to continue innovating the prilling process, our prilling solutions and prilling equipment and other particle processes we have our own in-house RD&I team.
Major New Developments
Thanks to innovative facilities such as the Kreber Prilling Laboratory and the Kreber Pilot Facility, our RD&I team is able to take the prilling technology and customer solutions to the very next level. One of the major developments is the Vibro prilling. Adding a vibration to the melt has proven to result in more uniform prills with a defined narrow prill size distribution.
Visiting Address
Kon. Wilhelminahaven ZZ 25
3134 KG Vlaardingen
Port Number 651
The Netherlands
info@kreber.nl
+31 10 248 02 22
Development
Kreber specializes in particle technologies,
specializing in both particle formation and the
utilization of particles in various applications.
With a strong focus on innovation and research, we offer comprehensive process development options to optimize particle-based solutions. Through application of the vast experience of our research team and the utilization of our manufacturing plant, we provide tailored opportunities to enhance and streamline particle-related processes.
The key areas of process development at Kreber lies in particle technologies. Our research team works closely with clients to explore novel methods of particle formation, refining existing techniques, and tailoring particle characteristics to meet specific application requirements. By leveraging our expertise, clients can achieve improved functionality and enhanced performance in their particle-based solutions.
Additionally, Kreber operates a machine factory allowing us unique manufacturing capabilities. This facility enables us to design and build specialized testing equipment tailored to our clients’ unique needs. Whether it’s small scale proof of concept research or a scale up experiment proving the process on a larger scale, Kreber can design, build and test new concepts and ideas with dedicated build equipment. Collaborating with our research team, clients can utilize these tools to optimize their particle-based processes, validate product performance, and ensure consistent results.
By capitalizing on the expertise of our research team and the capabilities of our machine factory, clients/you can harness the power of innovative particle formation techniques, specialized testing equipment, and scalable manufacturing processes. Together, we can unlock new possibilities and drive the advancement of particle technologies across various industries.
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