Using a batch vacuum dryer to protect workers, the environment, and heat-sensitive materials
Are you concerned that drying your bulk solids may expose your workers and the environment to hazardous materials? Or that your heat-sensitive material may be damaged during drying? Using a batch vacuum dryer to dry potentially hazardous materials is often safer than using an atmospheric dryer -- a batch or continuous dryer that operates at atmospheric pressure and is open to the environment. The low-temperature drying offered by a batch vacuum dryer also protects heat-sensitive materials. This article describes three batch vacuum dryers -- shelf, rotary, and conical -- that eliminate worker or environmental exposure to the material during drying and dry material at low temperatures. Sections describe batch vacuum dryer basics and the three types of batch vacuum dryers, including their components, operation, applications, advantages, disadvantages, and other information.
When dried in an atmospheric dryer, some materials, such as toxic chemicals, explosives, or solvents, can give off potentially hazardous elements or vapors that can enter the workplace air or atmosphere, thus exposing workers and the environment to hazards. Some materials may also be damaged by high temperatures, air, or humidity when dried in an atmospheric dryer. Drying such materials in a batch vacuum dryer typically provides the best protection for workers and the environment and for the materials themselves.