The term fluidization is used to designate an operation in which particulate solids are suspended in an upward current of air or other fluid. When this happens, the bed of particles starts to behave like a fluid, mainly regarding to its flow properties, acquiring a rheological behavior of a liquid.
Labmaq do Brasil manufactures and supplies fluidized and spouted beds (a variant of the fluidized bed) of different scales according to the demand and needs of its customers, with its own innovative projects. They are compact, versatile, robust and offer excellent results and performance. Labmaq fluidized beds can perform drying, coating, extraction, fluid dynamics studies, mixing and granulation operations, covering a wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, agriculture, chemical, polymer, ceramics, cosmetics and aroma industries, among others.
FBD 1.0
The FBD 1.0 fluidized/sprayed bed is a pilot-scale modulated system to develop drying, mixing, extraction, fluid dynamics, granulation and coating processes. Ideal for use in pharmaceutical, chemical, chemical engineering, food engineering, agribusiness, among others. In addition to being robust, versatile and compact, the FBD 1.0 is simple to operate. Its glass chamber makes it easy to view all the processes carried out by the equipment. The chamber is reinforced with stainless steel, facilitating handling and also comprises a bag filter with automatic cleaning by counterflow of pressurized air and a purge opening/closing timer. The equipment has TC nipple series connections, facilitating the assembly, sealing and asepsis of the parts.
Two double-fluid atomizing nozzles (pneumatic) type external mixture built in stainless steel are included with the FBD 1.0. The atomization can be used in an inferior (bottom spray) or superior (top spray) way; the standard equipment provides both options. It has a pressure regulator valve and rotameter for measuring the flow of compressed air to the atomizer nozzle.
The command structure of the equipment is built in carbon steel with anti-corrosion treatment and electrostatic powder painting. The parts that come into contact with the materials involved in drying are all stainless steel or boron silicate glass. They are as follows: electric resistance heating, temperature measurements and control by input and output and product temperature indication by a PT 100 type sensor with precision ± 0.1°C; the flow control of the atomized material (for drying, coating or agglomeration) by a digital peristaltic pump, with an indication in mL/min; a centrifugal type blower with medium flow rates and pressure for drying air; air flow control and variation system with real-time measurement system by Pitot tube.
It has a dedicated panel for control and automation with PLC system, HMI touch screen and USB output for data capture, command, issue of process report in spreadsheet. It is equipped with an emergency button for greater security and protection of the system, in addition to alarms and safety interlocks in cases of high temperature or low air flow (measured by the Pitot tube system).
The equipment comes with a complete Operation Manual and SOP suggestion (Standard Operating Procedure). We also provide a list of spare parts and access to a video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on how to assemble and operate your equipment. By becoming a Labmaq partner, you will also have exclusive access to our database of scientific articles in which you have hundreds of articles and literature published on our equipment.
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FBD 1.0 |
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Capacity |
From 200 to 1000g per batch |
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Atomization |
Bottom and Top Spray |
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N° of Nozzles Included |
2 |
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Máximum Energy Consumption |
6000W |
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Voltage |
220V |
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Compressed Air Comsumption |
Max 50L/min |
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Recommended Compressed Air Pressure |
6 to 8 bar |
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Maximum Operating Temperature |
150°C |
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Maximum Feed Pump |
8.5 mL/min |
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Dimensions in mm (LxHxW) |
1000 x 1900 x 650 |
Small Fluidization Chamber
Fluidization chamber (glass part) for specific small batch processes.
Customizable External Filtration Systems
Filtration systems are bag filter systems to connect to the dust separator cyclone outlet. They are designed for different flows and materials, aiming to meet the most diverse applications.
They consist of an AISI 304 stainless steel structure with casters to facilitate movement and bag filters to retain particles of a wide range of sizes. These sleeves can be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, among others, and have openings in their fabric to retain particles from 1 micron, depending on the application.
Hot Melt
A Fluidized Hot-melt granulation (FHMG) is a technique that is receiving increasing attention due to its advantages when compared to other granulation and coating techniques.
When coating with hot melt material, the coating agent is applied in its molten state and solidifies on the surface of the particles. This type of process produces desirable coverage by eliminating the solvent. The mechanism of the process is similar to film coating, except that solvent evaporation is replaced by cooling solidification of the coating material on the particle surface.
The technique is simple and fast, allowing modification of the active release rate depending on the properties and concentration of the fusible agent. After properly selecting and improving the formulation, equipment and variables related to the granulation and coating process, the processing technology can be optimized in fluidized beds and high performance products can be obtained.
Model comparison table
| MLF-100 | FBD 1.0 | FBD 3.0 | |
| Capacity | 2 to 100g | 200 to 1,000g | 500 to 3,000g |
| Drying | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coating | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mixing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Granulation and Agglomeration | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Extraction | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pharmaceutical Standard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Atomization | Bottom Spray | Bottom and Top Spray | Bottom and Top Spray |
| Maximum Energy Consumption | 2200W | 6000W | 10000W |
| Dimensions in mm (LxHxW) | 400 x 700 x 650 | 1000 x 1900 x 650 | 1000 x 1900 x 650 |
OPERATIONS:
DRYING
When drying pastes and solids in general, you simply need to feed the bed with the product to be dehydrated and control the process variables, such as air flow and temperature. Design variables are also important to define the best fluidization regime to dry your product. When drying liquids, the product is atomized inside the chamber, either by top spray or bottom spray, in a bed with inert materials. The material is transformed into powder and collected in the dust separator cyclone with the air flow that is fed into the system. The variables controlled in this process are the inlet or outlet temperature, the drying air flow, the liquid feed flow and the atomization compressed air flow.
GRANULATION AND AGGLOMERATION
In granulation, the particles are suspended by an air stream that is injected while the binder liquid or agglomerator is sprayed through the atomization system. Thus, the finer particles are agglomerated into larger granules and the air flow allows drying throughout the process. In this process, there is a vast amount of variables that can influence the final granulation, mainly related to the formulation of the granulating agent and the physicochemical properties of the material or mixture of materials to be granulated. Another important category that deserves a great deal of attention is the temperature control and the air flow used, which directly affects the formation and friction of the granules.Therefore, using the fluidized bed in this type of process is very important and efficient in controlling the formation and quality of the granules.
COATING
Coating or covering in a fluidized bed is a process in which the particles are suspended by an air stream that is injected while the coating liquid is atomized through the atomizing nozzle. The solution involves the particle in a simultaneous wetting and drying process until it forms a homogeneous layer with specific characteristics. Coatings are used, among their many functions, to protect the cores against unfavorable environmental conditions such as excessive humidity and sunlight; to mask unpleasant organoleptic characteristics; modify or produce homogeneous coloration; increase mechanical stability; and protect against unfavorable physiological conditions of pH or action of gastrointestinal tract enzymes. In addition, they make it possible to mask sensory characteristics such as taste, odor or color.
MIXING
In fluidization, the bed of solid particles acquires a fluid behavior using the air flowr through it. Considering this, a good mixture of these materials is achieved, further increasing the heat and mass transfer rates. Thus, the choice of materials to be placed in the bed, as well as their characteristics, influence the fluid dynamic behavior, contributing to a more effective and homogeneous mixture.
EXTRACTION
The fluidized bed extraction process is a technique that has been used mainly to separate certain samples, generally powdery, from a solid matrix. In this process, the air passage through these compounds (matrix + powdery particle) causes the powder to come off over time and the control of variables such as the amount of air used, as well as the temperature, directly affect this removal. Depending on the objectives, both the loose powder and the solid matrix can be recovered.
FLUID DYNAMICS STUDIES
Fluidized beds have been applied to several unit operations with different objectives, among them: mixing, heterogeneous gas-solid or gas-liquid-solid reactions, filtration, absorption, wear or particle abrasion, drying, coating and granulation. This impressive diversity of unit operations, even antagonistic at times, is possible due to the wide range of fluidized bed designs, with geometric changes that result in different gas-solid flow regimes, which are the so-called fluid dynamic regimes of the beds. For example, regimes such as smooth, bubbling, piston, turbulent and pneumatic conveying fluidization, or even spouted fluidization, spouted-fluidized and others. Thus, these fluid dynamic regimes influence the results of a process. As there is a diversity of bed geometries, particle properties and operational conditions associated with fluidization, it is essential to properly characterize the fluid dynamic regime in which one is working. Otherwise, the quality and repeatability of operations focusing on a given objective may be affected, as well as the understanding of future scale-ups of these processes.