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.
MLF 100
The Mini Fluidized Bed Labmaq MLF-100 is a benchtop system with Brazilian technology, developed for applications in small-scale coating processes in tablets, hard and soft capsules, and also in multiparticulate materials (pellets, granules, active ingredients , seeds and also mini pills). It is ideal to be used in pharmaceutical R&D laboratories, pharmacy course laboratories, compounding pharmacies, food, and seed treatment R&D laboratories, among others.
Its control structure is made of steel with anti-corrosion treatment and electrostatic powder painting. It contains a fluidization chamber, air supply system, peristaltic pump, electric resistance air heating, main switch and resistance drive switch.
The equipment comes with a complete Operation Manual and SOP suggestion (Standard Operating Procedure). We also provide a list of spare parts. 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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MLF-100 |
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Capacity |
From 2 to 100g per batch |
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Atomization |
Bottom Spray |
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N° of Nozzles Included |
1 |
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Máximum Energy Consumption |
2,200W |
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Voltage |
220V biphasic |
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Compressed Air Comsumption |
Max. 50L/min |
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Recommended Compressed Air Pressure |
6 bar |
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Maximum Operating Temperature |
70°C |
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Maximum Feed Pump |
3.0 mL/min |
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Dimensions in mm (LxHxW) |
400 x 700 x 650 |
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.