Abstract: Hot air drying is an intensive energy consuming process, 5000-8000 kJ per kg of water. More efficient processes produce low drying rates or cannot totally dry the product because they do not integrate the four drying phases, warm up, constant drying, falling drying and aeration and do not handle dripping. To reduce the energy consumption, the exhausted mix of air and vapor is used as working fluid to drive each phase, and the dripping is collected before it goes back to the product. This fluid is compressed inside of a heat-exchanger to heat the product; however, the mix proportion, vapor and air, changes on each phase. For warm up phase, the working fluid is either hot air or condensed water; in constant phase, it is mostly vapor; in falling phase, it changes from vapor to air; and for aeration, it is air. Inlet and outlet valves control these proportions.

Abstract: A system and method for post-processing of polymeric items having a liquid component and a predetermined heat deflection temperature is provided. The system includes a washing station to spray water at elevated temperature and pressure on the items while maintaining the temperature of the item below the heat deflection temperature. Then using a water distillation system to separate the water from the water mixed with the liquid polymer component by evaporating the water using heating coils with surface that is not conducive to adhesion of the liquid polymer component and then condense the water vapor into liquid water. The system may further include a spin station to separate the liquid polymer component by spinning the item. The system may further include one or more processing stations to rinse the item, dry the item, cure the item, remove the item from a tray to which the item may be attached and clean trays after removing the item.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for drying slurry-like materials, in particular sludge from wastewater treatment plants, including two drying stages, namely: a first indirect drying stage (2), supplied with hot fluid, which receives sludge having an entry dryness Se, and outputs sludge having an intermediate dryness Si and water steam, which is channelled towards a condenser (8) in which a heating fluid, in particular water, is reheated and, in turn, heats a heating gas for a second drying stage (6); and a step (5) of forming strings of sludge at the exit from the first stage; the second stage (6) of drying the strings of sludge using gas at least partially heated by the heat extracted from the condenser, said second stage outputting a slurry having a final dryness Sf; the intermediate dryness Si is controlled according to the measured entry dryness Se and the desired exit dryness Sf, for minimum consumption of the total energy used for drying, the flow rate, pressure and/or temperature of the hot fluid (3)

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the temperature of a web, which is formed from cellulosic pulp and is to be passed to a dryer, by way of applying temperature-controlled liquid to the web. According to the invention, the thus formed web is passed into a closed space defined by two wires and side deckles, wherein temperature-controlled liquid is applied at controlled pressure and flow rate through the wire to the web.

Abstract: A method for drying slurry, comprising the steps of: providing an air-permeable drying bed with a suitable carrier material, arranging, for instance spraying, on the drying bed the (semi-liquid) slurry, drawing in and/or blowing drying air and guiding this air through the drying bed; removing thus dried (semi-liquid) slurry, shuffling the carrier material at chosen times, measuring quantities of the drying air; measuring quantities of air guided through the drying bed; and arranging the (semi-liquid) slurry, shuffling the carrier material and removing dried (semi-liquid) slurry on the basis of the measured quantities.

Abstract: A method of producing dimensionally stable paper and/or paperboard products by treating a hygroreactive cellulosic fiber matrix with a hydrophobic sizing agent solution; and drying the treated fibers using heat and/or pressure so that the hydrophobic sizing agent penetrates the fiber matrix making it hydrophobic.

Abstract: A method of dewatering fine particulate materials is disclosed. In this method, an aqueous slurry of fine particles is treated with appropriate hydrophobizing reagents so that the particulate material becomes moderately hydrophobic. A lipid of vegetable or animal origin is then added to the slurry in solutions of light hydrocarbon oils and short-chain alcohols, so that the hydrophobic lipid molecules adsorb on the moderately hydrophobic surface and, thereby, greatly enhance its hydrophobicity. By virtue of the enhanced hydrophobicty, the water molecules adhering to the surface are destabilized and more readily removed during the process of mechanical dewatering. The moisture reduction can be further improved using appropriate electrolytes in conjunction with the lipids, spraying surface tension lowering reagents onto the filter cake, subjecting the cake to a suitable vibratory means, and using combinations thereof.

Abstract: In a process for drying microporous, fluid-containing particles, the heat required for increasing the temperature is supplied by convection by reducing the interfacial tension of the fluid, preferably to 0 to 1/10, in particular to 0 to 1/20, of the interfacial tension of the fluid at room temperature, by appropriately increasing the temperature at from close to the critical pressure to supercritical pressure of the fluid. Furthermore, microporous, three-dimensionally networked particles are prepared by a process in which the drying process is used. In addition, an apparatus is used for carrying out the drying process, the apparatus comprising a pressure container having an inner container and pressure-withstanding outer container and suitable measuring and control apparatuses and pump apparatuses and heat exchangers, the inner container being provided for holding the particles to be dried and a gap being provided between the inner container and the outer container.