Influence of Oil Load and Maltodextrin Concentration on Properties of Tuna Oil Microcapsules Encapsulated in Two-Layer Membrane

The two layers of tuna oil-in-water emulsions containing different oil loads (5–10 wt%) and maltodextrin concentrations (10–20 wt%) were stabilized by a lecithin–chitosan membrane. The liquid emulsions were then spray dried at an inlet air temperature of 180 ± 2°C and an outlet air temperature of 85 ± 5°C. The characteristics of liquid emulsion (creaming and mean droplet size) and spray-dried microcapsules (moisture content, water activity, color, morphology, glass transition temperature, and encapsulation efficiency) were measured. The results suggest that two-layer oil-in-water emulsions are an effective system to produce high oil-loaded microcapsules, which may lead to its wide application for use in food products.     

Multiple Response Optimization of Spray-Drying Process for the Preparation of Salvianolic Acids Microparticles and Evaluation for Potential Application in Dry Powder Inhalation

Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae, a traditional Chinese medicine, is applied widely in the treatment of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, pulmonary, and nephritic diseases. Salvianolic acids are the main active components of Radix S. miltiorrhizae and are mainly used in the preparation of tablets, dropping pills and injections in traditional Chinese pharmaceutics. The purpose of this study is to develop an optimized spray-drying process to produce salvianolic acids particles and evaluate the physicochemical properties and in vitro deposition of the particles for application in dry powder inhalation (DPI). The spray-drying process was optimized according to a central composite design, using yield, median diameter, and the overall desirability as the responses. The physicochemical properties analysis and aerosolization properties evaluation on the particles indicated that the process obtained from multiple response optimization was more suitable for preparing particles applied in DPI. Under the optimized process, the particle size distribution analysis showed that the calculated mean aerodynamic diameter was below 3 µm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies confirmed the spherical, hollow structure and thin-walled and nearly smooth surface morphology of the particles. Aerosolization properties evaluation showed that the fine particle fraction was 36.3%. The results indicated that salvianolic acids particles produced by the optimized process could be applied in DPI. Furthermore, the present study indicated that multiple response optimization was a convenient and efficient method because it can simultaneously take into account the important factors that influence the quality of DPI.     

Concentration and Drying of Tea Polyphenols Extracted from Green Tea Using Molecular Distillation and Spray Drying

The purpose of this study was to develop a method of combining molecular distillation and spray drying to concentrate and dry tea polyphenols extracts. Molecular distillation and spray drying of tea phenols extracts were performed using an orthogonal array design. The order of importance that influenced molecular distillation was distillation temperature > flux > rotational speed. The optimal conditions for concentration by molecular distillation were 70°C distillation temperature, 10 mL/min flux, and 1,200 n/min rotational speed. Inlet temperature was found to be the most important determinant of spray drying. The order of importance that influenced the spray drying was inlet temperature > feed flux > wind capacity > feed concentration. The optimal conditions for drying of tea polyphenols extracts by spray drying were determined as follows: 170°C distillation temperature, 3 mL/min feed flux, 30% feed concentration, and 30 m³/h wind capacity. Results of this study indicated that the combination of molecular distillation and spray drying was very suitable for the concentration and drying of tea polyphenols extracts. Using this approach to process tea polyphenol extracts can not only maintain the quality of tea polyphenols but also save time and energy.     

Droplet–Droplet Interactions in Spray Drying by Using 2D Computational Fluid Dynamics

A 2D axisymmetric model of the spray drying process is presented. The two-phase flow theoretical model is based on a combined Eulerian-Lagrangian approach and takes binary interactions (coalescence or bouncing) between spray droplets into consideration. Validation of the model (incorporated in FLUENT 6.3.26) demonstrated good agreement and consistency with the literature data. The results of transient simulations showed that droplet–droplet interactions displace the region of heat and mass transfer from the central core toward the periphery of the drying chamber. It was also found that insulation of the spray dryer can substantially affect temperature and humidity patterns, whereas its influence on the velocity flow field is less marked.     

Characteristics of Milk Powders Produced by Spray Freeze Drying

Skim and whole milk powders were manufactured at lab scale by spray freeze drying (SFD), using liquid nitrogen as the cryogen. The polydispersity of droplet/particle sizes was limited using an encapsulator nozzle to atomize the feed. Particle morphology was examined using a scanning electron microscope. Samples were compared with equivalent spray-dried powders in tests of wettability and dissolution in water. The spray freeze-dried powders were found to be highly porous, with a uniform structure of pores throughout the entire particles. When tested in water, SFD skim milk powders wetted roughly three times as fast as industrially spray-dried agglomerated skim milk powders and were observed to dissolve rapidly by breaking down into smaller particles.     

Influence of Atomizing Parameters on Droplet Properties in a Pulse Combustion Spray Dryer

A pulse combustor employed in a spray-drying system offers a new approach for liquid atomization that yields high-quality powders at low cost. Using a pulse combustion atomizer, there is no need for any form of nozzle dispersion and its atomization mechanism differs from those of conventional atomizers, such as rotary atomizers and pressure and pneumatic nozzles. In this work, based on the analysis of atomization mechanism, experiments of unsteady pulsating atomization were carried out in an experimental system of a Helmholtz-type pulse combustor. An optical analyzer was used for measuring the mean diameter of atomized droplet and droplet distribution. The effects of liquid feed rate, air flow oscillatory frequency, and liquid viscosity on atomized droplet size and size distribution were investigated and analyzed. The results indicate that the uniform droplet size distribution can be obtained under the conditions of a low feed rate, high-frequency pulsating flow, and moderate viscosity. The range of the droplets' Sauter mean diameter (SMD) is between 50 and 80 µm. The pulsating air flow from the pulse combustor can be used to atomize liquid or slurry without a nozzle and the atomizing quality can meet the requirements of spray drying.     

Performance of a UV‐assisted Hydrogen‐peroxide‐fed Spray Tower for Sulfur Dioxide Abatement

Spray towers are widely used for controlling air pollution by gases such as SO₂, CO₂, NO_x, and HCl. Results of sulfur dioxide absorption in a spray tower using solutions of 1 g L^–1 and 2 g L^–1 of hydrogen peroxide are reported. For comparison, a water and sodium hydroxide solution was also used for SO₂ abatement. The results indicate that H₂O₂ may be an important alternative for SO₂ removal in spray towers. A set of experimental removal efficiency data was obtained as a function of gas and liquid flow rates. Volumetric mass transfer coefficients (k_ga) were calculated and an experimental relationship among k_ga, gas, and liquid flow rates was proposed. As a final experiment, an oxidation process assisted by UV radiation using a 1 g L^–1 solution of H₂O₂ was carried out to speed up the SO₂ removal rate. The results obtained in this condition are similar to those achieved with a solution of 2 g L^–1 H₂O₂.     

High‐Pressure Generator of Singlet Oxygen

The generation of gaseous singlet oxygen by gas‐liquid reaction of chlorine with alkaline solution of hydrogen peroxide in spray form was studied experimentally on the originally designed device with a fast separation of reacted liquid from gas. The singlet oxygen yield, residual chlorine, and water vapor content in gas were measured under different experimental conditions of the centrifugal spray singlet oxygen generator (CSSOG) using nitrogen as a dilution gas. A characteristic feature of the CSSOG is a high utilization of the chemicals and production of singlet oxygen at a very high total pressure even near the atmospheric pressure. This generator developed originally for driving a chemical oxygen‐iodine laser (COIL) could be employed also as an efficient singlet oxygen source in material science, chemical synthesis, and others.     

A Parametric Study of Spray Drying of a Solution in a Pulsating High-Temperature Turbulent Flow

Spray drying of a concentrated common salt (NaCl) solution carried out in the intense oscillating high-temperature turbulent flow field generated in the tailpipe of a pulse combustor was simulated. Simulation of such transport process problems is especially crucial since the environmental conditions are too hostile for detailed and reliable measurements. The momentum, heat, and mass transfer processes between the gas and droplet phases during drying were simulated using a computational fluid dynamic solver. The simulated profiles of flow field, temperature, and humidity of gaseous phase, and particle trajectories in a drying chamber are presented and discussed. The effects of gas temperature, pulse frequency and amplitude, and gas mass flow rate on the transient flow patterns, droplet trajectories, and overall dryer performance were investigated. Different turbulence models were also tested. Simulation results show that the flow field and droplet drying conditions vary widely during a single pulsating period. Very short drying times and very high drying rate characterize pulse combustion spray drying. Thus, pulse combustion drying can be applied to drying of fine droplets of highly heat-sensitive materials although the jet temperature initially is extremely high.     

Rheology parameters controlling spray atomization and roll misting behavior of waterborne coatings

Formation of small coating droplets is a phenomenon common to spray and roll application of coatings. Generation of small droplets, referred to as atomization, is the mechanism of controlling the quality and thickness of the applied coating layer in spray technology. In roll coating application, small coating droplets are formed at the nip–exit region under certain conditions. Because of the high-shear rates at roll nips and spray nozzles, it is common to relate high-shear viscosity with atomization and roll misting behavior of coatings. This paper will review the relative importance of shear and extensional flows, and the response of coatings to such flows, in affecting misting and atomization behavior. Experimental efforts to quantify the effect of shear and extensional rheological parameters have clearly established a lack of correlation of high-shear viscosities with both spray atomization and roll misting behavior of coatings. However, extensional viscosity is shown to have a strong correlation. Finally, how rheology modifiers can be selected to circumvent misting problems in roll coating applications and atomization problems in spray applications is discussed.