Abstract
Atomization is a key technology for spray drying, which is widely used in many industries, such as chemical, food, ceramic, detergent industry and so on. The formation of a spray and contacting of the spray with air are the characteristic features of spray drying. Rotary atomizers and pressure nozzles are commonly used to form a spray, while pneumatic atomizers have limited applications.
The selection of an atomizer depends on the nature of the feed and the desired characteristics of the dried product.
In this paper, prediction of the discharge coefficient for pressure nozzles is discussed with reference to detergent slurry. Also recent developments of atomization technology are reviewed in the following three points.
(1) Treating of viscous liquids, which concerns saving energy and increasing the drying capacity of the spray dryer
(2) Getting a narrow distribution of dried powder, which corresponds to better quality, specifically in the ceramic industry
(3) Development of high flow rate nozzle atomizer
