The Different Industrial Applications of Fluidization

The first commercial fluidization process was developed in the 1940s. However, this process is only used in a small number of industrial applications. These include food processing, chemical reaction engineering, incineration, and polymer coating. In addition, it is used in various forms of biomedical research.

Food Processing

Fluidization is a process that uses gases or liquids to transform one material into another. Fluidization may be used in many industrial processes, including drying, blanching, mixing, granulation, fermentation, and more. Its primary applications are in the food industry and include flour, milk, and coffee drying. It is also used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Fluidizer has been used in food processing for many years. The first patent for the technique was issued in 1910. The Standard Oil Development Co. of Indi ana and other companies developed a new method for changing the structure of food materials. This process involves the transfer of mass, heat, and momentum.

Fluidization is an industrial process that transforms solid particles into liquids. It is similar to liquefaction in changing the solid particle’s state from solid to liquid. The solid particles adopt the shape of the container and flow under pressure from an orifice or over a weir. The process can also be used to modify the surface of the food. Compared to liquefaction, fluidization does not require any moving mechanical parts.

Chemical Reaction Engineering

Chemical reaction engineering is a field that combines the science of chemical reactions with the application of fluidization. This discipline includes fundamental aspects of chemistry, molecular-level reactions, and large-scale chemical production systems. Recent research trends indicate that there are multiple sub-areas of this field. In this special issue, we will cover various research topics related to this field. Read on to learn more.

Fluidization is a unique application of chemical reaction engineering. It involves the use of gas-solid fluids in industrial processes. This process is a vital part of chemical reaction engineering and is taught in most undergraduate programs. Examples of fluidization experiments include adsorption and polymer coating. A classic application of hydrodynamics is the catalytic gas-fluidized bed reactor.

Incineration

Industrial applications of fluidization for incineration can reduce emissions from combusted waste by reducing the amount of airborne nitrogen. The process has a simple design and can operate at various air/fuel ratios. The process can reduce CO and NOx concentrations to deficient levels.

Industrial applications of fluidization for incineration can also decrease the amount of power needed to run a facility. Energy consumption can be reduced by 20-30% by slowing down the combustion rate. The process can also reduce the incinerator bed’s temperature, which helps maintain a stable operation.

The process is suitable for a variety of waste materials. Fluidized-bed incinerators are well suited for treating mixed materials with different calorific values. These incinerators can also be used in emergencies and for disaster-related waste.

Polymer Coating

The fluidization of polymer coating in industrial applications is a process in which a polymer is applied to a substrate. This process is suitable for industrial applications, as it minimizes using liquids and high temperatures. The process applies to many industries, including the pharmaceutical, personal care, household goods, and catalyst industries.

Fluidization is usually carried out at a low mass flow rate but can increase the coating thickness. This process is suitable for coatings that require a coating thickness of 0.05 inches or less. The temperature of the fluidized bed and the mass of the coated object must be controlled to obtain the desired coating thickness.

Fluidized-bed processes can be more efficient than conventional methods, which use a hot-air-flow environment to create the coating. This process also offers good process quality due to the uniform distribution of the coating solution. It is a multi-step process, and the quality of the final film depends on the process parameters used. Fluidized-bed processes are more effective when the coating process conditions are optimized and the film morphology is improved.

Carbon Dioxide Sequestration

Fluidization for carbon dioxide sequestration is a potential energy storage technology for fossil fuels. The process involves capturing carbon dioxide gas from an atmosphere by mixing it with a carrier fluid and dispersing it through a porous medium. This paper discusses the performance and feasibility of fluidization in sequestration.

Carbon dioxide sequestration is a promising option for carbon pollution reduction. Numerous methods have been proposed for this purpose. Many of these methods involve fluidization and advanced solid adsorbents. Fluidized bed reactors are an excellent choice for carbon dioxide capture as they offer high gas-solids contact efficiency and continuous regeneration of adsorbents. Researchers have found that calcium-oxide adsorbents have high reactivity and high adsorption capacity of CO2 in a fluidized bed. Furthermore, they have relatively low material costs.

The carbon dioxide capture efficiency of fluidized bed reactors varies depending on particle size, fluidization velocity, and bed height. The lower the fluidization velocity, the better the capture efficiency. The higher the particle size, the lower the carbon dioxide concentration and the longer the residence time of the carbon dioxide in the treated gases.