Spray drying is the most widely used method for industrial
production of powder, as single particles or agglomerated products. For half a
century traditional atomization techniques have been used in the industry to
produce chemical, food, dairy and pharmaceutical products. Two-fluid nozzles,
also termed pneumatic nozzles, are widely used in smaller plants, but limited
by the complex control and air supply when capacities requiring several nozzles
are to be meet.
Spray drying using rotary atomizers is in general the
most versatile technique with regards to handling non-homogeneous feeds, high
viscous feeds and the control of particle size during operation, but the market
for rotary atomization has been decreasing for many years, replacing the rotary
atomizer with pressure nozzles as the third traditional choice. Other
atomization principles are in use, but on a minor scale seen in industrial
perspectives.
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