Case Study — Chemical
Vacuum Rake Drying for an Oxidation-Sensitive Chemical Intermediate
Fine chemical intermediate paste, moderate solvent content
The Challenge
A specialty chemical producer needed to dry a paste-form intermediate that was prone to oxidation and discoloration when exposed to air at elevated temperature. Conventional oven drying produced inconsistent color and required a lengthy secondary solvent-recovery step, adding cost and processing time to each batch.
The Solution
Ruibo proposed a ZPG vacuum rake dryer sized to the customer's target batch volume, configured with a closed vapor outlet feeding an external condenser for solvent recovery. Operating under vacuum allowed the drying cycle to run at a substantially lower jacket temperature than the previous oven process, while the rotating scraper rake kept the paste in continuous circulation across the heated jacket wall to avoid localized hot spots.
Project Process
- Reviewed the customer's material properties, target batch size, and existing solvent-recovery requirements
- Specified a ZPG vacuum rake dryer with a jacket design suited to the required heating medium and vacuum level
- Integrated a condenser and receiving vessel for closed-loop solvent recovery
- Supported factory acceptance testing prior to shipment