Large Volume Processors, High Viscosity Reactors

The Reactotherm is a heavy duty processor with an intensive mixing and kneading effect and self-cleaning ability. It is used for thermal processing of a wide variety of pasty, viscous, and fouling products. It can be operated continuously or batch-wise. The Reactotherm consists of a cylindrical, horizontal shell and a rotor with segmented discs and mixing bars. Stationary mixing hooks are attached to the inside of the shell. The close clearance between the mixing hooks, the segmented discs and the rotor result in a high mixing and kneading effect and the self-cleaning properties of the rotor. The inside of the shell is cleaned by the mixing bars. Fouling of heat exchange surfaces and the formation of agglomerates are avoided. The shell, the rotor shaft and the discs can be heated or cooled. The product transport is accomplished by the slightly pitched mixing bars.

Filmtruder and Viscon processors are specialized in the concentration, purification and devolatilization of products with viscosities up to 10,000 Pa (s) and are characterized by the following properties: Agitated thin film processing Unequaled surface renewal, resulting in the lowest residual volatile content Typically no stripping agents required Large free vapour volume compared to product hold-up, allowing very high volatile removal in one stage A successful thin film processing system consists of the right processor design integrated with properly engineered subsystems. SMS can provide a complete system, including installation and start-up services, or full engineering and design documentation to allow you to add the necessary subsystems for our thin film processor.

For the thermal separation of a mixture a thin film is produced at the heated wall of a cylindrical or conical evaporator. A distribution ring on the rotor distributes the liquid evenly across the periphery. Then, the blades fitted at the rotor spread the liquid as a thin film of min. 0.5 mm over the heat transfer surface. The model concept for the flow in the thin film evaporator assumes that prior to each rotor blade a bow wave is formed. In the gap between the rotor blade and the heating surface, fluid is supplied from the bow wave of a highly turbulent area with intense heat and mass transport. This results in a good heat transfer performance even with viscous products. In addition, the formation of deposits is avoided and the intensive mixing also protects temperature-sensitive products from overheating.