Apparatus and process for continuous adsorption

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021291126-A1
Application number	US-201917257701-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2019
Priority date	Jul 12, 2018
Publication date	Sep 23, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous production of a particulate adsorption product, the apparatus comprising: a mixing drum having an elongated cavity for receiving a particulate adsorbent material, an adsorbent inlet and a product outlet, wherein the mixing drum is arranged such that the cavity is inclined in flow direction of the particulate material, and wherein the cavity comprises an initial transport zone adjacent to the inlet and a mixing zone following the initial transport zone; a rotating member extending through the cavity in a longitudinal direction, wherein the rotating member comprises a helical conveying blade at longitudinal positions corresponding to the initial transport zone and mixing instruments at longitudinal positions corresponding to the mixing zone; and one or more injection nozzles for injecting a liquid adsorbate to the mixing zone. The invention further relates to a process for the continuous production of a particulate adsorption product using such apparatus.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for the continuous production of a particulate adsorption product, the apparatus comprising:
a mixing drum having an elongated cavity for receiving a particulate adsorbent material, an adsorbent inlet and a product outlet, wherein the mixing drum is arranged such that the cavity is inclined in flow direction of the particulate material, and the cavity comprises an initial transport zone adjacent to the inlet and a mixing zone following the initial transport zone; a rotating member extending through the cavity in a longitudinal direction, wherein the rotating member comprises a helical conveying blade at longitudinal positions corresponding to the initial transport zone and mixing instruments at longitudinal positions corresponding to the mixing zone; and one or more injection nozzles for injecting a liquid adsorbate to the mixing zone.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mixing instruments comprise mixing paddles that are preferably distributed over the length of the mixing zone.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the operative surfaces of the paddles are slanted backwards.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cavity further comprises a terminal transport zone adjacent to the outlet and wherein, at longitudinal positions corresponding to the terminal transport zone, the rotating member comprises a further helical conveyor blade.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cavity further comprises a resting zone following the mixing zone and, at longitudinal positions corresponding to the resting zone, the rotating member is devoid of mixing instruments or conveyor blades.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the cavity further comprises an intermediate transport zone between the mixing zone and the resting zone, or within the mixing zone, and wherein, at longitudinal positions corresponding to the intermediate transport zone, the rotating member comprises another helical conveyor blade.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the resting zone extends over at least 10%, at least 15% or at least 20% of the length of the cavity and/or has a longitudinal extension that is equal or greater than the longitudinal extension of the initial transport zone, the terminal transport zone, the intermediate transport zone, or one of the mixing zones.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the incline angle is between 15 and 45° and/or wherein the L/D ratio of the cavity is between 2 and 10, preferably between 3 and 7.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the incline angle and the length and diameter of the mixing zone are such that there are longitudinal positions within the mixing zone whose entire cross-section remains below the level of product removal, and preferably such that longitudinal positions whose entire cross-section remains below the level of product removal account for at least 30% of all longitudinal positions within the mixing zone.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the incline angle, the length of the mixing zone and the positions of the injection nozzles are such that all injection nozzles are located below the level of product removal.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a lifting device for adjusting the incline of the cavity, preferably comprising one or more hydraulic cylinders.

12 . A process for the continuous production of a particulate adsorption product using an apparatus of claim 1 , the process comprising the steps of:
continuously feeding a flowable particulate adsorbent material into the initial transport zone of the cavity through the inlet; continuously injecting a liquid adsorbate into the mixing zone of the cavity through the nozzles; and continuously operating the rotating member to propagate the adsorbent through the initial transport zone to the mixing zone and to agitate the adsorbent and the adsorbate in the mixing zone.

13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the rotating member is operated at a rotational speed such that the peripheral speed of the helical conveying blade and the mixing instruments is 1 m/s or less.

14 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the particulate adsorbent materials is a silica, charcoal or zeolite material and/or wherein the particulate adsorbent material is a porous material having a specific surface area of at least 100 m 2 /g and/or wherein the liquid adsorbate is a liquid biologically active component or a liquid solution or dispersion of a biologically active component.

15 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the feed rate of particulate adsorbent material and the rotational speed of the rotating member are adjusted such that the average residence time of the particulate material is between 2 and 20 minutes, preferably between 5 and 10 minutes.

16 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the cavity volume unoccupied by the particulate material is filled with ambient air.

17 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cavity further comprises a terminal transport zone adjacent to the outlet and wherein, at longitudinal positions corresponding to the terminal transport zone, the rotating member comprises a further helical conveyor blade.

18 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cavity further comprises a terminal transport zone adjacent to the outlet and wherein, at longitudinal positions corresponding to the terminal transport zone, the rotating member comprises a further helical conveyor blade.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the cavity further comprises a resting zone following the mixing zone and, at longitudinal positions corresponding to the resting zone, the rotating member is devoid of mixing instruments or conveyor blades.

20 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the cavity further comprises a resting zone following the mixing zone and, at longitudinal positions corresponding to the resting zone, the rotating member is devoid of mixing instruments or conveyor blades.

Assignees

• Dsm Ip Assets Bv

Inventors

• Riebel Peter
• Urban Kai

Classifications

• B01F23/53 Primary

  using driven stirrers · CPC title

• B01F23/54

  wetting solids · CPC title

• B01F23/511

  characterised by the composition of the liquids or solids · CPC title

• B01F27/62

  comprising liquid feeding, e.g. spraying means · CPC title

• B01F27/231

  with a variable orientation during mixing operation, e.g. with tiltable rotor axis · CPC title