Vacuum dryer for the production of mineral salts

December 10, 2021

For a German manufacturer of mineral salts, BHS-Sonthofen is supplying a vertical vacuum dryer and a mixing cooler with system control. The mineral salts are used in nutritional supplements, animal feed, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, among other things. The entire plant will be commissioned in the first half of 2022.

Mineral salts are vital nutrients – they are essential to the human body as well as to plants and animals. But they are also used in a variety of industrial applications. Due to their crystalline structure, mineral salts bind water.

A German specialist for mineral salts relies on BHS technology of type HVW-T 7500. The first machine is used for drying various water-moist mineral salts. The drying process is carried out under vacuum at temperatures of about 220°C. The product is kept in constant motion via the heated BHS mixing helix. This results in a rapid heat transfer in which the product heats up evenly – this is particularly important for crystalline minerals.

The second, identical machine takes the dried mineral salts and cools them down to about 50 degrees – before they are subsequently processed further. Compared to its previous technology, the BHS customer achieves significantly reduced drying times. Both machines are supplied with an expandable control system.