The GEA Niro solutions for drying of ceramics are designed to meet each product specification for advanced ceramics.
GEA Niro has over the years supplied numerous tailor-made drying plants for drying of ceramics. The spray dryer design and operating conditions are selected to meet each ceramic product specification of moisture content, bulk density, particle size distribution, etc. to obtain a reproducible free-flowing granulate for production of ceramic press-body of high uniform quality in one single operation.
Technologies used for drying of ceramics
Different ceramics can be dried using technology from GEA Niro. The right solution depends of the feedstock and the required powder properties.
- Spray Dryers
- GEA Niro’s single-stage spray drying systems for production of fine to medium coarse powders. The spray dryer can be equipped with either a rotary atomizer or a nozzle atomizer.
- SWIRL FLUIDIZER™
- GEA Niro’s drying system for turning filter cakes and the most viscous liquids into fine powders in a single step. For drying at gentle or high temperatures.
The drying plants provided by GEA Niro for drying of ceramics are designed with an abrasion resistant feed system and nozzle or rotary atomizers and to meet today’s environmental restrictions related to restrictions on dust emission. The larger sized GEA Niro drying plants can be equipped with energy recovery systems, which thereby reduce the heating costs.
GEA Niro is able to supply open and closed cycle dryers
For both traditional and advanced high-tech ceramics, GEA Niro has supplied a number of plants with spray dryers with either an open or closed cycle drying concept. The transformation of a water-based ceramic slip specified with high solids content, binder and lubricant into a controlled droplet distribution using rotary wheel or nozzle atomization is mainly performed in open concepts with ambient air as the once-through process gas.
Closed cycle dryers with inert gas as process gas are used to prevent oxidation degradation or to operate safely with organic solvent-based ceramics. The flammable solvent evaporated from the feed formulation is fully recovered as liquid in a wet scrubber/condenser system.
Examples of drying solutions for ceramics
For drying of ferrites (iron oxides), GEA Niro Spray Dryers with rotary atomizer or nozzle atomizers are typically used. The rotary atomizer provides a finer powder whereas the nozzle atomizer provided a coarser powder.
Other types of ceramics dried on technology from GEA Niro:
- Aluminium oxides
- Electroporcelain
- Ferrites
- Silicium oxides
- Titanates
- Etc.