The process of lyophilization (vacuum drying) is a technique for extracting moisture from materials by directly transferring water from a solid to a gaseous state, bypassing the liquid phase. This method involves the steps of freezing and then drying under vacuum, allowing the water to evaporate directly from the frozen product. The defrosting stage is eliminated due to intensified dehydration under reduced pressure. The use of vacuum promotes the effective extraction of aqueous and organic media from the processed material, preserving its primary structure and quality.
Draining through sublimation is an innovative technological solution that ensures the production of high-quality dehydrated products with a long shelf life. This technology finds its application in the pharmaceutical, food industry, in the production of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements, as well as in wood processing.
Lyophilization installations
The procedure of lyophilization drying requires the use of specialized vacuum systems (such as, for example, from the manufacturer https://seies.tech/), customized for a variety of efficiency characteristics and dimensions of the drying space. Devices intended for laboratories are equipped with chambers with a loading capacity of 1 to 5 kg. Plants for the pharmaceutical and microbiological industries are usually designed for 20-75 kg of product. In the field of food production, dryers with a capacity of 300-1000 kg are used. Among the standard components of lyophilization systems, the following can be distinguished:
- Working chamber and condenser made of high-quality stainless steel, with the possibility of observation through the validation window;
- Niches for placing products, with bare structures for dynamic circulation of cold liquid, made of durable materials resistant to temperature cycles;
- Vacuum system that creates the necessary environment through one or more pumps for pumping out vapors;
- Cooling system with a main and spare compressor, as well as pipelines to maintain the optimal temperature in the chamber;
A control system that provides process control in manual and automatic modes, monitoring the condition of the equipment and recording data on operations performed.
