Application of process analytical technologies (PAT) to monitor the particle size and the fluidization regime in coating and granulation processes

• Grant number: 13/15820-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Osvaldir Pereira Taranto
• Grantee: Thaís Ribeira de Paula
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The interest by the insertion of real-time tools to monitor fluidized bed coating and granulation processes in the industry has grown in recent years, not only because of the strong competition in the international markets, which seeking products with qualities severely specified, but also due to the need for the development of immediate actions on the process to solve defluidization of the bed. The defluidization phenomenon frequently occurs in cases when it is performed the wetting operation in a bubbling fluidized bed by polymeric aqueous solutions or suspensions. Identifying the initial moments at which the fluid-dynamic regime transitions begin to occur is of paramount importance. The Laboratory of Thermo-fluid-dynamic Processes located in the School of Chemical Engineering (University of Campinas - Campinas/SP), has successfully applied spectral analysis of pressure fluctuation signals to monitor the regime transitions in moving beds. The fluidization regime, moisture content, and particle size are critical variables and should be controlled and monitored in real-time. The Laboratory of Thermo-fluid-dynamic Processes studied various techniques for monitoring and found the Parsum IPP70 probe (Malvern Instruments, UK), that uses the Spatial Filter Velocimetry principle. Parsum IPP70 is one of the most efficient and robust particle analyzers designed to operate inside of the process, sending information on the particle size distribution in a fraction of seconds. Coating and granulation experiments are carried out by monitoring the fluidization regime through spectral analysis and particle size using the Parsum probe. It is expected to detect the fluid-dynamic instabilities and unwanted agglomeration due to changes in the operating conditions of the processes. These results may be used to develop control strategies in real-time. (AU)