SOME GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING THE DEHYDRATION PROCESS DURING GREASE MANUFACTURE

The dehydration process during grease manufacture has been investigate d in a mechanically stirred tank. A better understanding of boiling re gimes enabled thr ee main guidelines to De suggested for improving thi s operation. The first advice concerns the control of the wall tempera ture: it must not be too high to avoid working in the transition regim e. The second one relates to the pressure release: the system must be kept near to the equilibrium to enable the bubbles to form at the reac tor wall, resulting in better heat transfer. Last, but not least, atte ntion must De drawn to the configuration of the stirring device: the u se of scrapers can be beneficial in terms of energy cost and in the ca se of heat-sensitive products.