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CRAYOGENIC GRINDING
Cryogenics”.DOC (Size: 124.5 KB / Downloads: 29)
INTRODUCTION
The term “Cryogenics” originates from Greek word which means creation or production by means of cold. As prices for energy and raw materials rise and concern for the environment makes safe waste disposal difficult and Costly, resource recovery becomes a vital matter for today’s business. Cryogenic grinding technology can efficiently grind most tough materials and can also facilitate Cryogenic recycling of tough composite materials and multi component scrap. The heart of this technology is the CRYO-GRIND SYSTEM. It employs a cryogenic process to embrittle and grind materials to achieve consistent particle size for a wide range of products. The cryogenic process also has a unique capability for recycling difficult to separate composite materials.
Cryogenic grinding is a method of powdering herbs at sub-zero temperatures ranging from 0 to minus 70°F. The herbs are frozen with liquid nitrogen as they are being ground. This process does not damage or alter the chemical composition of the plant in any way. Normal grinding processes which do not use a cooling system can reach up to 200°F. These high temperatures can reduce volatile components and heat-sensitive constituents in herbs. The cryogenic grinding process starts with air-dried herbs, rather than freeze-dried herbs.
Solid materials are ground or pulverized by way of hammer mills, attrition mills, granulators or other equipment. A smaller particle size is usually needed to enhance the further processing of the solid, as in mixing with other materials. A finer particle also helps in melting of rubber and plastics for molding. However, many materials are either very soft or very tough at room temperatures. By cooling to cryogenic temperatures with liquid nitrogen, these may be embrittled and easily fractured into small particles.
A scientifically controlled study using four herbs was conducted at Frontier Herbs in the Fall of 1996, comparing cryogenic grinding methods with normal grinding methods. The herbs tested included feverfew, goldenseal, valerian and echinacea. In all cases the cryogenically ground herb contained greater amounts of the constituents tested. Feverfew herb showed the greatest difference, with the cryogenically ground herb containing 21.8% higher levels of parthenolide, the primary active constituent. Valerian root showed an 18.7% increase in valerenic acid when cryogenically ground. Goldenseal root showed a 16.4% increase in berberine and 10.7% increase in hydrastine. Lastly, Echinacea purpurea root showed a 12.1% increase in total phenolic content in the cryogenically ground root. Test results were obtained by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) methods.
Cryogenic grinding was shown to significantly affect active constituent levels in herbs. Test results showed an average increase of 15.6% in constituents tested in four medicinal herbs when they were ground cryogenically. The range was 10.7% to 21.8%, indicating that some herbs are affected more than others by the temperatures at which they're ground.
Chapter II
APPLICATION OF CRYOGENICS
The major areas in which cryogenics find its applications are : -
1. Gas Industry – in air separation. The volume of production of nitrogen and Oxygen by cryogenic separation of air is the important of the separation of air, refrigeration and separation. In the separation column, the difference in the boiling points of the constituents of air is used to separate them out.
2. As the source of gas. For example, the breathing oxygen needed for the pilots of the fighter aircraft is supplied by vaporizing liquid oxygen on board. In this way is a weight reduction of 65% and space reduction of 85%.
3. In space research – as rocket propellant and for space simulation. The most important advantage of cryogenic fuels is that these have very high specific impulse when compared to other fuels (specific impulse is kgs of thrust produced per kg of propellant per sec). The value is approximately 500 for cryogenic fuels whereas it is about 250 for alcohol oxygen mixture.
4. In biology – for preservation and in treatment of diseases.
5. In food industry – for food handling and processing
6. In electronics – both semiconductor and superconductor electronics for better signal to noise ratio speed etc
7. In miscellaneous applications such as cryogenic grinding , freezing pipelines for repairs, shrink fitting, fire fighting, etc
8. In medicine – Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), Magneto Cardio Graphy (MCG), etc.
9. In nuclear and high – energy physics
10. Metal fabrication
Chapter III
CRYOGENIC GRINDING PROCESS
Since almost all materials embrittle when exposed to cold temperatures, cryogenic size reduction utilizes the cold energy available from liquid nitrogen to cool, embrittle and inert materials prior to and or during the grinding process. All materials which due to their specific properties at ambient temperatures are elastic, have low melting points, contain volatile or oily substances, have low combustion temperatures and are sensitive to oxygen, are ideal candidates for cryogenic size reduction.
Physical properties of liquid nitrogen is produced by the separation of air into its components in an air separation plant and is distributed in vacuum insulated transport vessels to the end user where it is stored in a vacuum insulated storage vessel till it is used. At atmospheric pressure liquid nitrogen is at a temperature of –320 deg F and possesses a latent energy content of 94 BTU/LB resulting in a total cooling energy content of 179.6 BTU/LB. Nitrogen is anon-flammable, non toxic and inert gas which makes up 78.09% of the air we breathe. It has the characteristics of an inert gas, except at highly elevated temperatures, and does not form any compound under normal temperatures and pressure. Drawn from the liquid phase, nitrogen generally has a purity of 99.998 % with a dew point less than – 100 deg F and is very dry
Cryogenic Grinding System
When using the system, measurable and repeatable results are obtained for lab or productions calculations. Mills range in size from 7-1/2 HP to 200 HP. With our cryogenic grinding unit an understanding develops with interaction of equipment components and operating parameters. Factors such as consistent feed rate, precise temperature measurement, mill operating parameters and pressure control are critical to the evaluation of cryogenic grinding and cryogenic grinding systems.
CRYOGENIC GRINDING TECHNOLOGY
For pulverizing many materials, cryogenic grinding technology increases productivity and lowers power costs. Many elastic or "soft" materials are very difficult to pulverize, requiring long cycle times and high energy consumption. This combination decreased productivity and increased costs unnecessarily. Cryogenic grinding involves cooling a material below its embrittlement temperature with a cryogenic fluid, typically liquid nitrogen or, in certain applications, carbon dioxide. After cooling, the material is fed into an impact mill where it is reduced in size primarily by brittle fracture. This process has several benefits:
• Ability to process relatively "soft" or elastic materials that cannot otherwise be ground
• Increased throughput
• Reduced power consumption
• Smaller size particles
• Minimal loss of volatile components
• Lower capital investment
Probably the greatest benefit provided by cryogenic grinding is the ability to grind "soft" or elastic materials that otherwise could not be ground, or could be ground only with long cycle times and high energy use. By embrittling the material, fine powder or crumb can be obtained easily and with a minimum expenditure of energy. Because embrittled material grinds easily, the throughput for a given mill is substantially increased and less power is used per pound of material ground.
ADVANTAGES OF CRYOGRINDING
1. Higher production rate
2. Lower energy consumption
3. Finer particle size
4. More uniform particle distribution
5. Lower grinding cost
6. No heat generation which is good while grinding spices, pharmaceuticals and scrap plastics
7. Provides an inert atmosphere thus eliminating the possibility of oxidation
WORKING OF CRYOGRINDING PLANT
The spice to be ground is cleaned manually and fed in to the hopper. From the outlet of the hopper the spice enters in to the vibratory feeder, which is positioned with a small inclination towards the entry of the helical screw conveyor. The vibratory feeder has a provision to control the feed rate.
The helical screw conveyor has a total length of a metre where the fed material travels horizontally to the grinding mill. The screw conveyor is driven by a 0.75 KW drive with reduction gear and inverter control. Liquid nitrogen from a storage container is sprayed into the screw conveyor. The time of stay of spice in the conveyor can be adjusted by varying the speed of the drives. A censor monitors the temperature of the ground spice and the liquid nitrogen spray is optimized using automatic feed back control.
The grinding mill is driven by a 5.5 KW, 3 – phase,50 Hz motor. The mill is connected with the motor by a flat belt between the motor pulley and the mill pulley. Inside the mill, stud disc is mounted on the shaft. The circularly projecting studs fit between the similar projecting studs from the rear of the front door. The spice to be ground gets locked between the studs of the rotating disc and studs of the stationary disc. When the mill is running, the spice gets crushed between the studs and comes out through an optional sieve as a ground product.
To the bottom of the mill a collecting bin is housed where the ground product gets collected. The bottom of this tapering collecting bin, a rotary valve is mounted which is driven by a 0.37 KW motor. The rotary valve has 8 compartments mounted radially in the same plane. The product, which comes out of the rotary valve, is lifted to the storage container by the Hapman Helix conveyor. This is driven by a 0.37 KW motor. The vaporized nitrogen from the mill is sucked by a centrifugal blower and through the filter assembly if fed back to the mill.