Decoloring device for calcium aspartate production
By coordinating the design of the main decolorization reactor and the secondary decolorization treatment unit, and combining mechanical stirring and bubble aeration, the problems of low activated carbon utilization and long decolorization cycle in traditional decolorization processes have been solved, achieving efficient and stable production of calcium aspartate.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-07
AI Technical Summary
In the traditional decolorization process for calcium aspartate production, mechanical stirring causes activated carbon particles to break and wear, resulting in uneven mixing. Furthermore, bubble stirring is not effective in high-viscosity systems, leading to low activated carbon utilization, long decolorization cycles, and product impurity residues.
The design employs a synergistic approach between the main decolorization reactor and the secondary decolorization treatment unit, combined with mechanical stirring and bubble aeration. Through the inclined adsorption unit and multi-stage purification structure, it achieves composite stirring and multi-stage filtration, thereby improving the utilization rate of activated carbon and the decolorization efficiency.
It significantly improves decolorization efficiency, shortens the decolorization cycle, reduces activated carbon consumption, and improves product quality and equipment maintenance efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN224086069U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to decolorization apparatus, and more particularly to a decolorization apparatus for the production of calcium aspartate. Background Technology
[0002] In traditional decolorization processes for calcium aspartate production, mechanical stirring is commonly used as the primary mixing method. Specifically, activated carbon powder is directly added to the reaction solution, and the shear force and turbulence generated by the high-speed rotation of the mechanical stirring blades achieve mixing and contact between the activated carbon and the solution. While this method can promote some adsorption through forced convection, it has significant drawbacks in actual operation: Firstly, the shear force generated by high-speed mechanical stirring easily leads to the breakage of activated carbon particles, generating micron- or even submicron-sized debris. This debris not only over-adsorbs effective components due to its increased specific surface area but also penetrates the filter membrane in subsequent filtration processes, resulting in product impurities. Secondly, the activated carbon particles exhibit disordered movement under mechanical stirring, and the existence of fluid dead zones in some areas leads to insufficient contact between the activated carbon and the solution. To achieve the target decolorization effect, it is often necessary to add excessive amounts of activated carbon or extend the reaction time. Furthermore, the structural design of traditional equipment, where the stirring blades directly contact the activated carbon, causes the activated carbon to lose adsorption activity due to mechanical wear during long-term operation, further exacerbating the problem of adsorption efficiency decline.
[0003] Although bubble stirring technology has been proven in other chemical fields to enhance mixing through gas-liquid interface interactions, it has not been effectively applied in the decolorization process of calcium aspartate. The reason is that while bubble stirring alone can avoid mechanical wear, in high-viscosity, high-solids-content decolorization systems, the rising path of bubbles is singular and unevenly distributed, making it difficult to drive activated carbon particles to achieve uniform dispersion in three-dimensional space. Especially in large-scale production plants, bubble coalescence significantly reduces the gas-liquid contact area, leading to localized accumulation of activated carbon particles and the formation of a mass transfer resistance layer. This limitation has prevented traditional technical approaches from overcoming the efficiency bottleneck of a single stirring mode—mechanical stirring relies on physical shear but damages the material structure, while bubble stirring relies on fluid disturbance but lacks sufficient mixing capacity. The technical characteristics of the two modes have not complemented each other; instead, their respective defects limit the overall efficiency of the decolorization process.
[0004] Against this backdrop, the development of novel composite stirring decolorization devices has become an inevitable requirement for process upgrading. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this application is to overcome at least one deficiency of the existing technology and provide a decolorization device for the production of calcium aspartate. This decolorization device, through the construction of a synergistic mechanism between a modular activated carbon carrier and a composite stirring system, retains the efficient mass transfer characteristics of mechanical stirring, enhances solid-liquid contact by utilizing the micro-disturbance of bubbles, and avoids direct contact wear between activated carbon and moving parts. As a result, the device can significantly improve the adsorption utilization rate of unit activated carbon and shorten the decolorization cycle by optimizing fluid dynamics conditions. It has direct engineering application value for reducing production costs and improving product quality.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application discloses a decolorization device for the production of calcium aspartate, which includes a main decolorization reactor and a secondary decolorization treatment unit, which are connected in series through a pipeline system.
[0007] The main decolorizing reactor includes a cylindrical structure with a feed inlet at the top and a discharge outlet at the bottom. The two are connected to a closed loop via an external circulation pump. The discharge outlet is connected to the secondary decolorizing unit via a three-way valve.
[0008] A mechanical stirring assembly is coaxially arranged inside the cylinder, and several inclined adsorption units are evenly distributed around its periphery. Each unit forms an inclination angle with the stirring shaft and is arranged in a vortex shape along the periphery.
[0009] The adsorption unit includes a porous support frame and granular decolorizing filler encapsulated therein. At least one axial microporous aeration tube is embedded in the frame. The surface of the microporous aeration tube is uniformly opened with a micropore array with a pore size of 0.2-0.5 mm. Directional gas injection is achieved by connecting an external gas source.
[0010] During operation of the main decolorization reactor, the mechanical stirring assembly drives the solution to form a radial centrifugal flow field, causing the liquid to flow directionally along the gaps between the vortex-arranged adsorption units. Simultaneously, the microbubble clusters generated by the microporous aeration pipes create a turbulent effect within the units, enhancing the renewal of the liquid film on the packing surface. The spatial arrangement of the inclined adsorption units causes the fluid to undergo a spiral upward motion under the combined action of mechanical centrifugal force and bubble buoyancy, extending the effective residence time of the solution in the packing layer. A circulation pump maintains the dynamic circulation of the liquid within the reactor until the decolorization index reaches a preset threshold, at which point the reactor switches to the secondary decolorization treatment unit.
[0011] The secondary decolorization unit employs a stepped purification structure, with a secondary adsorption layer, a gradient filtration layer, and a fine filtration layer sequentially arranged along the fluid direction within its casing. The secondary adsorption layer is filled with high specific surface area fiber-supported activated carbon composite material, the gradient filtration layer is composed of multiple layers of vertically stacked stainless steel sintered mesh with increasing mesh size, and the fine filtration layer is equipped with a pleated cellulose filter element. After initial decolorization in the main reactor, the liquid undergoes deep adsorption of residual pigment molecules through the secondary adsorption layer, followed by staged interception of suspended particles through the gradient filtration layer, and finally, the fine filtration layer removes submicron-level impurities. The functional layers are connected by quick-install flanges for easy modular replacement and maintenance.
[0012] Compared with existing technologies, this application solves the problems of low activated carbon utilization, long decolorization cycle, and residual pollution in traditional single-stirring modes by using the synergistic effect of the main decolorization reactor and the secondary decolorization treatment unit. The vortex arrangement of the inclined adsorption unit in the main reactor, combined with mechanical-pneumatic composite stirring, significantly improves the dynamic contact efficiency between the solution and the packing material, avoiding filtration difficulties caused by activated carbon breakage. The multi-stage purification structure of the secondary treatment unit ensures high cleanliness of the decolorized liquid through the coupling of deep adsorption and gradient filtration. The overall device adopts a modular design, adaptable to different production scale requirements, reducing activated carbon consumption per unit while decreasing equipment maintenance frequency, providing stable and efficient process support for continuous production.
[0013] The beneficial effects listed above are not exhaustive of all advantages. Other potential beneficial effects and detailed technical implementation methods will be further disclosed in the embodiments or other descriptive sections of this application. Attached Figure Description
[0014] A better understanding of various aspects of this disclosure will be achieved by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The positions, dimensions, and extents of the structures shown in the drawings, etc., do not always represent actual positions, dimensions, and extents. In the drawings:
[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment disclosed in this application.
[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the main decolorizing reactor in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0017] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure more complete and to fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.
[0018] It should be understood that the same reference numerals denote the same elements in all the accompanying drawings. For clarity, the dimensions of certain features may be modified in the drawings.
[0019] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. All terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail; however, where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of this specification.
[0020] Unless otherwise specified, the singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this specification include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “containing” used in this specification indicate the presence of the claimed feature but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term “and / or” used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.
[0021] See attached document Figure 1 and 2 In a decolorization device for the production of calcium aspartate, this embodiment achieves a highly efficient and stable decolorization process through the synergistic action of the main decolorization reactor 1 and the secondary decolorization treatment unit 2. The device adopts a modular design, adaptable to different production scale requirements, while significantly improving decolorization efficiency and reducing activated carbon consumption. The specific implementation method of this embodiment will be described in detail below, combining the device's structural composition, material selection, working principle, and operating procedures.
[0022] The core structure of this device includes a main decolorizing reactor 1 and a secondary decolorizing treatment unit 2, which operate in series via a piping system. The main decolorizing reactor 1 is a cylindrical structure with an inlet at the top and an outlet at the bottom, forming a closed loop via an external circulation pump 3. The outlet is connected to the secondary decolorizing treatment unit 2 via a three-way valve, ensuring that the liquid can smoothly enter the secondary treatment stage after initial decolorization. A mechanical stirring mechanism 4 is coaxially installed inside the cylinder, with several inclined adsorption units 5 evenly distributed around its periphery. Each unit forms an angle with the stirring shaft and is arranged in a vortex shape along the circumference. This design utilizes the combined effect of mechanical centrifugal force and bubble buoyancy to cause the fluid to generate a spiral upward motion within the gaps between the adsorption units, thereby extending the effective residence time of the solution in the packing layer.
[0023] The main decolorizing reactor 1 is constructed of 304 stainless steel, offering excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical strength, making it suitable for the production environment of calcium aspartate solution. The inner surface of the reactor is finely polished, with a roughness Ra value of less than 0.8 μm, ensuring smooth liquid flow and reducing impurity adhesion. Both the inlet and outlet are connected with quick-release chucks for easy disassembly and cleaning while maintaining a tight seal. The external circulation pump 3 is a corrosion-resistant centrifugal pump with a flow rate range of 5-20 m³ / h and a head of 10-30 m, maintaining dynamic circulation of the liquid within the reactor and ensuring sufficient contact of the solution within the packing layer.
[0024] The mechanical stirring mechanism 4 includes a stirring shaft, stirring blades, and a drive motor. The stirring shaft is made of solid stainless steel with a tempered surface treatment, resulting in high torsional strength and the ability to withstand mechanical stress during prolonged operation. The stirring blades are a three-bladed swept-back design with a 45° blade angle, generating an efficient radial flow field at low speeds and preventing shear forces from causing activated carbon breakage during stirring. The drive motor is a variable frequency speed-regulating motor with a power range of 1.5-5.5kW, allowing adjustment of the stirring speed according to production needs to ensure efficient dynamic contact between the solution and the packing material.
[0025] The inclined adsorption unit 5 includes a porous support frame and granular decolorizing filler encapsulated within it. The support frame is made of PP material, possessing good chemical stability and mechanical strength. At least one axially oriented microporous aeration tube is embedded within the frame, with a uniform array of micropores (0.2-0.5 mm in diameter) on its surface. The microporous aeration tube receives directional gas injection via an external gas source, generating microbubbles that create turbulence within the unit, further enhancing the renewal of the liquid film on the filler surface. The decolorizing filler is made of activated carbon particles with a high specific surface area, ranging from 0.8-1.2 mm in diameter and a specific surface area greater than 1000 m² / g, ensuring efficient adsorption of pigment molecules. This design not only improves the dynamic contact efficiency between the solution and the filler but also effectively avoids the filtration difficulties caused by activated carbon breakage in traditional single-stirring modes.
[0026] During operation of the main decolorization reactor 1, the mechanical stirring mechanism 4 drives the solution to form a radial centrifugal flow field, causing the liquid to flow directionally along the gaps between the vortex-arranged adsorption units. Simultaneously, the microbubble clusters generated by the microporous aeration pipes create a turbulent effect inside the adsorption units, continuously renewing the liquid film on the packing surface and significantly improving decolorization efficiency. The circulating pump 3 maintains dynamic circulation of the liquid within the reactor, ensuring sufficient contact of the solution within the packing layer until the decolorization index reaches a preset threshold. Then, a three-way valve switches to the secondary decolorization treatment unit 2.
[0027] The secondary decolorization unit 2 adopts a stepped purification structure, with a secondary adsorption layer, a gradient filtration layer, and a fine filtration layer sequentially arranged along the fluid direction within its shell. The shell is made of 316L stainless steel, possessing excellent corrosion resistance and capable of handling high-purity liquids. The secondary adsorption layer is filled with a high specific surface area fiber-supported activated carbon composite material. This material uses fiber loading technology to fix activated carbon particles onto a fiber substrate, preserving the high adsorption performance of activated carbon while avoiding filtration problems caused by particle breakage. The fiber substrate is made of polypropylene fiber with a diameter of 10-20 μm and a specific surface area greater than 200 m² / g, ensuring deep adsorption of residual pigment molecules.
[0028] The gradient filtration layer consists of multiple layers of vertically stacked sintered stainless steel mesh with increasing mesh sizes: 50 mesh, 100 mesh, and 200 mesh. This progressively traps suspended particles, ensuring liquid cleanliness. The sintered stainless steel mesh is made of 316L material, with a thickness of 3-5mm, uniform pore size, and high filtration accuracy, effectively removing tiny particles from the liquid. The fine filtration layer is equipped with a pleated cellulose filter element with a pore size of 0.22μm. The pleated design increases the filtration area and improves filtration efficiency, enabling highly efficient removal of submicron-level impurities. Quick-connect flanges connect the functional layers, facilitating modular replacement and maintenance, and reducing equipment maintenance frequency.
[0029] In the specific implementation process, the calcium aspartate solution to be decolorized enters through the feed inlet of the main decolorization reactor 1. Driven by the mechanical stirring mechanism 4, a radial centrifugal flow field is formed. At the same time, the microbubble clusters generated by the microporous aeration pipe create a turbulent effect inside the adsorption unit. Under the combined action of mechanical centrifugal force and bubble buoyancy, the liquid spirals upward along the gaps between the adsorption units, prolonging the effective residence time of the solution in the packing layer and ensuring that the pigment molecules are fully contacted and adsorbed by the packing. When the decolorization index reaches the preset threshold, the liquid is switched to the secondary decolorization treatment unit 2 through a three-way valve. In the secondary decolorization treatment unit 2, the liquid first passes through a secondary adsorption layer to achieve deep adsorption of residual pigment molecules; then, it passes through a gradient filtration layer to progressively intercept suspended particles, and finally, a fine filtration layer removes submicron-level impurities, ensuring the high cleanliness of the decolorized liquid.
[0030] Compared with existing technologies, this embodiment solves the problems of low activated carbon utilization, long decolorization cycle, and residual pollution in traditional single-stirring modes by synergistically combining the main decolorization reactor 1 and the secondary decolorization treatment unit 2. The vortex arrangement of the inclined adsorption unit 5 in the main reactor, combined with mechanical-pneumatic composite stirring, significantly improves the dynamic contact efficiency between the solution and the packing material. The multi-stage purification structure of the secondary treatment unit 2, through the coupling of deep adsorption and gradient filtration, ensures the high cleanliness of the decolorized liquid. The overall device adopts a modular design, adaptable to different production scale requirements, reducing activated carbon consumption per unit while decreasing equipment maintenance frequency, providing stable and efficient process support for continuous production.
[0031] In actual production scenarios, for example, when a calcium aspartate producer used this device for decolorization, it was found that the decolorization cycle was shortened by about 30% compared to traditional processes, activated carbon consumption was reduced by about 40%, and the impurity content of the decolorized liquid was significantly reduced, meeting the requirements for high-quality production. Meanwhile, the modular design makes equipment maintenance more convenient, reducing the maintenance frequency from once a month to once a quarter, significantly reducing production costs and improving production efficiency.
[0032] While exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, all changes and modifications are included within the scope of protection of this disclosure as defined by the claims. This disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and equivalents of those claims are also included.
Claims
1. A decolorizing apparatus for the production of calcium aspartate, characterized in that, The device includes a main decolorization reactor and a secondary decolorization treatment unit, which are connected in series through a pipeline system. The main decolorizing reactor includes a cylindrical structure with a feed inlet at the top and a discharge outlet at the bottom. The two are connected to a closed loop via an external circulation pump. The discharge outlet is connected to the secondary decolorizing unit via a three-way valve. A mechanical stirring assembly is coaxially arranged inside the cylinder, and several inclined adsorption units are evenly distributed around its periphery. Each unit forms an inclination angle with the stirring shaft and is arranged in a vortex shape along the periphery. The adsorption unit includes a porous support frame and granular decolorizing filler encapsulated therein, with at least one axial microporous aeration tube embedded in the frame.
2. The decolorization apparatus for the production of calcium aspartate as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The secondary decolorization unit adopts a stepped purification structure, with a secondary adsorption layer, a gradient filtration layer and a fine filtration layer arranged sequentially along the fluid direction inside its shell.
3. The decolorization apparatus for the production of calcium aspartate as described in claim 2, characterized in that, A secondary adsorption layer is filled with a high specific surface area fiber-supported activated carbon composite material.
4. The decolorization apparatus for the production of calcium aspartate as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The gradient filter layer is composed of multiple layers of sintered stainless steel mesh with increasing mesh count, stacked vertically.
5. The decolorization apparatus for the production of calcium aspartate as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The fine filtration layer is equipped with a pleated cellulose filter element.
6. The decolorization apparatus for the production of calcium aspartate as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the microporous aeration pipe is uniformly covered with an array of micropores with a diameter of 0.2-0.5 mm, and directional gas injection is achieved by connecting an external gas source.