Solvent Removal Apparatus with Foam Breaker for Microsphere Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solvent removal methods for microsphere production are inefficient, requiring significant time and effort to ensure toxic solvents are fully removed, which impedes mass production of high-quality microspheres.
Innovation Solution
A solvent removing apparatus with a container, impeller, foam breaker, and compressed air supply unit that efficiently extracts and evaporates solvents from emulsions by optimizing the positions and dimensions of the impeller and foam breaker, and using compressed air to enhance evaporation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional stirring methods using only an impeller are used, then the structure is simple, but the solvent removal efficiency is low and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the impeller for stirring and the foam breaker for foam reduction into a single integrated apparatus. The foam breaker is positioned above the impeller and shares the same rotational axis, allowing both components to work simultaneously during the solvent removal process. This merging of functions increases productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation shaft serves multiple functions: it drives both the impeller below and the foam breaker above. This multi-functional design allows a single driving mechanism to perform both stirring and foam-breaking operations, improving solvent removal efficiency while maintaining relatively simple apparatus structure.
2Reliability
If sufficient time is spent on solvent removal to ensure complete elimination of toxic solvents, then product safety is improved, but production time increases and mass production is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The foam breaker performs preliminary action by breaking up foam formed during stirring before the solvent removal process completes. This prevents foam from interfering with subsequent solvent evaporation and removal, ensuring more efficient and complete solvent elimination in less time. The foam breaker prepares the emulsion surface in advance for better solvent removal performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The impeller and foam breaker operate continuously and simultaneously throughout the solvent removal process. The impeller maintains continuous stirring while the foam breaker continuously breaks up形成的 foam, ensuring uninterrupted and efficient solvent removal. This continuous dual action reduces total production time while maintaining complete solvent elimination.
3Productivity
If foam is not controlled during stirring, then the apparatus structure remains simple, but solvent removal efficiency decreases and production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is segmented into distinct functional zones: the impeller operates in the lower region for stirring, while the foam breaker operates in the upper region for foam control. This spatial segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently without interfering with the other, improving solvent removal speed while adding only minimal device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam breaker is positioned in the vertical dimension above the impeller, creating a multi-level structure. This vertical arrangement allows foam breaking to occur at the surface level while stirring continues below, enabling simultaneous foam control and solvent removal without significantly increasing horizontal complexity of the apparatus.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces the time required for solvent removal, improves the encapsulation rate, and maintains particle size and shape consistency, facilitating faster and more efficient production of high-quality microspheres.
Implementation Method 1
an impeller rotating in the container to stir the emulsion
Implementation Method 2
a foam breaker spaced apart from the impeller on an upper portion of the impeller, positioned below a surface of the emulsion to be submerged in the emulsion when the emulsion is calm, and rotating to reduce foam generated during stirring of the emulsion
Implementation Method 3
a compressed air supply unit for supplying compressed air to the surface of the emulsion in the container
Data Source
AI summary
A solvent removing apparatus includes a container containing an emulsion comprising a first raw material of a continuous phase and a second raw material of a dispersed phase, an impeller rotating in the container to stir the emulsion, and a foam breaker spaced apart from the impeller on an upper portion of the impeller, positioned below a surface of the emulsion to be submerged in the emulsion when the emulsion is calm, and rotating to reduce foam generated during stirring of the emulsion.