Cellulose is the most common natural polymer on Earth and is used in various applications. Most commonly, people associate cellulose with paper products. Still, companies have been modifying this material to convert it into everything from a pelletized biofuel, textiles, cellophane, ethanol, insulation, and even pharmaceutical additives. Due to its versatility, abundance, and renewable nature, companies are continuing to research more cellulose and cellulose derivatives applications. The market is projected to continue growing for a long time at rates of over 4% annually.
Processall employees have a long history of working with companies in the cellulose market, aiding in everything from initial testing to installation to maintenance throughout the unit’s life cycle. The most common reaction that plow mixing has been used in are substitution reactions involving propylene oxide and ethylene oxide to the cellulose chains. However, plow mixers continue to find new uses in this industry all the time, from chloro acid addition reactions to drying applications.
Processall’s plow mixing technology gives manufacturers a leg up on the competition. Below are some benefits of moving toward plow mixing technologies for cellulose applications.
- The creation of a mechanically fluidized bed reduces the reaction time of the materials
- High heat transfer rate within the vessel, enabling faster drying.
- The vessel jacket allows different media (hot oil, steam, or tempered water) to be used depending on the thermal sensitivity of a product
- Adjustable pressure conditions enable both high-pressure applications and near-vacuum pressures to occur during different reaction stages
- Allows for the collection of volatilized liquids
- Mill breaks up clumps and can be used for defining particle size
- Thermal jackets to allow for optimal temperature controls
- High-speed mix which can handle materials as fine as dried oats without damaging the material
- Easy to scale up and predict mix and drying times after lab testing
- Ability to remove water or organic solvents from material
- Vessels can be further outfitted to increase versatility:
- Mechanical seals – will allow the vessel to be pressurized as well as reach a low vacuum (28 Hg)
- Liquid lances – allows media to be sprayed onto the substrate
- Ability to perform the reaction and the mixing and drying within one unit resulting in:
- Faster throughputs
- Reduced energy consumption
- Smaller footprint on the production floor
Current applications of modified cellulose
- Paper products
- Paint
- Ethanol production
- Cellophane
- Insulation
- Pelletized Biofuel
- Textiles like Rayon
- Viscosity modifiers
- Pharmaceutical Additives
- Biodegradable Polymers
- And many more
Processall maintains a fully equipped testing facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is designed to provide customers with the data they need to develop their process, evaluate equipment, scale up, and identify the necessary equipment to maintain desired production volumes. We invite all potential customers to bring their products to our test center and get a “hands-on” experience with our technology and capabilities.
We also maintain a rental fleet that customers can utilize to do further testing at their facility or to minimize their startup costs for a new process.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with all your material processing questions, and our experienced industry professionals will help you find the right mixing solutions for your particular application.