A freeze dryer or a lyophilizer is used for the water removal process of perishable items in order to increase their shelf life and also make it easier to transport. The process of freeze drying is something like this, first the perishable (material) is frozen and then slowly reducing the pressure, heat is added so that the frozen water in the material sublimates. Once the water is removed from the material, it adds to its shelf life and usability.
There are certain things that you definitely need to avoid while using a freeze dryer:
- If the product or material is heated at a very high temperature then this can cause melt-back or product collapse which renders the entire thing useless.
- Make sure that vapor choking does not take place. It happens when vapor is produced at a faster rate than it can exit the chamber. This creates an increase in the chamber pressure which needs to be avoided.
- Condenser overload can be another issue that can be caused by too much vapor or surface area, insufficient refrigeration, and a small condenser area.
- Different materials have different crystallization processes. It is essential that you know about these in detail before you start with the process. Small crystals need to be avoided as drying them can be quite the hassle.
Certain features of freeze dryers are as follows:
- They have large freeze drying capacities that involve around 3.5 to 4 gallons of material at a time. Even a 6-litre ice condensing facility is one of the top features.
- Ease of use is made available via a full color touch-screen display. The operation process allows the recipe customization for 12 drying steps and up to 10 thermal processes.
- It is possible to control the rate of freezing either fast or slow. Fast freezing tends to create smaller crystals that are difficult to dry.
- The shelf temperature can be controlled in the dry cycle which allows the material (perishable) to dry in about 5 different temperatures. This controls crystallization that is happening.
If you are looking for freeze dryers then check out Harvest Right freeze dryers for all the offers they have. You can find different products with various specs here and find out the one that suits your industrial and commercial purpose. Do your research before making the purchase.
