MICROWAVE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS IN LOW PRESSURE

Abstract

Ryszard Parosa, Andrzej Brożyński, Piotr Grześkowiak, Krzysztof Kowalczyk, Marek Natoński, Piotr Ziętek and Janusz Żytkiewicz PROMIS-TECH Poland Keywords: microwave treatment, low pressure heating, microwave drying Uniquely favourable characteristics of biological product can be obtained through the use of the microwave method in vacuum heating process. Microwave-vacuum drying is superior to other methods in terms of dried products' structure, flavour, colour and biological active compounds contents. But applications of such a methods seems to be much wider: drying of fruits and vegetables for consumption, drying of herbs for extraction of valuable biological compounds, for modification of seed structure (sunflowers seeds, pumpkin seeds), for pasteurisation etc. A universal system was designed for testing such processes in laboratory scale and several industrial scale system have been developed. Process of thermal treatment can be carried out with plastic drum installed inside of multi-mode microwave cavity and cavity which is connected by microwave line with reflectometer and circulator - to microwave generator. In laboratory unit generator 2.45 GHz with controlled power (from 50W to 800W) was applied. System was equipped with vacuum pump with pressure control and is controlled by computer. Most important technical parameters, like: microwave power, time of treatment, pressure inside of drum, temperature of steam – are controlled and  recorded. Laboratory scale unit is shown below.     Basing on laboratory scale test several technologies in industrial scale was developed. Industrial scale unit equipped with 8 generators of 3 kW (2.45 GHz) was constructed and for last 8 years has been successfully used for “production” of crispy chips which are now popular in Polish marked. Exemplary industrial scale installation is shown in photo below.  Multi – drum microwave drier.   Two cavity microwave  industrial drier    Another system for modification od seed is now constructed – ordered by big industrial producer of batons and sweet snacks. Process will be carried our inside of dielectric drum in low pressure and reactor will be equipped with 8 generators of 3 kW (2.45 GHz). Treatment time will be reduced to 3-4 minutes and next material (seeds) will be cooled down. Last project which now realized is connected with drying of wood flour applied in composite material production. System will work continuously with two airlocks and with  dielectric drum and will be connected with 4 microwave generators (3 kW, 2.45 GHz). In next step planed installation will be equipped with microwave high power generator ca. 60 kW with frequency 915 MHz.