A New Annular Centrifugal Contactor for Pharmaceutical Processes

Abstract

A new annular centrifugal contactor capable of rapid disassembly for inspection and cleaning is presented. The unique design enhances the utility of this liquid-liquid centrifuge in processes requiring cleaning and inspection of all wetted parts. This new model differs from previous designs in that it can be manufactured to meet the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. Annular centrifugal contactors are vertical, direct-drive centrifuges providing an efficient mixing and separation device in a single unit. They can be directly coupled for multiple-stage processes. Other features include small hold up volume, rapid start-up and shutdown, variable speed control, interchangeable heavy phase weirs, and very compact size. Mixing and disengaging residence times of 3 and 20 s, respectively, are typical. Single stage efficiencies for processes with rapid kinetics are greater than 90%. Annular centrifugal contactors can be used to convert processes from batch to continuous due to their ability to handle intermittent feed flows and 100% phase ratio changes.