A method for processing demineralized bone fibers, comprising a centrifuging step, and following the centrifuging step hydrated in sterile water to create a slurry; providing a tray to receive said fiber slurry; freezing the tray and fiber slurry; and lyophilizing the fiber slurry to create dried fibers.

A method for processing demineralized bone fibers, comprising a centrifuging step, and following the centrifuging step hydrated in sterile water to create a slurry; providing a tray to receive said fiber slurry; freezing the tray and fiber slurry; and lyophilizing the fiber slurry to create dried fibers.

A process of freeze-drying plant matter may deploy inert freezing agent to fracture undesirable plant matter into smaller fragments for physical separation from plant buds and flowers, which are rich in aromatic trichomes. The frozen buds and flowers or trichomes are removed from the sieving members used for physical separation and maintained in a frozen state until introduced in a pre-chilled vacuum chamber of a freeze-drying system. The freeze-drying apparatus is configured and deployed in a process that maintains the pressure above about 500 mTorr but below about 1500 mTorr to reduce the plant moisture content to provide a stable product.

A process of freeze-drying plant matter may deploy inert freezing agent to fracture undesirable plant matter into smaller fragments for physical separation from plant buds and flowers, which are rich in aromatic trichomes. The frozen buds and flowers or trichomes are removed from the sieving members used for physical separation and maintained in a frozen state until introduced in a pre-chilled vacuum chamber of a freeze-drying system. The freeze-drying apparatus is configured and deployed in a process that maintains the pressure above about 500 mTorr but below about 1500 mTorr to reduce the plant moisture content to provide a stable product.

The production method includes: a gel-crushing step of grinding a crosslinked hydrogel polymer to obtain a particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer; a heating drying step of obtaining dried particles from the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer by using a continuous stirring drying machine; a post-crosslinking step of post-crosslinking the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer or the dried particles; and a sizing step of adjusting a particle size of the dried particles or the post-crosslinked dried particles to obtain water-absorbent resin powder. The particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer contains a gel fluidizer. A gel temperature of the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer containing the gel fluidizer, the gel temperature being measured by a contact thermometer, is not lower than 50 C. In the production method, the dried particles or the post-crosslinked dried particles is forcedly cooled before the sizing step.

A hybrid drying apparatus including: a bed portion having a horizontally disposed top surface; an object-to-be-dried supplying portion configured to spread an object to be dried on the top surface of the bed portion; and a driving unit configured to rotate and drive the bed portion or the object-to-be-dried supplying portion, wherein the object to be dried supplied from the object-to-be-dried supplying portion is spread on the top surface of the bed portion while the bed portion or the object-to-be-dried supplying portion is rotated, and the top surface of the bed portion is heated in such a manner that a lower portion of the bed portion is primarily heated so that the bed portion is used to dry the object to be dried coated on the top surface of the bed portion by the object-to-be-dried supplying portion.

A hybrid drying apparatus including: a bed portion having a horizontally disposed top surface; an object-to-be-dried supplying portion configured to spread an object to be dried on the top surface of the bed portion; and a driving unit configured to rotate and drive the bed portion or the object-to-be-dried supplying portion, wherein the object to be dried supplied from the object-to-be-dried supplying portion is spread on the top surface of the bed portion while the bed portion or the object-to-be-dried supplying portion is rotated, and the top surface of the bed portion is heated in such a manner that a lower portion of the bed portion is primarily heated so that the bed portion is used to dry the object to be dried coated on the top surface of the bed portion by the object-to-be-dried supplying portion.

An electrostatic spray drying system includes an electrostatic spray nozzle having a spray tip assembly arranged to discharge a supply of fluid into a drying chamber. The electrostatic spray nozzle is responsive to a duty cycle signal that determines periods at which the electrostatic spray nozzle is open to inject the fluid. A controller is programmed to activate a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode of operation for the electrostatic spray assembly, initiate a first timer, provide a first duty cycle signal to the electrostatic spray nozzle at a first PWM activation frequency while the first timer has not reached a first pulse duration, initiate a second timer when the first timer has reached the first pulse duration, and provide a second duty cycle signal to the electrostatic spray nozzle at a second PWM activation frequency while the second timer has not reached a second pulse duration.

An electrostatic spray drying system includes an electrostatic spray nozzle having a spray tip assembly arranged to discharge a supply of fluid into a drying chamber. The electrostatic spray nozzle is responsive to a duty cycle signal that determines periods at which the electrostatic spray nozzle is open to inject the fluid. A controller is programmed to activate a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode of operation for the electrostatic spray assembly, initiate a first timer, provide a first duty cycle signal to the electrostatic spray nozzle at a first PWM activation frequency while the first timer has not reached a first pulse duration, initiate a second timer when the first timer has reached the first pulse duration, and provide a second duty cycle signal to the electrostatic spray nozzle at a second PWM activation frequency while the second timer has not reached a second pulse duration.

There is provided an apparatus for use in drying a sample of geological material having a substantial moisture content. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a means for providing a flow of heated fluid, and a means for managing the thermal state of the flow of heated fluid. The means for managing the thermal state of the flow of heated fluid is arranged operable with the means for providing a flow of heated fluid so that exposure of the sample to the flow of heated fluid facilitates a reduction of the moisture content of a portion of the sample while substantially preserving one or more chemical and/or physical properties of the portion.