Provided herein are systems, methods, and processes for drying a softgel having a hydrophilic fill material and one or more active ingredients. After forming the hydrophilic softgel, for example, the softgel is dried by sequentially passing the softgel through a series of specific drying conditions, in which the first drying condition has a low temperature and low dew point. In certain examples, controlled airflow is also used to dry the softgels. By using the systems, methods, and processes, the total time to dry the hydrophilic softgel can be beneficially reduced from several days to about 24 hours without causing shriveling of the softgel.

A multi-functional slurry processing system (VARCOR) and associated methods is disclosed. The present examples provide a multi-functional slurry processing system incorporating systems and methods for separating liquid and solid components in slurries. In particular the systems and methods described herein produce clean water, dried solids, and potential concentration of desirable constituents with a boiling point lower than water. At least one example of the multi-functional slurry processing system provides a self-contained processing facility configured to efficiently convert high water-content slurries into its constituent solid and liquid fractions and subsequently generating and collecting clean water and concentrating desirable constituents with a boiling point lower than water. The multi-functional slurry processing system advantageously applies thermodynamic principles in a system which may include various combinations of a preheater, a degassing unit, a dryer, a steam filter, a compressor, a concentrating tower, and a condensation unit.

Provided herein are systems, methods, and processes for drying a softgel having a hydrophilic fill material and one or more active ingredients. After forming the hydrophilic softgel, for example, the softgel is dried by sequentially passing the softgel through a series of specific drying conditions, in which the first drying condition has a low temperature and low dew point. In certain examples, controlled airflow is also used to dry the softgels. By using the systems, methods, and processes, the total time to dry the hydrophilic softgel can be beneficially reduced from several days to about 24 hours without causing shriveling of the softgel.

Disclosed is a vacuum roaster including a chamber, a door cap formed on one side of the chamber so as to be opened or closed, a vacuum cap formed on an opposite side of the chamber, a basket spaced apart from an inner circumferential surface of the chamber, and including a basket door that is opened or closed for introduction and discharge of an object to be processed, a vacuum adjustment device for adjusting a vacuum state inside the chamber, a drive motor connected to the basket via a shaft for rotating the basket, and a heater provided inside the chamber so as to be spaced apart from the basket.

Disclosed is a vacuum roaster including a chamber, a door cap formed on one side of the chamber so as to be opened or closed, a vacuum cap formed on an opposite side of the chamber, a basket spaced apart from an inner circumferential surface of the chamber, and including a basket door that is opened or closed for introduction and discharge of an object to be processed, a vacuum adjustment device for adjusting a vacuum state inside the chamber, a drive motor connected to the basket via a shaft for rotating the basket, and a heater provided inside the chamber so as to be spaced apart from the basket.

A dual tumble dryer unit that includes a housing that defines an interior, a divider that extends between first and second side walls and divides the interior into first and second sections, and first and second dryer assemblies that are positioned in the first and second sections. The first and second dryer assemblies each include a basket positioned to rotate about a horizontal axis, and a blower disposed positioned to blow air on the basket. A first drying path is defined between a first entry opening defined in the first side wall, the first basket and a first exit opening defined in the second side wall, and a second drying path is defined between a second entry opening defined in the first side wall, the second basket and a second exit opening defined in the second side wall.

A continuous feed lyophilizer drying chamber that has an overall internal volume, a primly drying stage portion having a primary drying stage internal volume, a secondary drying stage portion having an internal volume, a frozen formulation feed inlet that provides frozen formulation droplets into the internal volume of the primary drying stage of the drying chamber and a dried particle outlet proximate an end of the continuous feed lyophilizer drying chamber configured to provide dried formulation droplet particles. The primary drying stage typically makes up from about 65-75% of the overall internal volume of the drying chamber and the secondary drying stage makes up from 25 to 35% of the overall internal volume of the drying chamber. The drying chamber dries frozen formulation droplets received into the primary drying stage internal volume via the frozen formulation feed inlet.

A continuous feed lyophilizer drying chamber that has an overall internal volume, a primly drying stage portion having a primary drying stage internal volume, a secondary drying stage portion having an internal volume, a frozen formulation feed inlet that provides frozen formulation droplets into the internal volume of the primary drying stage of the drying chamber and a dried particle outlet proximate an end of the continuous feed lyophilizer drying chamber configured to provide dried formulation droplet particles. The primary drying stage typically makes up from about 65-75% of the overall internal volume of the drying chamber and the secondary drying stage makes up from 25 to 35% of the overall internal volume of the drying chamber. The drying chamber dries frozen formulation droplets received into the primary drying stage internal volume via the frozen formulation feed inlet.

The device for drying or heating and cooling bulk material in accordance with the invention consists of a rotatable drum comprising means for receiving the bulk material in a first region and means for discharging the bulk material from a second region, wherein a central region is arranged between the first and second regions, said central region consisting of an annular structure with a first and a second diaphragm with central diaphragm apertures each, which form substantially two diaphragm planes parallel to each other, and comprise a plurality of transport channels closed toward the central region for transporting the bulk material from the first region to the second region of the rotatable drum through the central region, wherein the transport channels extend from the first to the second diaphragms at a non-90 angle relative to the two diaphragm planes.

Hot air drying is an intensive energy consuming process, 5000-8000 kJ per kg of water. More efficient processes produce low drying rates or cannot totally dry the product because they do not integrate the four drying phases, warm up, constant drying, falling drying and aeration and do not handle dripping. To reduce the energy consumption, the exhausted mix of air and vapor is used as working fluid to drive each phase, and the dripping is collected before it goes back to the product. This fluid is compressed inside of a heat-exchanger to heat the product; however, the mix proportion, vapor and air, changes on each phase. For warm up phase, the working fluid is either hot air or condensed water; in constant phase, it is mostly vapor; in falling phase, it changes from vapor to air; and for aeration, it is air. Inlet and outlet valves control these proportions.