Animation of high sheer drying technique to produce cellulose nanofibers (VIDEO)
Caption
This animation depicts a new, patent-pending process, developed by University of Maine professor of chemical and biomedical engineering David J. Neivandt and his group, that rapidly dries nanocellulose using a unique nozzle and shear imparted by counter rotating vortices of heated compressed air. Kevin Doetsch, a research scientist in ORNL’s Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, determined that air enters the vortex generators at a speed of Mach 3 — three times the speed of sound. This technique significantly reduces energy consumption compared to the traditional freeze and spray drying methods while yielding a higher quantity and quality of dried cellulose nanofibers.
Credit
ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Jacqueline DeMink
Usage Restrictions
Public domain
License
Original content