The short-range evaporator is essentially a thin-film evaporator integrated with an internal condenser. In the short-range evaporator, the scraper system distributes the material evenly along the inner wall of the heated evaporator. The evaporated steam condenses in the condenser placed inside the evaporator. The distance between the evaporator and the internal condenser is very short, resulting in almost no pressure drop.

The VTA VK100-10 Short-range/Molecular Distillation Unit is a compact yet highly efficient piece of equipment. The single-stage VK100-10 occupies only 2 meters in length, 1 meter in width, and 2 meters in height, and is highly portable. With the use of VTA's high-precision feed and discharge gear pumps, material can be discharged directly under high vacuum without any buffer tank, and the distillation ratio of light and heavy components can be calculated. It can produce over a hundred kilograms of product daily, making it incredibly efficient.

All contact areas with materials are designed for heating, ensuring no dead zones. They can handle materials with melting points up to 180°C, as well as processing conditions with light components with melting points up to 140°C, since the discharge area for light components is also insulated and heated.

The pilot short-range/molecular distillation unit in VTA can achieve the following main functions:

Demonstrate the feasibility of thermal separation using molecular distillation

Optimize the process to obtain design data for industrial production systems

- Can be produced in a miniaturized manner, with continuous operation, processing capacity up to 10 kg/hour

- Improve the performance of the evaporator, including determining the suitable scraper rotor

Advantages of the trial short-range/molecular distillation unit in VTA:

High turbulence; the scraped film maintains a high level of turbulence, enhancing the transfer of mass and heat.

Material dwell time is very short, only a few seconds, reducing the product's thermal stress.

Single-step distillation, no need for recirculation

The film is very thin, unaffected by the static liquid surface pressure.

Multiple film scraping systems are available, offering the possibility for handling high viscosity materials.

Low operating pressure: An operating pressure as low as 0.001 mbar (0.1 Pa) can significantly lower the boiling point of materials, providing a gentle thermal separation method.

Two types of scraper rotors are available for selection. The WRS roller-style rotor is suitable for processing materials with lower viscosity, while the SKR metal elastic scraper rotor can handle materials with higher viscosity due to the loading force exerted by the elastic metal blades on the scraper, which allows for excellent scraping and turbulent effects on the liquid film.