Modeling of vacuum desorption of multicomponent moisture in freeze drying

A mathematical model of multicomponent vacuum desorption, which occurs in the vacuum freeze drying process has been developed. Drying with conductive heating and constant contact surface temperature was considered. Pressure drop in the layer of the material to be dried was taken into account in the model formulation and process simulation. Equilibrium moisture content for pure water, toluene, and m-xylene and their two- and three-component mixtures on zeolite DAY 20F were described by means of the multitemperature extended Langmuir isotherm equation. Model equations were solved by the numerical method of lines. Moisture content and temperature distributions within the drying material were predicted from the model as a function of drying time.