The Use of Fluidized Beds for the Continuous Drying and Calcination of Dissolved Nitrate Salts

A new technique has been developed for converting solutions of dissolved salts to dry, granular solids by spray-injecting the solution into a heated bed of fluidized solids. The technique has been applied on a pilot scale to the dehydration and calcination of uranyl nitrate and aluminum nitrate solutions. The experimental equipment is described, and the effect of various operating variables on factors such as particle size growth, and completeness of calcination are discussed.