Industries
INDUSTRIES
Mineral Processing
Originally conceived for exfoliation (expansion or puffing) of vermiculite, the TORBED technology has been adapted for a diverse range of thermal mineral processes, including roasting of sulphides, calcination of lime, calcination of clays, processing kaolin and producing metakaolin, dehydroxylation, drying, preheating, and many other applications. We are experienced with high temperature and demanding processes that require tight process control to produce superior products with a high energy efficiency, low maintenance solution.
The TORBED technology is ideally suited to mineral processes where energy efficiency, total footprint, process control, and fast reaction rates are important. This is especially prevalent with fine minerals, where the TORBED technology can be used as a flash calciner, or carry out other flash processes. Critically the high heat transfer rates means that during these flash processes the product surface area increases, which can lead to many desirable product outcomes.
INDUSTRIES
High Volume Industrial Food Processing
Torftech has over 35 years of experience supplying fully electric TORBED systems into the food industry for a wide variety of high volume industrial food processing processes, including snack food and cereal popping, drying of ingredients and starches, roasting of nuts, coffee and spices. and many more. We have a range of standard processors as well as the ability to provide bespoke systems of any requirement. Use TORBED processors for faster, greener processing and better tasting, more consistent products. Use TORWAVE processors where higher heat transfer and volumetric heating can bring greater benefit.
Popped products
Drying
Drying food powders and products is easy, with the ability to handle a wide variety of product sizes and moisture contents. The TORBED food machines can be used for flash drying, as well as drying of sensitive products where both temperature and moisture control are critical. TORWAVE food machines offer even greater control.
Roasting
Excellent process control and homogeneity combine with the fully electric system for precision roasting of coffee, nuts, seeds, spices and more and potentially, a reduced carbon footprint.. The enhanced heat transfer and roasting time can increase the product surface area, improving flavour and extractability of flavour compounds.
Pasteurisation
The unparalleled heat transfer to seeds or herbs allows surface heating to occur to destroy contaminants without over-heating the overall product.
INDUSTRIES
Sludge Processing
Torftech has over 20 years of experience in the paper industry, dealing with paper sludge to turn a waste stream in to a product stream. We have created systems for paper sludge drying, as well and for the calcination of the residual minerals in the sludge while combusting the remaining fibre.
The Intense processing in the TORBED reactor means that the paper sludge can be processed without problems around maintenance, and by making use of waste heat within the paper mill. By incorporating the TORBED calciner with the TORBED paper sludge dryer in many cases the system can be self-sustaining as well as providing additional energy to the mill, displacing some of the fossil fuel usage typically required for raising steam.
The TORBED technology can provide paper mills with a means of eliminating their waste streams, whilst in turn providing a net energy benefit to the mill and producing a product that can bring in revenue streams.
Efficient commercial food sludge processing helps in waste reduction and environmental protection and also contributes to the circular economy by turning waste into valuable resources. Our technologies and approaches optimize this process, enhance sustainability, and comply with regulations.
INDUSTRIES
Waste Processing
Torftech has a long history of dealing with waste processing that requires specialist conditions or excellent process control. The TORBED technology
is ideally suited to these challenging processes when a tight control band is needed to ensure that there are no problems with under-treating the waste or with over-treating it and creating additional processing steps.
These wastes include oil contaminated fines, carbon poisoned catalysts, spent pot liners from the aluminium industry, recycled road stone, oily cuttings from drilling operations and many others. The low footprint of the TORBED reactor also means that it is an excellent solution for retrofitting into existing plants where waste control has become a new challenge.
INDUSTRIES
Industrial Biomass Processing
TORBED processors have been employed in the biomass sector across a full spectrum of thermal applications from drying to combustion.
Drying
Torrefaction
Gasification
Combustion
Where combustion, as opposed to torrefaction or gasification is the desired process, TORBED combustors offer their customary benefits of control, low pressure drop and small footprint. Useful and saleable byproducts are also possible, for example amorphous silica ash from combustion of rice husk: the quality of the result being a direct function of close temperature control.
INDUSTRIES
Insect Processing
There is significant global interest in processing insects for animal or even human consumption. A TORBED processor has been used for separation of larvae from frass.
Looking at the broader insect plant flow sheet, our processors offer potential as gasifiers, creating energy from the frass and as dryers, where in either dry or wet rendering processes, they can dry insect derived proteins without damaging them.
INDUSTRIES
Carbon Processing
We sold our first processor to the carbon sector in 1992. It was used to dry coal slimes, turning a waste into a viable fuel. Since then, TORBED processors have been used to regenerate spent activated carbon and to create an active biochar at commercial scale and to torrefy wood to create biocoal, also at commercial scale.
The TORBED processor offers broad ranging processing capabilities for the treatment of lignite, sub-bituminous coal and coal waste ranging from drying to devolatilization to activation.
INDUSTRIES
Industrial Catalyst Processing
The first TORBED processor used for catalyst processing was installed
in 1997. The ability to control strong exothermic reactions allowed the regeneration and recovery of catalysts and zeolites to be carried out faster and with greater precision. The precise temperature control achieved in endothermic calcination of catalyst substrates produces higher surface area support structures and more reactive catalysts.
There are several application areas where TORBED reactors are already utilised including:
• Catalyst manufacture
• Catalyst regeneration
• Catalyst recovery
• Zeolite regeneration
The TORWAVE processor with its combination of conventional and microwave heat sources, offers even greater process control where enhanced Industrial Catalyst Processing accuracy is needed.
INDUSTRIES
Industrial Gas Scrubbing
The first TORBED industrial gas scrubber, a pilot plant was installed in 1991. Designed to scrub Hydrofluoric acid from the exhaust gas streams of an aluminium smelter using a (highly abrasive) alumina reagent, this pilot plant led to the sale of a further 13TORBED processors in 1996. 6m in internal diameter, these are the largest TORBED processors ever installed.
Our processors accuracy and thorough mixing make them ideally suited for gas scrubbing. As well as the largest ever TORBED processor installed, it also accounts for the smallest TORBED we have supplied, a 50mm internal diameter machine 3-D printed from resin and used for testing carbon capture reagents.
Industrial gas scrubbing is the core of any carbon capture technology and we continue to collaborate on projects designed to test the efficacy of reagents in carbon capture. A TORBED processor designed to sequester CO2 from a mixture of air and process gasses was installed in 2024.
We can change the way you process
Our processors have capabilities in a range of gas-solid contacting processes from high temperature flash calcination to low temperature drying across a diverse range of industries. Often our processors offer an alternative to less resource-efficient conventional technologies. Find out about some of the processes for which our technology has been used and see if we could assist you.