A common exception is the evaporation of solutions with a high mineral content, where the vapor is condensed as the product and the concentrated brine is discarded. Evaporation also produces a higher concentration of solids than other methods of concentration ( Figure 1) (2).Įvaporation differs from distillation in that the concentrated solution, rather than the condensed evaporate, is typically the valuable product. This combination of processes is economically attractive because high-efficiency evaporation is significantly less costly than drying and other methods of removing water (1). The combination of evaporation and spray drying is often used to make powdered products, such as powdered milk. Evaporation can be used as the initial step in producing a dried product if the liquid concentrate then undergoes a drying process such as spray drying. Evaporation as a method of concentration can produce solids contents that range from 0% to as much as 92% with scraped surface evaporators (used in select applications).Įvaporation differs from dehydration and drying in that the product of evaporation is a concentrated liquid, not a solid.
