Recent advances in spray drying

This review analyzes current trends and technological innovations in spray drying—a highly efficient method for producing powdered materials from flowing media. Despite its more than 150-year history, this process continues to rapidly evolve, driven by the need to reduce energy costs, improve control over particle characteristics, and minimize environmental impact. The article examines in detail the design of traditional spray dryers, including the dispersion, drying, and separation stages. A comparative analysis of various types of spray devices (centrifugal, hydraulic, pneumatic, ultrasonic, and electrostatic) is provided, as well as drying chamber configurations that determine the thermal history of the product and its final properties. A central focus of the paper is a description of promising technological modifications that expand the scope of traditional drying. Among these are nanospray drying for producing submicron particles with a narrow size distribution; spray freeze-drying, which preserves the highly porous structure of heat-sensitive materials; and methods using pulsed combustion, vacuum, and superheated steam, which significantly reduce thermal load and improve process energy efficiency. Approaches to combining drying with encapsulation, agglomeration, and the production of amorphous dispersions are considered separately. The analysis demonstrates that current technological development is targeted and closely aligned with the needs of high-tech industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and the production of functional materials. Priority areas for further research include the development of adaptive control systems with elements of artificial intelligence, the creation of closed energy- and resource-saving cycles, and in-depth modeling of particle formation processes for the precision design of powders with desired functional properties.