Freeze concentration has been practiced for centuries. In its earliest form it
was as simple as leaving a barrel of liquid outside in the cold winter night.
Water would crystallize and grow as a thick layer of ice along the inside walls
of the barrel. The next day they would simply cut a hole through the ice shell
and drain the now concentrated product. The water (now ice) was simply
discarded.
Modern freeze concentration processes consist of a
crystallization section where part of the water is converted into solid ice
crystals using a refrigeration system. The ice crystals are then separated by
filters, centrifuges or using the Niro technology - wash columns. This patented
technology is a specific form of suspension melt crystallization and has made
freeze concentration economically feasible for a wide range of applications.
See the following pages for
a process description