Handbook of Solvents - George Wypych - ChemTech - Ventech!

14.7 Dry cleaning 889
Figure 14.7.4. Scheme of a dry cleaning machine. 1 textiles to be cleaned, 2 cylinder, 3 cage, 4 fan, 5 heater, 6
drive for cage, 7 air canal, 8 cooler, 9 lint filter, 10 button trap, 11 filter, 12 distilling vessel, 13 pump, 14 solvent
storage tanks, 15 water separator, 16 condenser, 17 steam pipe, 18 outlet to charcoal filter, 19 dosing unit.
Distilling equipment:
The distilling vessel has the same capacity as the biggest storage tank. Solvent to be distilled
is pumped into the vessel from the cylinder or from the filter. The vessel is steam or electrical
heated. The solvent vapor is directed into a condenser (water cooling) and then to a water
separator, from where it flows into the clean solvent tank. The residue after distillation remains
in the vessel and is pumped into special residue drums.
Recovering system:
In order to dry the dry cleaned garments from the solvent residue which remains after spinning,
a fan extracts air out of the cylinder into a condenser, where solvent vapor is condensed
out of the air. From there the air is blown into a heater and directed by fan back into
the cylinder. In this way the solvent is vaporized away from the garment and after condensing,
reused for cleaning.
Dosing equipment:
In order to get the right additions of dry cleaning detergent into the solvent, a dry cleaning
machine has dosing equipment working on the basis of a piston pump, which doses the right
amount of detergent at the right time into the system.