Air treatment

Compressed Air Dryers

If you've worked with an air compressor, you've likely noticed the air is saturated with moisture. This is because water, in contrast to air, is incompressible. The amount of moisture per volume unit increases when air is compressed, creating condensation. Our compressed air dryers are vital for removing this moisture, which can cause corrosion, quality issues, and microorganisms in your air system.

A complete product range

Learn more about our different types of compressed air dryers here below.

What is a compressed air dryer?

As referenced, dryers remove excess water from compressed air. With the right type, you'll meet industry standards while protecting your air compressor setup.

There are three types of dryers to consider, refrigerant (fridge), adsorption, and membrane. Each comes with its own benefits to help you balance budgetary concerns and air quality standards.

How do different compressed air dryer types work?

Refrigerant (fridge)
Refrigerant dryers are the most common type, and typically maintain a PDP of +3 °C/37.4 °F, suitable for most applications. They consist of an air-to-air heat exchanger and air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger. This type of dryer is either air-cooled or water-cooled. Pneumatech also offers non-cycling, cycling and VSD fridge dryers to meet your investment and efficiency requirements.

Adsorption / desiccant
Adsorption or desiccant dryers use hygroscopic material like silica gel to adsorb moisture contained in compressed air. The air flows over the material and is effectively dried. These dryers achieve a PDP from -10 °C/14 °F to -70 °C/-94 °F.

To maintain consistent operations, adsorption dryers come with two drying vessels. The first is used for drying incoming compressed air, while the second is used for desiccant regeneration. There are three types of regeneration methods our dryers use: purge regeneration (“heatless-type dryers”), heated purge, and blower.

Membrane
Membrane dryers use a process called "selective permeation." They consist of a cylinder housing thousands of tiny hollow polymer fibers with an inner coating. Through selective permeability, these fibers remove water vapor ensuring a suppression of either 32°C/55°F or 55°C/100°F giving at the reference conditions an outlet air dewpoint of 3°C/37,4°F or -20°C/-5°F depending on the selected models.

The importance of drying compressed air

Drying compressed air is not just a technical requirement; it's a necessity for many industries. Moisture in compressed air can have detrimental effects on downstream equipment and the end product.

Protecting your downstream equipment
Moisture can lead to corrosion, rust, and wear in pneumatic tools and machinery. An air dryer for air compressor systems can significantly reduce these risks, ensuring a longer lifespan for your equipment.

Safeguard end product quality
In industries like pharmaceuticals, food processing, and electronics manufacturing, even a tiny amount of moisture can compromise product quality. For instance, in paint spraying, moisture can cause defects in the finish.

Learn more about how drying compressed air can help protect your tools and equipment, all while safeguarding the quality of your end product.

The right PDP & dryer for your application

Pressure Dew Point (PDP) is used to define the water content in compressed air. Essentially, it is the temperature at which water vapor condenses at the working pressure. Low PDP values indicate small amounts of moisture in compressed air.

Meeting air quality standards

In addition to ensuring the reliability and integrity of your air system, air dryers for compressors are essential for meeting ISO 8573-1 standards. This internationally recognized rating dictates how many contaminants, including water, your air is allowed to contain after treatment.

The standard specifies air quality classes, including the acceptable PDP levels. For example, ISO 8537-1 class 1 requires a PDP of -70 °C/-94 °F, while class 4 indicates +3 °C/37.4 °F.

Where are compressed air dryers used?

Compressed air dryers play a vital role in various industrial and professional applications, here are just a few examples.