Method for producing large agglomerate particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10993463-B2
Application number	US-201615163971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The invention is in the technical field of particles; more particularly, the invention relates to large agglomerate particles obtainable by spray-drying agglomeration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing agglomerate particles having a mean size of between 700 μm and 1000 μm, said method comprising the steps of:
(i) producing pulverulent particles by means of a spray-drying process, wherein a feed liquid is sprayed by a feed liquid atomizer into a spray-drying segment located at an upper region of a spray-drying agglomeration device and dried in the spray-drying segment to obtain pulverulent particles,
(ii) spraying the pulverulent particles with a binder liquid, in an integrated fluidized bed in the spray-drying agglomeration device, which bed is situated in a lower region of the spray-drying agglomeration device, in which region the pulverulent particles of the spray-drying segment from step (i) is sprayed with the binder liquid by means of a nozzle or atomizer construction mounted at a bottom of the fluidized bed,
the particles being constantly kept in motion and whirled up during production.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spray-drying agglomeration device comprises a dam construction which is integrated in the fluidized bed and which is placed in front of an escape opening to a zigzag classifier or an external fluidized bed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle or atomizer construction in the integrated fluidized bed consists of a ring line, the nozzles or atomizers being evenly spaced along the ring line, the nozzle or atomizer construction comprising at least 3 nozzles or atomizers and the nozzle or atomizer being a twin-fluid spray nozzle and the binder liquid from the nozzle or atomizer construction in the integrated fluidized bed being sprayed from the bottom to a top.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spray-drying agglomeration device comprises a dam construction which is integrated in the fluidized bed and is placed in front of an escape opening to a zigzag classifier.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a fine dust in the spray-drying agglomeration device that arises as a result of abrasion during spray-drying of step (i) and agglomeration of step (ii) is returned to a headspace of the spray-drying segment by a zigzag classifier or an external fluidized bed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate particles have a dust value of less than 3.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate particles have a bulk weight of greater than 300 g/l.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate particles have a flowability of less than 14.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate particles are present in a freeflowing, non-dust-raising form.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate particles are an intermediate product which is later incorporated into a feedstuff, food or foodstuff.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particles are flavouring particles.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate particles have a dust value of less than 2.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feed liquid at the feed liquid atomizer has a temperature in the range of from 100° C. to 220° C.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluidized bed has a temperature in the range of from 5° C. to 90° C.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate particles have a flowability of between 7 and 14.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle or atomizer construction is one or more small-bore two-substance nozzle.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder is fed into the fluidized bed at a rate of 10-100 liters per hour and a pressure of 1-10 bar.

18. The method of claim 2 , wherein the dam construction is such that its presence permits a portion of the particles to be returned to the upper region of the spray-drying agglomeration device wherein they are spray-dried by the feed liquid a first time, and then further agglomerated in the lower region by the sprayed binder fluid.

19. The method of claim 2 , wherein the dam construction is such that a fine dust generated during spray drying and agglomeration is returned to the headspace by means of a zig zag classifier.

Assignees

• Symrise Ag

Inventors

• Weissbrodt Jenny
• Diring Alexander
• Gruber Eric
• Rabe Burghard
• Sabater Christopher
• Bröckel Walter

Classifications

• A23L23/00 Primary

  Soups; Sauces (soya sauce A23L27/50; salad dressings, mayonnaise or ketchup A23L27/60); Preparation or treatment thereof · CPC title

• A23P10/20

  Agglomerating; Granulating; Tabletting · CPC title

• A23L27/00

  Spices; Flavouring agents or condiments; Artificial sweetening agents; Table salts; Dietetic salt substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof · CPC title

• A23P10/22

  Agglomeration or granulation with pulverisation of solid particles, e.g. in a free-falling curtain · CPC title

• A23L27/10

  Natural spices, flavouring agents or condiments; Extracts thereof · CPC title