Concentrated sugar additive as anti-dusting agent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9708520-B2
Application number	US-201214241292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2012
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

The present invention generally concerns a concentrated sugar additive comprising (a) raffinate derived from citric acid recovery industry and (b) sugar-containing solution useful for controlling dust emission from particulate materials during manufacturing, handling, storage or transportation. Such particulate materials comprise fertilizers, minerals, coal, etc.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An anti-dusting additive comprising a mixture of a citric acid containing raffinate and an added sugar-containing solution; wherein the raffinate contains about 50% dry matter by weight and less than 5% citric acid by weight of dry matter and the anti-dusting additive having:
(a) a % Brix from about 60 to about 80; and
(b) a minimum viscosity of about 100 cP (at 25° C.).

2. The anti-dusting additive according to claim 1 comprising from about 10 to about 90% raffinate.

3. The anti-dusting additive according to claim 2 comprising about 40% raffinate.

4. The anti-dusting additive according to claim 1 ; wherein the added sugar-containing solution comprises a monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, polysaccharide, or mixture thereof.

5. The anti-dusting additive according to claim 4 ; wherein the sugar-containing solution comprises glucose syrup.

6. The anti-dusting additive according to claim 5 comprising from about 10 to about 90% sugar-containing solution.

7. The anti-dusting additive according to claim 6 comprising about 60% sugar-containing solution.

8. A process for manufacturing an anti-dusting additive of claim 1 comprising the steps of:
(a) evaporation of a citric acid containing raffinate to about 50% dry solids by weight;
(b) mixing a sugar with the product of step (a) until complete homogenization;
(c) controlling the viscosity of the product of step (b) by addition of a glucose syrup until a viscosity of between 100 to 100,000 cP (at 25° C.) is acheived.

9. A method of reducing the dust in the manufacture, transportation, or application of fertilizers comprising spraying a dust reducing amount of the product of claim 1 onto the fertilizer.

10. A fertilizer comprising an anti-dusting additive according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Ushijima Helio Haruo
• Silva Ricardo Chagas Da
• Cargill Inc

Inventors

• Ushijima Helio Haruo
• Silva Ricardo Chagas Da

Classifications

• E21F5/06

  Fluids used for spraying · CPC title

• C05G3/20

  for preventing the fertilisers being reduced to powder; Anti-dusting additives · CPC title

• B01J2/30

  using agents to prevent the granules sticking together; Rendering particulate materials free flowing in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic · CPC title

• C05F5/008

  Waste from biochemical processing of material, e.g. fermentation, breweries · CPC title

• C05F11/00

  Other organic fertilisers · CPC title