Patent GB-1168692-A (GB)
Title: Process and Apparatus for Preparing Free-Flowing and Readily Dispersible Products from Finely Powdered Materials.
IPC: A23L1/00
Filed: 1967-02-10
Abstract: 1,168,692. Dispersible food agglomerates. OGILVIE FLOUR MILLS CO. Ltd. 10 Feb., 1967 [28 Feb., 1966], No. 6614/67. Addition to 1,061,227. Headings A2B and A2E. [Also in Division C3] Free-flowing, readily wettable, readily dispersible and/or soluble agglomerates are prepared from non-free-flowing materials composed of finely-divided particles, by maintaining a fluidized bed of the particulate material in the agglomerating chamber by passing a heated gas as the fluidizing agent at a temperature of substantially 400‹F. or below through a diffuser plate and unwards through the bed, continuously introducing fresh supplies of the material into the bed, continuously atomizing a fluid, atomizable, agglomerating agent to droplets directly in the fluidized bed by injecting at least one stream of the agglomerating agent and a gas jet surrounding the stream directly into the bed between its upper and lower limits, the jet being directed generally transversely of the flow of fluidizing gas, thereby wetting the surfaces of the particles and causing them to agglomerate with the agglomerates being dried by the heated gas, and continuously withdrawing the agglomerates from the chamber, the wetting of the particles, the agglomeration and the drying of the agglomerates comprising substantially instantaneous sequence of steps. The fluidizing agent is heated air (or nitrogen) at a temperature within the range 175‹-290‹F. admitted to the chamber at a rate of between 25 and 100 standard cubic feet per minute per square toot of diffuser plate area and the temperature of the bed is within the range of 110-170‹F. The agglomerating agent is introduced into the bed as a spray of droplets of determined size, by way of a two-fluid nozzle in which an annulus of air, steam or nitrogen completely surrounds the liquid at the point of discharge, whereby fouling of the equipment is avoid ed. It is stated that the stream of agglomerating liquid must not be atomized over the top of the bed as such a form of delivery hampers or destroys the turbulence. Particulate materials: sugar, flour, milk powder, cheese Dowder. starch or dextrin. Agglomerating agents: water, aqueous sugar solution, refinery syrup, hvdrolyzed protein solution, condensed whole milk, condensed skim milk, shortening or fat, starch solution, and alcohols and other organic solvents. Specified sugars, artificial sweetner and puree of fruits or vegetables may (when appropriate) be included with the actual agglomerating agents. Examples are directed to the preparation of the following agglomerates; (1) icing sugar consisting of powdered refined sugar agglomerated by cane sugar solution; (2) brown sugar consisting of powdered sugar agglomerated by yellow refinery syrup (sucrose, invert sugar, organic non-sugar solids and water); (3) confectioner's sugar consisting of ground cane sugar agglomerated by a solution of invert sugar; (4) flavoured flour product consisting of wheat flour agglomerated by an aqueous solution of hydrolyzed vegetable protein, sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, cane sugar and caramel colour; (5) whole milk product consisting of whole milk powder agglomerated by liquid condensed whole milk; (6) skim milk product consisting of spray dried skim milk powder agglomerated by liquid condensed skim milk; (7) cheese product consisting of dried cheese powder (prepared by spray drying a mixture of Cheddar cheese, liquid skim milk and whey) agglomerated by water; (8) starch product consisting of powdered wheat starch agglomerated by a solution of cooked powdered wheat starch; (9) dextrin agglomerated by water, and (10) confectioner's sugar consisting of finely ground cane sugar agglomerated by an aqueous solution of invert sugar and sucrose.