Patent ID: 7838055

Claim:
A process for the microcrystallization of xylitol and maltitol into a polyol composition, comprising the steps of: (a) spraying a liquid feed of dissolved xylitol and maltitol containing at least 30% by weight of each at the dry solids concentration of 60-90% into contact with a gas suspended dry feed of small crystals containing xylitol and maltitol so as to wet the surface of said dry feed particles with said liquid feed, wherein the ratio of liquid feed to dry feed is between 2:1 and 1:4; (b) evaporating the solvent of said liquid feed causing microcrystallization of said dissolved xylitol and maltitol on said dry feed particles and drying in the gas suspended state to a free moisture content of 0.5-3%; and (c) conditioning the microcrystallized particles at a temperature of 40-90° C. to provide a solid randomly agglomerated microcrystalline xylitol-maltitol composition with microcrystals of 5-10 micrometers in size, a free moisture content of 0.05%-0.5%, and that which melts at about 90° C.; wherein the ratio of xylitol and maltitol in said feeds being such that the resulting microcrystalline eutectic mixture contains 30% or more of each of xylitol and maltitol microcrystallized together into a solid microcrystalline product; (d) optionally milling the dried randomly agglomerated microcrystalline polyol composition from step c) to a mean particle size of 0.1-0.4 mm.