Patent ID: 7207505

Claim:
A novel method of rapidly and efficiently producing a finished granular product having a desired pre-selected range of particle sizes, shape, moisture content and flowability, said method yielding small, durable, rounded, flowable dry product granules having a high yield within a pre-selected range of particle sizes and being characterized by a step-wise process wherein the initial drying of a wet product mass is intentionally stopped at a predetermined intermediate non-final moisture content which provides for adequate plasticity of said mass to allow efficient intermediate size reduction of said granular mass to create uniform rounded granules falling predominately in the particle size range of 74 to 2000 microns, followed by final drying of said granules to said desired pre-selected range of particle sizes, shape, moisture content and flowability, said method comprising the following sequence of process steps in the order stated: a) A first process step of mixing at least one dry powder ingredient with a liquid to produce a wet product mass; followed by b) A second process step of drying said wet product mass to create a wetted non-uniform intermediate product mass having said predetermined intentional state of intermediate non-final moisture content; followed by c) A third process step of milling said wetted non-uniform intermediate product mass by size reduction means including a mill having a screen with holes sized to produce a relatively uniform milled granular product having said predetermined intermediate non-final moisture content and a size distribution falling predominately between 74 to 2000 microns; followed by d) A fourth process step of finally drying substantially the whole of said relatively uniform milled granular product to produce a finished granular product having said desired pre-selected range of particle sizes, shape, moisture content and flowability.