Patent ID: 7241465

Claim:
A process for drying high-lactose aqueous fluids, the process comprising the steps of: concentrating a high-lactose aqueous fluid containing from about 1 to about 35% solids, wherein at least 50% of the solids are lactose, to form a concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid containing from about 45 to about 65% solids; further concentrating the concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid in a high concentration evaporator to form a highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid containing from about 70 to about 80% solids; transferring the highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid to a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing apparatus in which a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing cascade is created by exposing the highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid to a gaseous fluid, which is effective to cool and further concentrate the highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid in a manner that causes lactose within the highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid to crystallize, so as to generate a partially crystallized high-lactose aqueous fluid containing from about 78 to about 88% solids; and spraying the partially crystallized high-lactose aqueous fluid into a chamber containing hot air to form a high-solids product rich in crystalline lactose.