Materials and Methods for Inhibiting Material Mixing in a Material Processing System
AssigneeTropicana Products, Inc.
InventorsGerald Olean Fountain, Johnny Casasnovas, Teodoro Rivera, John Bovastro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A material mixing inhibitor composition, a method of minimizing material mixing of a first fluid material and a second fluid material in a material processing system that includes a pipeline, and a cartridge for delivery of a material mixing inhibitor composition to the material processing system are described.
Claims28
A material mixing inhibitor composition comprising:
- from about 50% to about 99% by weight of a liquid;
- from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a gelling agent;
- and
- from about 0.05% to about 5% of a gelling agent activator;
- wherein each component of the composition is food grade.
A method of minimizing material mixing of a first fluid material and a second fluid material in a material processing system that includes a pipeline, the method comprising:
- introducing into an upstream portion of the pipeline a sufficient amount of a material mixing inhibitor composition to form in the pipeline a self-sustaining plug having its peripheral surface contiguous with an inner surface of the pipeline, a leading face in contact with the first fluid material, and a trailing face in contact with the second fluid material;
- moving the plug through the pipeline under fluid pressure of the second fluid material;
- wherein mixing of the first fluid material and the second fluid material is inhibited by the plug such that an amount of the first fluid material present in the second fluid material at a trailing face of the plug is about 10% or less by volume.
The method of 15 further comprising removing the plug at a downstream portion of the pipeline, the downstream portion being spaced from the upstream portion.
A cartridge for delivery of a material mixing inhibitor composition to a material processing system, the cartridge comprising:
- a first end configured to be removably attached to a portion of the material processing system;
- a second end configured to receive the material mixing inhibitor composition;
- a wall disposed between and connecting the first end and the second end, the wall having an interior surface;
- wherein a ratio of a length of the cartridge to a diameter of the cartridge is from about 1:1 to about 10:1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.