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US 4,640,839 AGranted
Agglomeration process
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorSheng-Hsiung Hsu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pulverulent, water soluble material is agglomerated by projecting the material in a stream through a moistening zone, directing steam or mist towards the stream in the moistening zone so that the stream is surrounded by steam or mist flowing inwardly towards the stream, thereby moistening and fusing the particles, and then drying the material. Particles of the material may be engaged with one another to form chunks before moistening.
Claims18
A process agglomerating a water-soluble particulate material comprising:
- (a) projecting a stream of particles of the particulate material through a confined moistening chamber in a downward direction along a generally vertical path, the stream of particles having a lesser cross-section width than the cross-section width of the moistening chamber;
- (b) diffusing an aqueous gas horizontally inwardly, from outside and about the periphery of the confines of the moistening chamber, towards the stream of particles such that the aqueous gas is directed to and surrounds and tends to confine the stream of particles under relatively quiescent conditions throughout their path through the moistening chamber to moisten and fuse the particles;
- and then
- (c) drying the resulting moistened and fused particulate material.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.