Process and plant for the production of spherical alginate pellets
AssigneeNukem GmbH
InventorsGerhard Alisch, Edwin Brauneis, Bernd Pirstadt, Norbert Iffland, Egbert Brandau
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Abstract
Proposed is a process for the production of spherical alginate pellets from drops of alginate solution delivered by a nozzle, the drops being solidified by dropping them into an ionic solution and subsequently removing the pellets and rinsing them. The alginate solution is converted into drops by vibrational stimuli, and the drops subsequently allowed to remain substantially free in the ionic solution until the required degree of solidification has been reached.
Claims12
Method for producing spherical alginate pellets from droplets of an alginate solution delivered from a nozzle, by consolidating the droplets by dropping them into an ion solution and subsequently washing the alginate pellets removed from the ion solution, wherein
- the alginate solution is dropletized by vibratory excitation;
- the droplets are substantially free to move in the ion solution until they achieve the desired consolidation;
- and
- before contacting the ion solution, the droplets are decelerated by a foam present thereon, and/or the droplets fall into the ion solution whose surface tension has been reduced by a surfactant or an organic solvent.
Apparatus for producing spherical alginate pellets from droplets of an alginate solution (14), comprising a reservoir container (15) for the alginate solution;
- at least one nozzle (3, 17) to which alginate solution can be fed as applicable via a feed line (16, 20);
- a collection device (4, 21), containing an ion solution for the droplets falling from the nozzle;
- and at least one device for removing the alginate pellets from the collection device (6, 7, 8, 9), wherein the apparatus for dropletizing the alginate solution (14) delivered by the nozzle (3, 17) has a vibration exciter (2, 19);
- and the collection device (4, 5, 21) is a tubular reactor through which the ion solution (22) can flow in an adjustable manner, with a liquid column such that the droplets (18) can be consolidated at least on their surfaces wile flowing through the liquid column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.