Apparatus for breaking and separating particles

A process for breaking dried particles and separating product particles from reject particles, comprising:

• (a) feeding dried particles, having an average length to diameter ratio from about 1.5 to 8, into an apparatus comprising
• (i) a substantially elongated hollow cylindrical screen (1) having a plurality of radial openings (4), each with a diameter smaller than the diameter of product particles;
• (ii) an axially extending interior passage (3) formed radially inwardly of the cylindrical screen (1), wherein the radial openings (4) extend from the interior passage (3) through the screen (1), the interior passage (3) having an inlet (2) at one axial end thereof for receiving the dried feed particles and an outlet (10) at the other axial end thereof for expelling product particles;
• (iii) vanes (8) rotatable around a hub (7) disposed in the interior passage (3);
• and
• (iv) a reject particle outlet (14) disposed radially outwardly of the screen for collecting reject particles expelled through the radial openings;
• (b) controllably breaking the dried feed particles into product particles by rotating at least one of the cylindrical screen (1) and the vanes (8) to provide rotation of one relative to the other at a speed sufficient to break the dried feed particles into product particles having a mathematical average length to diameter ratio from about 1.0 to 4.0 with little loss of the product particles to fines;
• (c) moving said product particles to the product particle outlet (10) and said reject particles radially outwardly through said radial openings (4);
• and
• (d) removing the product particles.