Solid sarcosinate particles and method of preparation thereof

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING, IN DRY PULVERULENT FORM, A FATTY ACID SARCONSINATE, THE ACYL RADICAL OF WHICH CONTAINS FROM 10 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS, WHICH COMPRISES: ATOMIZING A PUMPABLE AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF GREATER THAN 10 PRECENT BY WEIGHT OF SAID SARCOSINATE, AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT AT WHICH THE SARCOSINATE DECOMPOSES UNDER THE PROCESSING CONDITIONS, INTO HEATED DRYING GAS AT THE TOP OF A VERTICAL ZONE THROUGH WHICH THE ATOMIZED MATERIAL FALLS, ADMITTING COOLING AIR INTO SAID ZONE BELOW THE POINT OF ATOMIZATION SO DIRECTED AS TO PURSUE A PATH ABOUT THE SUSPENSION OF ATOMIZED PARTICLES IN DRYING GAS THEREBY COOLING THE ZONE BOUNDARY TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT OF THE DRYING GAS WHILE ALSO INHIBITING CONTACT OF PARTICLES WITH THE ZONE BOUNDARY AND LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE OF ANY PARTICLES WHICH DO PASS THROUGH THE COOLING AIR, SO AS TO DECREASE THE TENDENCY OF FATTY ACID SACROSINATE TO MELT AND ACCUMULATE ON THE ZONE BOUNDARY, AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE ZONE AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF DRY RIGIDIFIED FATTY ACID SARCONINATE PARTICLES AND MIXTURE OF SPENY DRYING GAS AND COOLING AIR.