Process for drying higher fatty acid sarcosines

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FRO HEAT DRYING OF FLUID AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A NORMALLY RIGID SOLID HIGHER FATTY ACID SARCOSINATE WHICH COMPRISES MOVING SUCH SOLUTION TURBULENTLY OVER A HEATED METALLIC SURFACE IN DIRECT CONTACT THEREWITH, HEATING SAID SOLUTION THERBY TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE BOTH THE BOILING POINT OF THE SOLUTION AND THE MELTING POINT OF THE SARCOSINATE, VAPORIZING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE AQUEOUS SOLVENT FROM SAID SOLUTION AND MELTING THE SUBSTANTIALLY DRY SARCOSINATE THUS FORMED BEFORE CONTACT WITH ANY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF GAS OTHER THAN SAID VAPOR, FORMING THE MOLTEN DRIED SARCOSINATE INTO DISCRETE LIQUID DROPLETS, AND COOLING SAID DROPLETS TO RIGID SOLID PELLETS FO DRY SARCOSINATE.