Process for aggregating difficult to aggregate particles and the product thereof

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE AGGREGATING OF DIFFICULT TO AGGREGATE FINELY DIVIDED DRIED PARTICLES, THE STEPS OF: (A) MIXING A QUANTITY OF SAID DIFFICULT TO AGGREGATE PARTICLES WITH A QUANTITY OF DRIED PARTICULATE AMORPHOUS AGGREGATING AGENT, SELECTED FROM AT LEAST ONE OF THE GROUP OF MATERIALS CONSISTING OF ANHYDROUS LACTOSE, ANHYDROUS WHEY, AND MODIFIED ANHYDROUS WHEY, SAID AGGREGATING AGENT COMPRISING BETWEEN ABOUT 5% AND 50% OF THE RESULTING MIXTURE, (B) SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO CONTROLLED WETTING WHILE IN THE PRESENCE OF A HEATED VELOCITY AIR FLOW WHEREBY TO INCREASE THE TOTAL MOISTURE CONTENT OF SAID MIXTURE BY BETWEEN ABOUT 2% AND 6%, (C) SAID CONTROLLED WETTING CAUSING SAID DIFFICULT TO AGGREGATE PARTICLES TO ADHERE TO SAID AGGREGATING AGENT TO FORM POROUS, OPEN STRUCTERED, DIVIDED AGGREGATES, AND (D) QUICKLY DRYING SAID AGGREGATED TO SUBSTATIALLY PREVENT CRYSTALLIZATION OF SAID AMORPHOUS AGGREGATING AGENT.