Abstract In a process for drying droplets of sucrose-containing solution in a current of heated air and in the presence of 0.5 to 4.0 parts by weight of separately introduced recycled product solids per part by weight of solids in said solution the improvement which comprises controlling the average particle size of the recycled product solids at about 200 microns or less and dispersing the recycled fine-sized solids at the outer periphery of the drying zone as an enveloping solids-bearing atmosphere around the solution droplets. Apparatus is disclosed for carrying out the process including a spray drying chamber, a centrally located liquid atomizer, drying air inlet and outlet conduits, solids product collection means, means for deagglommerating product solids, and means for recycling product solids to the drying chamber and introducing them tangentially as an enveloping curtain of solids adjacent the walls of the drying chamber.
Inventors
👤 Edward T Woodruff
👤 Viggo S Andersen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-01 23:03
CPC Classifications
C; C13; C13B; C13B30/00; C13B30/02; C13B30/028
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
26 words
Improvement as defined in claim 1 in which the size of the recycle solids is maintained within the range of about 50 to about 150 microns.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
Improvement as defined in claim 2 in which the size of the recycle solids is maintained within the desired range by deagglomeration of the product in the dryer recycle system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
Improvement as defined in claim 2 in which the said recycled product solids are tangentially fed through plural distribution inlets at the outer periphery of the drying zone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
175 words
Continuous process for preparing dry sucrose containing products comprising: a. continuously dispersing in a current of heated air and at the outer periphery of a drying zone as an enveloping solids-bearing atmosphere sucrose particles having an average particle size of about 200 microns or less; b. continuously and separately dispersing in the heated air, and within the said enveloping solids-bearing atmosphere, spray droplets of a sucrose-containing solution containing from about 0.25 to about 2 parts by weight of solids per part by weight of said particles; c. evaporating the water from the solution droplets; d. continuously separating the resulting dry crystalline, free-flowing product from the hot air stream; e. reducing the average particle size of at least the necesSary amounts of said resulting dry product from step (d) to provide the particles used in step (a) to about 200 microns or less; f. continuously recycling the necessary amounts of reduced size material from step (e) to the dispersion step (a); and g. recovering, without any post dryer crystallization treatment, the remainder of the dry product.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
Process as defined in claim 5 wherein the size reduction in step (e) is accomplished by deagglomeration of the dry product from step (d) in the course of the recycle step (f).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
Process as defined in Claim 5 wherein the size reduction in step (e) is sufficient to provide an average particle size within the range of from about 50 to about 150 microns.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Process as defined in Claim 7 wherein the sucrose-containing solution is an affination syrup.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
Process of Claim 7 wherein the sucrose-containing solution is a last-strike liquor from conventional sugar refinery crystallization.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
Process as defined in claim 7 wherein the solids are dispersed in step (a) by tangentially feeding through plural, spaced distribution inlets at the outer periphery of the drying zone.