Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A coating method for spray-coating the surfaces of solid particles with a thermally melted wax, which comprises ejecting a mixture of a thermally melted wax and a heating gas from one of the flow passages of a two-fluid nozzle and, simultaneously, ejecting heating gas from the other flow passage of said two-fluid nozzle, the diameter of spray ports of said two-fluid nozzle being in the range of 1.5 to 5.8 mm, and said two-fluid nozzle having no needle valve.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A coating method for spray-coating the surfaces of solid particles with a thermally melted wax, which comprises ejecting a mixture of a thermally melted wax and a heating gas from one of the flow passages of a two-fluid nozzle and, simultaneously, ejecting heating gas from the other flow passage of said two-fluid nozzle, the diameter of spray ports of said two-fluid nozzle being in the range of 1.5 to 5.8 mm, and said two-fluid nozzle having no needle valve.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
100 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said wax is one of the following or mixtures thereof: a) a higher alcohol selected from the group consisting of cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and myristryl alcohol; b) a higher fatty acid selected from the group consisting of myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and behenic acid; c) a higher fatty acid glycerin ester selected from the group consisting of monoglyceride, diglyceride, triglyceride and polyglyceride; d) a higher hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of paraffin, ceresin, and microcrystalline wax; or e) a fat, oil or wax which is solid at room temperature.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein said oil is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated castor oil, Japan wax and hydrogenated beef tallow, and said wax is a member selected from the group consisting of carnauba wax, candelilla wax and bees wax.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the thermally melted wax and the heating gas are controlled so that the temperature thereof at the surfaces of the solid particles is 1° to 100° C. higher than a melting point of said wax.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure of the heating gas is in the range of 0.05 to 10 kg/cm 2 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the solid particles are kept flowing by using a fluidized bed granulator, a centrifugal granulator, a conventional coating pan, a side vented coating pan, a vacuum coating pan, a high-shear mixer, or a combination of these apparatuses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 4, wherein said temperature is controlled to 5° to 70° C. higher than the melting point of said wax.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said wax is heated to a temperature of 1° to 50° C. higher than the melting point of said wax and said gas is heated to 100° to 800° C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said one of the flow passages is from 1 to 30 cm from the surfaces of said solid particles.