Abstract: A liquid absorbent is contacted with and atomized by an aromatics-laden gas resulting in transfer of the aromatics from the gas to the absorbent. The gas and aromatics-laden absorbent are then separated, and the aromatics-laden absorbent is collected. The aromatics may be obtained from an aromatics-bearing material, including vegatable materials such as roast and ground coffee, for example, by contacting the aromatics-bearing material with a gas.

Abstract: A process for recovering volatile aroma components from aroma-bearing vegetable materials such as roast and ground coffee. A carrier gas is passed through the vegetable material to strip aromas therefrom, and the resulting aroma-laden gas is contacted with a cryogenic liquid such as liquid nitrogen to condense the aromas from the gas. The carrier gas has a boiling point equal to or lower than that of the cryogenic liquid. Because the efficacy of the condensation step is substantially independent of the gas flow rate, the optimum gas flow rate for effective stripping may be used without loss of aromas at the condensation step.

Abstract: A continuous, counter current freeze concentration system and method for concentrating aqueous solutions such as fruit juices, coffee and cold water soluble tea extracts, milk, beer, wine, vinegar, and the like in which the aqueous liquid is passed through one or more concentrating stages, each of which include a crystallizer associated with a gradient column, to crystallize ice in each of the stages and increase the concentration of the liquid, and the ice formed in each stage is passed in reverse direction through the stages. Ice crystals are separated and removed from the system in a wash column associated with the first stage, and concentrated liquid is removed as product from the last stage.