Forming Crystals Patents (Class 127/15)
  • Patent number: 10207004
    Abstract: Provided herein are compositions with enhanced sweetness or reduced caloric content per weight when compared to the sweetener carbohydrate or sweetener polyol component thereof, and methods for the preparation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: DouxMatok Ltd
    Inventors: Avraham Baniel, Michael Zviely, Shay Eliyahu, Noa Gelbart, Eran Baniel, Ronit Romm
  • Publication number: 20140230810
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are provided for crystallization. An apparatus includes a vessel defining an interior, a draft tube positioned in the interior of the vessel and defining an annular space between the draft tube and a side wall of the vessel, a rotor shaft extending along a central axis of the vessel, and a helical screw attached to and configured to rotate with the rotor shaft. A multi-stage apparatus further includes a stage barrier wall separating the vessel into two stages, with a draft tube and helical screw positioned in each of the stages. A method for crystallization includes supplying process material to be crystallized into a vessel, moving the process material through a central portion of the vessel, circulating a portion of the material through an annular space in the vessel, and discharging a portion of the material through an outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: FLORIDA CRYSTALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Idalberto Delgado, Stephen John Clarke
  • Publication number: 20140000586
    Abstract: A process is proposed for crystallizing, by progressively cooling, in multiple stages arranged in series in a crystallization vessel (10), a descending continuous flow of a saturated sucrose solution at a temperature from about 78° to about 120° C., each stage maintaining the sucrose solution being crystallized at a predetermined temperature, until reaching a temperature from about 25 to 40° C., obtaining substantially pure sucrose crystals. A suspension containing sugar seeds is introduced in the crystallizing equipment, in the first stage, jointly with the saturated sucrose solution of 1.05-1.15. In another embodiment of the invention, the saturated solution is fed and its temperature is controlled, already in the first stage of the vessel (10), to obtain a supersaturation between 1.05 and 1.15, inducing the formation of small crystals used as crystallization seeds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventor: Paulo Eduardo Mantelatto
  • Patent number: 8277562
    Abstract: This invention relates to a continuous vacuum pan (also sometimes referred to as an evaporative crystallizer) for use in the sugar processing industry, and to a heat exchanger used inside the continuous vacuum pan. The invention also relaters to the heat exchanger as used in other applications in the sugar processing industry. The heat exchanger includes a massecuite flow path for conveying massecuite therethrough, and a heat transfer medium flow path for receiving a heat transfer medium to enable heat transfer to the massecuite flow path. The heat exchanger is characterized therein that a periphery thereof is surrounded by an insulated zone in order to prevent heat transfer from the heat transfer medium flow path to the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Tongaat Hulett Limited
    Inventors: David John Love, Leon Smith, Paul Martin Schorn, Stephen David Peacock, Warren David
  • Patent number: 7195674
    Abstract: A continuous pan crystallier for use in the sugar industry includes a heated zone in the form of a steam chamber (32) below a calandria (22). The heated zone heats massecuite in the area below the calandria in the pan and reduces massecuite density and viscosity and promotes the vigorous circulation required for even crystal growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Inventor: Bruce StClair Moor
  • Patent number: 7067013
    Abstract: Method for producing refined sugar from sugared juice, such as raw juice from sugar cane or from sugar beet, containing sugar and impurities, which comprises the operations of: tangential filtration of the sugared juice in order to obtain a retentate and a filtrate, softening of the filtrate in order to obtain a softened filtrate, concentration of the softened filtrate in order to obtain a softened syrup, chromatography of the softened syrup in order to obtain an extract enriched in sugars and a raffinate enriched in impurities, crystallisation of the extract in two or more crystallisation/separation steps in order to obtain refined sugar and a run-off, and combination of the run-off with the softened syrup in order that they are both subjected to the chromatography operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: APPLEXION
    Inventors: Marc-André Theoleyre, Stanislas Baudouin
  • Patent number: 6802977
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for obtaining a purified solid powder from highly concentrated, semi-liquid, high viscous solutions containing one or more solutes and a first solvent. The method comprises contacting the highly concentrated solution with a second solvent under high shear mixing, wherein the second solvent is miscible with the first solvent and wherein the solute has very low solubility or no solubility at all in the second solvent. Thereby a suspension of purified fine particles is obtained which can be easily separated to obtain a fine powder of the solute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Oladur Ltd.
    Inventors: Uriel G. Cegla, Moshe Shuster
  • Publication number: 20040177846
    Abstract: A continuous pan crystalliser for use in the sugar industry includes a heated zone in the form of a steam chamber (32) below a calandria (22). The heated zone heats massecuite in the area below the calandria in the pan and reduces massecuite density and viscosity and promotes the vigorous circulation required for even crystal growth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventor: Bruce St.Clair Moor
  • Patent number: 6274727
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composition, comprising one or more polyols, which has prolonged deformability and can be processed to give tablets, compacts or boiled sweets having improved properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Karin Maul, Eugen Schwarz
  • Patent number: 6206977
    Abstract: Methods of crystallizing anhydrous fructose from aqueous solutions using a large scale crystallizer are provided. The various crystallization methods include at least a cooling crystallization step wherein cooling is controlled so as to maintain a temperature difference between the solution and the cooling element of less than about 10° C., and maintain supersaturation of the aqueous solution with respect to the saturated fructose at a ratio between 1.1 and 1.25, whereby optimum heat transfer and a fructose crystal growth rate of at least 0.008 mm/hr is achieved with little or no spontaneous crystal nucleation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Danisco Finland Oy
    Inventors: Juha Nurmi, Heikki Heikkila
  • Patent number: 5882420
    Abstract: Sucrose ester and ether products, useful as food or beverage bulking agents, reduced calorie sweeteners, fat replacement agents, stabilizing agents, thickening agents and emulsifying agents; adhesives; biodegradable plastics and films; sizing agents for paper and textiles; ethical pharmaceuticals and new fibers are prepared by using a two-phase reaction system in which sucrose is dissolved in an alkaline, aqueous solution and an acidic reagent such as a bifunctional acid dichloride or epoxide is added to the sucrose in a water-immiscible organic solvent. Several types of products are produced: water-insoluble sucrose ester (ether) copolymers; water-soluble sucrose ester (ether) copolymers; sucrose ester (ether) dimers; and intramolecular, cyclic sucrose esters (ethers). These products can be further varied by using different kinds of acid dichlorides or epoxides that contain different kinds of functional groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Robyt, Rupendra Mukerjea
  • Patent number: 5618352
    Abstract: A continuously operating centrifuge for spinning sugar massecuite has a perforated basket which widens conically and rotates about a vertical axis. The perforated basket has a throwing-off edge from which the sugar particles are spun off outwardly and are then collected in a further processing device and undergo additional treatment. The further processing device has a removable collecting channel with at least one discharge nozzle at the base thereof. An overflow nozzle can be installed in the discharge nozzle to cause pooling of liquid and convert the centrifuge from magmatizing operation to dissolving operation. An adjustable rebound member and selectable one of two liquid medium conduits further allow reconfiguration between the two modes of operation. For dry centrifuging, the collecting channel can be removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Braunschweigische Maschinenbauanstalt AG
    Inventors: Ralf-Martin Ebeling, Helmut Schaper
  • Patent number: 5583215
    Abstract: The crystalline mixture solid containing maltitol of the present invention has a crushed and relatively tight crystal structure which can be observed at 1,000 magnifications by a scanning electron microscope, an apparent specific gravity in the range of 0.650-0.750, an oil absorptivity of the powdered crystalline mixture solid containing maltitol having a particle size from 50 mesh to 20 mesh in the range of 7.0%-17%, in other words, is relatively heavy in apparent specific gravity and low in oil absorptivity, and the crystalline mixture solid containing maltitol is prepared by continuously supplying an aqueous solution of maltitol to an extruder provided with elongated cooling and kneading zones, cooling and kneading it in the presence of seed crystals to form a maltitol magma, and continuously extruded from a nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Towa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kawashima, Mitsuo Magara, Yoshibumi Ishii, Kazuaki Kato
  • Patent number: 5423288
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing seed crystals in melts has a vertically oriented, closed vessel having a vessel base and having at least one inlet for the melt and having at least one outlet opening for the inoculated melt provided with seed crystals. A preferably annular region of the vessel wall is constructed as a cooling surface. In the interior of the vessel there is arranged a scraping unit which comprises a motor-driven rotating shaft which extends axially through the vessel as far as a point just short of the vessel base. At its end towards the vessel base, the shaft is provided with at least one scraping arm which, starting from the lower end of the shaft close to the vessel base, extends first in the direction towards the vessel wall and thence substantially parallel to the annular cooling surface and axially parallel to the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Ciba-Geigy Corporation
    Inventors: Ricardo Schneeberger, Hans Horisberger, Rudolf Buttiker
  • Patent number: 5354856
    Abstract: The crystalline mixture solid containing maltitol of the present invention has a crushed and relatively tight crystal structure which can be observed at 1,000 magnifications by a scanning electron microscope, an apparent specific gravity in the range of 0.650-0.750, an oil absorptivity of the powdered crystalline mixture solid containing maltitol having a particle size from 50 mesh to 20 mesh in the range of 7.0%-17%, in other words, is relatively heavy in apparent specific gravity and low in oil absorptivity, and the crystalline mixture solid containing maltitol is prepared by continuously supplying an aqueous solution of maltitol to an extruder provided with elongated cooling and kneading zones, cooling and kneading it in the presence of seed crystals to form a maltitol magma, and continuously extruded from a nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Towa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kawashima, Mitsuo Magara, Yoshibumi Ishii, Kazuaki Kato
  • Patent number: 5338365
    Abstract: Apparatus for conditioning freshly ground confectioners' sugar employs a closed vessel with an inlet for unconditioned sugar, an outlet for conditioned sugar, and an agitating unit which is installed in the vessel and not only agitates the admitted material but also conveys it toward the outlet into the range of a feed screw. The bottom of the vessel is permeable to gases and receives air which has been conditioned to have an optimum temperature and moisture content prior to admission into the vessel. Spent air is evacuated through a duct which contains a filter serving to intercept conditioned sugar. The conditioned air can heat or cool, increase the moisture content or reduce the moisture content of sugar in the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Dietrich Reimelt KG
    Inventors: Georg Stapp, Paul G. Dellmann
  • Patent number: 5223040
    Abstract: A batch process of producing sugar crystals from syrup in a discontinuously operated crystallization apparatus comprising a heating calandria, comprises the steps of graining a batch of concentrated syrup by adding seed crystals thereto to form a magma, causing sugar crystals in the magma to grow by subjecting it to evaporation in heat exchange with the calandria and adding syrup while maintaining the mother liquor at a desired coefficient of supersaturation to obtain massecuite, increasing the brix of the massecuite to a desired value to obtain a final volume of massecuite which is substantially equal to the volume of the magma, and controlling the flow of steam to the calandria and the flow of added syrup at least during the growing phase of the sugar crystals so that the mother liquor is maintained at supersaturation and the level of the massecuite remains substantially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: FCB
    Inventor: Jacques de Cremoux
  • Patent number: 5209856
    Abstract: A process and device for the crystallization of sugar syrup is described. Sugar syrup is cooked to provide a massecuite. Thereafter, the massecuite is subjected to at least one stage of continuous mixing under vacuum to promote crystallization of the massecuite. The crystallized massecuite is then separated to separate the crystals from the mother liquor. The mother liquor is thereafter divided into a first discharge which is water syrup poor and a second discharge which is water syrup rich. Substantially all of the first discharge is recycled to the continuous mixing stage under vacuum. Accordingly, the massecuite and the crystals are subjected to a treatment having continuity during mixing under vacuum to maintain homogeneity of the sugar crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: Beghin-Say, S.A.
    Inventors: Jacques Cuel, Claude Longue-Epee
  • Patent number: 5133807
    Abstract: A two-stage crystallization for the continuous production of sugar crystals from syrup comprises crystallizing the syrup in a first stage by subjecting the syrup to a sufficient heat of evaporation to produce a massecuite comprising water and a small content of dry material and having a low supersaturation coefficient, and subjecting the massecuite to flash evaporation of a certain volume of water and a notable increase in the supersaturation, and subsequently effectuating crystallization of the massecuite produced in the first stage by cooling in a second stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Assignee: FCB
    Inventor: Jacques De Cremoux
  • Patent number: 4875940
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for controlling both the supersaturation of the mother liquor and the crystal content of massecuite by measuring di-electric constant and electrical conductivity at radio frequencies by means of a probe which is included in a circuit which may be tuned to a fixed setting or may be variably tuned, the combined impedance is measured as a function of the tuning and the measurements are compared with predetermined desired values. By suitable combination of the two signals, measurement of crystal content and mother liquor supersaturation can be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: The Tongaat-Hulett Group Limited
    Inventor: David J. Radford
  • Patent number: 4802926
    Abstract: The invention relates to a spray dried lactose suitable for use as component of tablets and to a process for preparing same. The lactose is predominantly crystalline and contains at most 50% by weight of amorphous lactose. At least 50% by weight of the crystalline lactose consists of particles below 50 .mu.m. The preparation process comprises a step of suspending crystalline alpha-lactose hydrate at 0.degree.-90.degree. C. in a saturated lactose solution, and a spray drying step. The temperature of the suspension is kept substantially constant until the time of spray drying in order to minimize crystallization and dissolution events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: DMV-Campina B.V.
    Inventors: Klaas D. Kussendrager, Henricus A. M. van den Biggelaar, Herman Vromans
  • Patent number: 4620880
    Abstract: A process for the production of crystalline dextrose monohydrate in which the mass M subjected to crystallization traverses from above downwards continuously and under malaxation, a vessel inside which it is subjected to a temperature gradient globally decreasing from above downwards. The crystalline mass is recovered continuously at the lower part of the vessel, means being provided to take up at the intermediate level a fraction of the mass and to recycle it to a level situated in the vicinity of the upper end of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1986
    Assignee: Roquette Freres
    Inventors: Gilbert Bodele, Pierrick Duflot, Bernard Valentin, Michel Huchette
  • Patent number: 4216025
    Abstract: Sugar is crystallized from aqueous solutions thereof by spraying a supersaturated sugar solution or syrup at elevated temperature into a high velocity air stream, at ambient temperature, whereby crystallization and drying occur rapidly and the sugar crystals are entrained in the air stream and carried away from the spray zone in pneumatic transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1980
    Inventor: Anthony Monti
  • Patent number: 4194557
    Abstract: A cooler for mixtures of crystals and crystallizing liquid in the production of sugar and related products comprises a bundle of vertical pipes for the passage of such a mixture from a bottom chamber to a top chamber. The vertical pipes are surrounded by a cooling medium, and in the interior of the pipes plungers are provided which have a somewhat smaller diameter than the inner wall of the pipes so as to form a slot-like passage along the inner wall of each pipe. The plungers are moved up and down through the pipes. The cooler is especially adapted for promoting crystallization by a rapid drop of temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1980
    Assignee: Aktieselskabet de Danske Sukkerfabrikker
    Inventor: Rud F. Madsen
  • Patent number: 4164429
    Abstract: Process, centrifuge and installation for producing crystallization seeds, as for the sugar industry. A suspension of crystals produced from the seeded solution is subjected to a scheme of centrifugal separations whereby seeds falling within a predetermined size range are obtained for seeding the solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1979
    Assignee: Fives-Cail Babcock
    Inventor: Andre Mercier
  • Patent number: 4162926
    Abstract: A method for forming dried, solid, particulate product from complex sugar solutions by drying the solution in a current of heated air and in the presence of separately introduced recycled dried solids which have undergone additional conditioning to have a moisture content of not greater than about 0.5 percent therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1979
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co.
    Inventors: Preston L. Veltman, John J. Blouin
  • Patent number: 4155774
    Abstract: A vacuum pan is controlled by directly monitoring the total solids concentration of a boiling solution. A preferred type of process relates the change in concentration of sugar in a massecuite to the growth rate and increase in the number of crystals, and uses this relationship to control the rate of growth of the crystals by setting temperature and pressure to correspond to the rate of crystal growth desired. Water is evaporated from the pan solution at reduced temperature and pressure. Massecuite is withdrawn from the pan, and split into two streams: (1) a first stream wherein the mother liquor is separated from the sugar crystals and analyzed to determine the total sucrose content of the stream, and (2) a second stream which is analyzed to determine the count and size of the crystals. The sum-total of the two streams is used to determine the total concentration of sugar. Readings taken over definite intervals determine the rate of growth of the crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1979
    Inventor: Ellwood A. Randolph
  • Patent number: 4145230
    Abstract: A method for the seeding of a super-saturated sugar solution to effect a crystallization therein by adding to the solution finely milled sugar suspended in a suspension agent, said suspension being capable of being spread in the sugar solution and being stable for longer periods of time when being subjected to a slow flowing movement.An apparatus for seeding a super-saturated sugar solution comprising a liquid conduit system and means for generating a continuous stream of a suspension of finely milled sugar crystals in a suspension agent and for injecting at desired intervals a dosed amount of suspension from a point in the liquid conduit system into the sugar solution to be crystallized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1979
    Assignee: Aktieselskabet de Danske Sukkerfabrikker
    Inventors: Rud F. Madsen, Ernst Knovl, Gunther R. Moller, Werner K. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 4119436
    Abstract: A process for the production of sugar from either sugar beets or cane wherein of the total amount of thin juice processed, only that amount required to produce the vapor needed for the sugar boiling phase and the desired density of thick juice is directly evaporated while the remainder or excess over and above these requirements is recompressed. Essentially only that fraction of the latent heat of vaporization required for process heating is extracted from the already limited amount of vapor employed in sugar boiling by transferring the heat contained in a portion of this vapor to a refrigerant which is then recompressed so as to raise the temperature thereof to a level of approximately 95.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1978
    Assignee: Buttes Gas & Oil Co.
    Inventor: Milovan Bosnjak
  • Patent number: 4069065
    Abstract: Apparatus for the continuous crystallization of sugar comprising a tank separated into two longitudinal zones, one heated and the other not heated, transverse walls being provided in the upper part of the vat to avoid mixtures in the longitudinal direction due to the bubbling and splashing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Inventor: Francois Langreney
  • Patent number: RE29647
    Abstract: A process for producing solid sugars wherein separate feeds of sucrose solution and of fine sucrose particles are dispersed in a current of heated air, whereby the particles are coated with the solution which is evaporated leaving a solid product containing substantially all the sugar fed to the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1978
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co.
    Inventors: Preston Leonard Veltman, Johannes C. J. Verdonk, Lars Olav Thomsen