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Tixotherm™ makes the processing of crystallized and non-caking whey and whey permeate powder much easier.
Tixotherm™, the new breakthrough from GEA Niro that makes the processing of crystallized and non-caking whey and whey permeate powder much easier, has been installed in the GEA Niro test centre in Copenhagen giving potential users the opportunity of evaluating the technology. The Tixotherm™ process is designed specifically for the efficient processing of whey and permeate powder, powders greatly in demand all over the world as a valuable food additive, particularly for sport beverages and bakery products.
Traditional permeate drying technology methods have inherent problems of low capacity, high energy costs, high capital investment in large plants and potentially high environmental costs. The new Tixotherm™ process from Niro, however, is much more efficient and can now be evaluated in the test centre.
The challenge is to create a free-flowing, non-caking powder from the liquid whey or permeate. This is difficult because some of these whey based products tend to be hygroscopic and thermoplastic. They will tend to absorb water from the surrounding atmosphere and become sticky, making powder rock solid – even in sealed bag.
The four-stage Tixotherm™ process, however, converts the liquid whey product into a free-flowing, non-caking powder. After the normal pre-concentration in an evaporator the water content of the whey or permeate concentrate is initially further decreased in an Agitated Film Concentrator resulting in a water content of just 15%.
High sheer rates within the concentrator keep the viscosity of the product paste low owing to its thixotropic nature. The product passes to a mixing crystallizer that increases the dry mater content, encourages rapid lactose crystalisation and creates a semi-hard crystallinic paste with a friable texture, easy to particulate. Final drying is performed in an Agitated Fluid Bed and a VIBRO-FLUIDIZER®. Process air is cleaned in a SANICIP™ bag filter and the retained powder returned to the process.
The whole plant is very compact saving approximately 50% in building size with the consequential savings in building costs. Comparisons have shown that the Tixotherm™ process consumes less than 70% of the energy of the traditional ‘wet process’.
Henrik JT Jensen, area sales manager for GEA Niro commented that the introduction of the Tixotherm™ process into the test centre was a boost for potential customers. “Now our customers have the opportunity to try the Tixotherm™ process with their own product and optimise the process before making a decision to buy. When the process is proven for their special application they can invest confidently knowing that they can be in full production straight away.”
GEA Niro is a world leader in the supply of high technology spray drying and freeze drying equipment for the food processing industry.