Rewet agglomerator chamber
What is agglomeration?
To produce a powder that is easily reconstituted, i.e. wetted, dispersed and dissolved in water – hot or cold – a powder consisting of single particles often falls short. The so-called agglomerated 'instant' powders are today generally required by the end users.
Agglomeration means getting small single particles to adhere to each other to form a powder consisting of bigger conglomerates/agglomerates, which are essential for an easy reconstitution in water.
Spray dryers from GEA Niro
Modern spray dryers like the MSD™/FSD™ or IFD™ can produce powders in an agglomerated form ready to be dissolved in water. Milk Powder Technology "Agglomeration".
Powders from conventional spray dryers producing single particles can be "made instant" in a special agglomeration plant by a combination of rewetting the surface of the particles and a mechanical treatment to make the single particles 'glue' together before re-drying and cooling.
| Depending upon product, different agglomeration techniques are applied: |
• For milk products with high protein content, the particle surface is wetted by warm moist air condensing on the surface of the particles. After a mechanical impact, the formed agglomerates are dried again.
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• For milk products with high fat content, the particle surface is wetted by droplets of water. The agglomeration takes place by collision of the wetted particles followed by re-drying Milk Powder Technology "Rewet Agglomeration".
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| • For coffee the agglomeration takes place on a rotating drum see brochureBu-138. Here the coffee particles that have been wetted by a mixture of steam and water form agglomerates before they are discharged into a VIBRO-FLUIDIZER® for final drying and cooling. |