Ball mill for the manufacture of goods formed by the suspension

Details Ball mill for the manufacture of goods formed by the suspension Ball mill for the manufacture of goods formed by the suspension

1991-03-25

1993-03-30

Eley, Timothy V.

Solid material comminution or disintegration

Apparatus

Including means applying fluid to material

241172, B02C 1716

Patent

active

051976803

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention concerns a ball mill for the manufacture of a product formed of a paste or liquid suspension of solid particles in a fat vehicle, particularly for the manufacture of food products, the ball mill comprising a vat disposed to hold the unattached crushing means (crushing balls) and a mixture of solid particles and of at least one fat substance in liquid or paste form, the vat being provided with an inlet opening and an outlet opening for said mixture, a rotating shaft extending inside the vat and having agitating elements to set the crushing balls in motion under the influence of rotation of the shaft, drive means to turn the shaft, and means for introducing at least one fluid inside the vat.
Generally speaking, the manufacturing techniques for chocolate and similar products, such as chocolate substitutes, chocolate covered products, creams, or spreadable hazelnut or almond paste, etc. entail operations requiring much time and energy and require a large investment in machinery. In the case of chocolate, after mixing the principal ingredients consisting of powdered or crystallized sugar, powdered whole milk, cocoa paste or cocoa powder as well as cocoa butter, it is first necessary to obtain a thorough mixture of the solid components, particularly the cocoa particles, with the liquid or paste components, and then to further refine the product by crushing the solid particles. The cocoa particles then become a kind of flake with a broad specific surface allowing the product to be fairly easily plasticized, thanks to the fat content of the paste.
With the conventional technique, this manufacturing phase takes place first in cylinder calenders, then in vats called "conches" where the paste is kneaded while exposed to heat or air for periods of the order of from 24 to 48 hours. It is well established that this "conching" step improves product quality considerably, not only because of its mechanical effects, but also due to the oxidation of certain components on air contact and further by improving aromatic quality due to the total or partial elimination of certain volatile components, specifically aldehydes and ketones. These effects of oxidation during exposure to air are described in greater detail by H. FINCKE in "HANDBUCH DER KAKAOERZEUGNISSE", page 225, 2nd edition, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1985, However, traditional "conching" requires cumbersome equipment with low productivity and consumes a great deal of energy.
To achieve a result equivalent to "conching" with a smaller investment, a recent technique consists of continuously pumping the mixture from a mixer to one or more ball mills, which reduce the particles to a size of about 20 .mu.m and simultaneously homogenize the mass. Then the liquid chocolate coming from the ball mill or ball mills is exposed to the action of the oxygen in the air by means of apparatus which form it into thin layers, for example, as described in publication WO 85/05012, (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,529), with a simultaneous injection of air on or through the thin layer of chocolate. To be highly effective, however, such a treatment must continue for a fairly long time because it is difficult for the oxygen to reach the surfaces of the solid cocoa particles, as they are covered with a thin film of the fat substance. That is why this newer technique has not yet been used in the manufacture of high quality chocolates. Furthermore, it also requires a considerable amount of equipment.
With a view toward reducing material costs, publication DE-B-1 214 982 proposes using a ball mill of the type indicated in the preamble and injecting hot air through the base of the vat during crushing for aerating the chocolate or injecting pure oxygen to ensure the desired degree of oxidation. This system seems to lack effectiveness and is not widely used.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to create a highly productive apparatus for the manufacture of products of the type indicated above requiring a smaller investment than present techniques, while at the same time pro

REFERENCES:
patent: 1956293 (1934-04-01), Klein et al.
patent: 3927838 (1975-12-01), Soloviev et al.
patent: 4673134 (1987-06-01), Barthelmess
patent: 4713256 (1987-12-01), Chaveron et al.
patent: 4811909 (1989-03-01), Inoki

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