Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Process – Congealing or thickening
Patent
1997-09-23
1999-06-29
Bennett, Henry
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Process
Congealing or thickening
34378, 34469, 34499, 34 79, 34132, 34169, F26B 500
Patent
active
059158158
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for drying organic material. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a method of extraction/distillation of aqueous solutions and secretions from organic mass and/or the drying of such organic mass and to apparatus for carrying out the same.
2. Discussion of the Background
Many materials used in commerce and industry derive from plants which grow in nature and contain many complex substances required by the plant to fulfil a wide range of functions.
Organic materials are used to produce many products for commerce and industry especially, but not exclusively, in the food and drink industries, and the processes used create by-products which comprise the residues of organic materials after certain fractions such as juice, pulp, seeds or skin have been used to make commercially desirable products from organic feedstock.
These residues are putrescible and they therefore present a significant waste disposal problem. They require disposal within a few hours or days of the initial processing operation and the products of decomposition may produce polluted leachate running into aquifers and noxious substances and odours emitted to atmosphere unless they are subject to disposal under careful and expensive conditions to prevent such pollutions of aquifers and atmosphere.
Plants also provide the feedstock for many bactericidal, fungicidal, cleaning, pharmaceutical, veterinary, flavours, perfumery and other consumer products as well as for the human food and drink and animal feed industries.
Where solid fractions are required for use as feedstocks in a process, these are normally obtained by drying which is a process in which moisture is driven off to atmosphere by the application of heat. This may or may not be subject to filtration of flue gases which are normally contaminated with evaporated liquids mixed with products of combustion of the fuel.
Where liquid fractions are required for use as feedstocks in a process, these are normally obtained by distillation which is a process in which moisture is driven off by the application of heat and is collected after condensation, with the solid residues normally being discarded as waste by-products. There is an opportunity to improve economy by combining the processes.
Desire to minimise damage to the global environment has led to a growing interest amongst peoples throughout the world in the possibilities of replacing synthetic substances, which are often derived from non-replaceable fossil fuel origins, with "natural" products. Such synthetic substances which can be of limited availability are being used up at a significantly fast rate.
All, or virtually all, plants secrete some oils or other liquids which are held in special oil glands, in sacs or in intercellular spaces of the plant tissue. These secreted substances are normally virtually insoluble in water and normally immiscible with water. They normally remain in the organic mass of plants when moisture is drained or driven off at low or medium temperatures. Many of these secreted substances have a high value for commercial usage.
During the life of the plant these secretions may be held or released for a variety of purposes. including, perhaps, such uses as attracting insects for pollination; repelling animal predators or dissuading parasites; repairing wounds; cooling by varnishing or vaporisation of oils; colouring; supplementing food reserves and many other such functions. These secretions are frequently oils in which case they may be known as essential, volatile or ethereal oils. If they are not oils, they may be alcohols, esters, ketones, aldehydes, terpenes, steroids, resins, latexes, rubbers, anthrocyanines, flavones and many other such substances. For the purposes of this application, all of the above will be referred to for convenience as essential oils. The common grouping derives from the combined qualities that they are largely insoluble with water and immiscible with water and
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patent: 5041245 (1991-08-01), Benado
Dickinson David J
Moore Philip
Bennett Henry
Gravini Steve
Responsible Recycling Limited
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