Anhydrous Aroma Paste Fluidized Bed Comminution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing aroma pastes either result in a grainy texture due to particle sizes greater than 20 µm or are water-based, making them unsuitable for fat-based chocolate or praline fillings.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a double heating process and conching system to produce an anhydrous aroma paste with particles less than 20 µm, using a combination of sugar, milk or fruit powders, and vegetable fat, which increases the surface area and reduces bound water content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If vibration mill, hammer mill, ball mill or the like are used to ground splinters into small particles, then the smallest grain size of 50 μm can be achieved, but the particle size cannot be further reduced and the flavoring pastes still give a slightly grainy or sandy sensation on the consumer's tongue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical grinding systems (vibration mill, hammer mill, ball mill) with a fluidized bed processing system. In this system, particles are suspended in an upward-flowing gas stream and subjected to intense collision and abrasion, achieving particle sizes below 10 μm without the grainy texture associated with mechanical grinding. The fluidized bed environment enables ultra-fine comminution through particle-particle and particle-wall interactions in a fluid-like state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental processing parameter from mechanical force application to gas flow dynamics. By controlling gas velocity, flow rate, and distribution in the fluidized bed, the system achieves particle sizes <10 μm that are impossible with conventional mechanical mills. The gas flow regime transitions the material from solid granular state to fluidized state, enabling new comminution mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If cooking process is used to process sugar, water and other ingredients into flavoring or caramel pastes, then the particle size can reach less than 20 μm, but the pastes are water-based and therefore cannot be used as flavoring pastes in e.g. fat-based chocolate or praline fillings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameter by completely eliminating water from the ingredient list. The fluidized bed process handles dry ingredients (sugar, milk powder, fruit powder, vegetable fat) throughout processing. The resulting aroma paste is anhydrous and fat-compatible, enabling use in chocolate and praline fillings where water-based pastes would cause seizing or texture defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite aroma paste combining multiple dry ingredients (sugar, milk powder, fruit powder, vegetable fat) processed together in the fluidized bed. This composite structure achieves both ultra-fine particle size (<20 μm) and fat-based composition, providing compatibility with chocolate and praline applications while maintaining excellent dispersibility and aroma release.
3Ease of manufacture
If water-based flavoring paste is used, then the paste can be easily produced, but it cannot be mixed with fatty chocolate mass since the two would separate immediately or at most form an emulsion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental compositional parameter from water-based to fat-based by selecting only water-free ingredients and processing them in a fluidized bed. The resulting aroma paste has fat as the continuous phase, matching the chocolate matrix and ensuring thermodynamic compatibility. This eliminates phase separation and emulsion formation issues that plague water-based paste/chocolate combinations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method produces a water-free aroma paste with enhanced flavor intensity, extended shelf life, and compatibility with fat-based chocolate or praline fillings, eliminating the need for preservatives and special storage cooling.
Implementation Method 1
A novel process using a fluidized bed is employed to process dry ingredients such as sugar, milk powder, fruit powder and vegetable fat
Implementation Method 2
The comminuted and mixed mass is then passed through a conching system for a further comminution to a uniform particle distribution and the desired texture
Implementation Method 3
The amount of bound water still contained in the paste produced is extremely low, so that no preservatives have to be added, and there is no longer any need for special storage cooling
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A new manufacturing process for an anhydrous flavoring paste is described, wherein sugar and various milk powders are added to a melting kettle in a ratio of 8:3 to 3:1, preferably 5:2, and mixed and heated to a hot mass at a temperature of approximately 130 to 200 °C for 10 to 40 minutes (1), the molten hot mass is cooled by means of a cooling line (2), the cooled mass is crushed by means of a mechanical crusher (3), the crushed pieces are mixed with vegetable fat or vegetable oil in a weight ratio of 3:1 to 3:2 to form a paste-like mass (4), the paste-like mass is introduced into a conching system and crushed therein for 10 to 30 hours at a temperature of 40 to 60 °C to form a finished flavoring paste (5), until the particle size of the crushed pieces is less than 20 µm, and the finished flavoring paste is filled into airtight product containers. (6)