Bouillon Tablet Particle Size Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bouillon tablets have a natural appearance issue, limited visibility of herbs and spices, and problems with disintegration time and crumbliness, which affect consumer perception and product usability.
Innovation Solution
A bouillon tablet composition comprising 20-70 wt% crystalline salt, 10-70 wt% pieces of plant material, and up to 15 wt% crystalline sugar, with specific particle size ranges and a process involving mixing, adjusting water content, forming, and drying, to achieve a more natural appearance, faster disintegration, and desired hardness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional pressed bouillon tablets are manufactured with powdered ingredients, then the tablets have standardized form and compact structure, but the ingredients are not visible and appearance is un-natural
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the particle size parameter of ingredients from fine powder to coarse particles (0.5-3.5mm for salt, 0.5-3.5mm for sugar, 0.7-9.0mm for plant material). This parameter change makes ingredients visible while maintaining tablet form, resolving the contradiction between standardized shape and ingredient visibility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If pressed bouillon tablets are made with fine powdered ingredients, then the tablets have uniform structure, but disintegration time is slow and crumbliness is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tablet into coarse particles of different ingredients (salt, sugar, plant material) with sizes between 0.5-9.0mm. This segmentation creates a structure that maintains tablet integrity for packaging but disintegrates faster in water, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and disintegration speed.
3Illumination intensity
If higher amounts of plant material are added to bouillon tablets, then the natural appearance and ingredient visibility improve, but the tablet hardness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using coarse particles (0.7-9.0mm) for plant material specifically, rather than uniformly fine powder throughout. This localized coarse structure in plant material regions provides both visibility and structural support, resolving the contradiction between ingredient visibility and tablet hardness.
4Strength
If bouillon tablets are made with fat binding systems to ensure hardness, then the tablets maintain structural integrity, but the product contains unwanted fats and oils
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the fat binding system from the formulation entirely. Instead of using fats or oils as binders, the invention relies on coarse particle friction and interlocking (0.5-9.0mm particles) to maintain tablet structure, eliminating unwanted fats while preserving hardness.
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 solution results in a bouillon tablet that looks more natural with visible ingredients, has a faster disintegration time compared to standard tablets, maintains sensory properties over 12 months, and meets the required hardness and crumbliness criteria.
Implementation Method 1
drying the bouillon tablet
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a bouillon tablet comprising 20-70 wt% crystalline salt, up to 15 wt% crystalline sugar and 10-70 wt% pieces of plant material, wherein the crystalline salt has a median particle diameter Dv50 in the range of 0.7 to 3.5 mm, wherein the crystalline sugar has a median particle diameter Dv50 in the range of 0.5 to 3.5 mm and the pieces of plant material have a median particle diameter Dv50 in the range of 0.7 to 9.0 mm.