Calcium Citrate Granule Production via Spray Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional calcium citrate compositions are insoluble in water and have large particle sizes, leading to settling issues when added to beverages, requiring time-consuming and costly wet grinding to reduce particle size.
Innovation Solution
A method involving stirring a hydrated lime slurry with a high circumferential velocity, adding a carboxylic acid solution, and spray-drying, with cyclodextrin as a dispersing agent to produce calcium citrate granules with smaller particle sizes, preventing precipitation and improving dispersibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional calcium citrate compositions are used, then calcium absorption is improved, but particle size becomes large causing settling in beverages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of calcium citrate by controlling particle size to 80 μm average diameter through specific production methods involving controlled mixing ratios of calcium compound to citric acid (1:1.5 to 1:2 molar ratio) and optimizing manufacturing conditions to achieve both small particle size and high calcium absorption without settling
2Ease of operation
If wet grinding is used to reduce particle size, then dispersibility is improved, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves small particle size (80 μm) and good dispersibility by optimizing the mixing ratios of calcium compound to citric acid (1:1.5 to 1:2 molar ratio) and controlling production conditions, eliminating the need for time-consuming wet grinding processes while maintaining both dispersibility and calcium absorption properties
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 calcium citrate granules with smaller particle sizes that remain dispersible in solutions, allowing for easy addition to both solid foods and beverages without settling, reducing storage and transportation costs, and enhancing calcium absorption.
Implementation Method 1
adding a dispersing agent including cyclodextrin to the slurry
Implementation Method 2
spray-drying the calcium salt
Data Source
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AI summary
The readily absorbable calcium compositions of the conventional art have a problem. They immediately settle out when added to beverage and the like due to their large particle diameter. Another problem is that the wet grinding step, which intends to reduce the particle diameter, requires time and cost. A calcium salt is produced by dripping a carboxylic acid aqueous solution onto a hydrated lime slurry while it is being stirred and spray-dried into granules. In this way, calcium salt primary particles can have a small size and calcium salt can be prevented from precipitating.