Spray-Dried Metal Lactate Powder Flowability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The crystallization process for producing metal lactates like zinc and magnesium lactate is costly, complex, and results in products with unfavorable properties such as poor flowability, stickiness, and dustiness, leading to handling and transportation issues, along with significant yield losses.
Innovation Solution
A spray-drying process is used to produce metal lactate powders, which eliminates the need for auxiliary materials and complex processing steps, allowing for control over product properties and reducing waste, resulting in a stable, free-flowing, and less dusty product with improved handling and application suitability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If crystallization process is used to produce metal lactates, then metal lactate product is obtained, but the process is costly and complex with high product losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex crystallization process steps (liquid-solid separation, washing, drying, mother liquid treatment) by using a direct spray-drying method that produces the final powder product without these intermediate steps, thereby reducing process complexity and increasing product yield
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical crystallization and filtration system with a thermal spray-drying system that uses heated gas to evaporate solvent and form powder directly, eliminating the need for mechanical separation equipment and reducing overall process complexity
2Ease of operation
If crystallization process is used to produce metal lactates, then metal lactate product is obtained, but the product has poor flowability and is sticky and dusty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the product by controlling spray-drying conditions (temperature, pressure, feed rate) to produce powder with optimized particle size distribution, moisture content, and density, resulting in improved flowability and reduced stickiness and dustiness compared to crystallized products
3Loss of substance
If crystallization process is used to produce metal lactates, then metal lactate product is obtained, but significant amounts of product are lost in handling and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of product loss during handling into a benefit by producing a powder product with inherently better flow properties through spray-drying, where the controlled particle morphology and reduced dustiness minimize losses during handling and transportation operations
4Productivity
If crystallization process is used to produce metal lactates, then metal lactate product is obtained, but additional expensive and time-consuming processing steps are required for cleaning equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the cleaning step from the process by using spray-drying, which produces a powder product that does not require the same extensive washing and cleaning operations as crystallization processes, thereby reducing production time and increasing efficiency
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 spray-dried metal lactate powders exhibit enhanced flowability, stability, and compressibility, making them suitable for various applications, including cosmetic and food industries, with reduced product losses and lower production costs compared to traditional crystallization methods.
Implementation Method 1
a spray-drying process wherein a feed solution or slurry comprising metal lactate is atomized and the atomized droplets are contacted with heated gas having a temperature of between 100 and 300 degrees Celsius resulting in the formation of solid spray-dried metal lactate particles
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a new metal lactate powdery product and to the resulting product itself with new properties. The metal lactate powder of the present invention is made via spray-drying and has a higher flowability, is less sticky and dusty, has an improved dissolution rate and is very suited for tabletting purposes. The invention is also directed to product applications in which said spray-dried metal lactate product may be applied, wherein the metal is selected from zinc and magnesium.