Tea Particle Dispersibility via Fluid-Bed Rotor Granulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Powdered green tea products have low dispersibility in water due to cohesive forces between particles, leading to time-consuming consumption and inconvenience, and existing products often agglomerate when added to water, making it difficult to achieve uniform ingestion of tea ingredients.
Innovation Solution
A particulate processed tea product with 20% or less fine powders (diameter ≤75 μm) is developed, using a fluid-bed rotor granulator to create tea particles with specific particle size distributions and an angle of repose ≤35°, allowing for quick wettability and dispersibility in water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If powdered green tea is used to increase ingredient intake, then all ingredients can be ingested, but dispersibility in water deteriorates due to cohesive forces between particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the particle size distribution parameters of the tea powder by controlling the D10, D50, and D90 values within specific ranges. This parameter optimization reduces cohesive forces between particles while maintaining fine powder characteristics for complete ingredient intake, thereby improving dispersibility without sacrificing the quantity of ingredients consumed.
2Ease of operation
If fine powders are used to improve dispersibility, then wettability increases, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in controlling particle size distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for particle size distribution (D10≥50μm, D50≥100μm, D90≥200μm) that optimize both wettability and manufacturability. By defining these precise parameters, the invention balances the need for fine powders to achieve good wettability with the practical constraints of manufacturing control and particle size consistency.
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 processed tea product exhibits rapid dispersion in water without the need for stirring, maintains a dispersed state, and has excellent flowability, making it easy to pack and use, while the manufacturing method ensures improved fluidity and redispersibility.
Implementation Method 1
supplying air to levitate the tea powders
Implementation Method 2
spraying water onto the levitated tea powders to bring the tea powders into contact with water
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure shows a particulate processed product of tea with quick dispersibility in water and a method for manufacturing a particulate processed product of tea. The processed product of tea comprises 20% by weight or less of fine powders having a particle diameter of 75 μm or less based on the total weight of the tea particles. The manufacturing method comprises the step of manufacturing tea particles using a fluid-bed rotor granulator having a rotor disc. The processed product of tea has quick wettability and dispersibility in water and thus is easy to drink. Also, the processed product of tea has a low angle of repose and thus has excellent flowability, so that it is easy to pack and use.