Appeal No. 2006-0400
Application No. 09/917,433
13. A process for coating particles comprising:
providing an insert within an upward flowing fluid bed dryer or granulator with a screen
across the bottom of the dryer or granulator, the insert comprising a vertically adjustable
cylindrical partition located substantially on a vertical axis of the granulator or dryer, a spray
nozzle with a heated liquid line and an atomizing gas line connected thereto which is positioned
such that a liquid is sprayed within the adjustable cylindrical partition at a selected temperature,
the spray nozzle being position in a non-heat conducting relation to the bottom screen, the spray
nozzle being located substantially on the vertical axis;
loading the dryer with a bed [sic, of] particles;
adjusting the cylindrical partition such that the position of the top of the cylindrical
partition is above the bed of particles and product can be removed from the dryer;
adjusting the spray nozzle such that a spray zone is created within the cylindrical
partition;
providing a gas to fluidize the bed of particles through the bottom screen;
providing an atomizing gas which is processed through the spray nozzle;
providing the liquid at the selected temperature in the heated liquid line which is
atomized through the spray nozzle;
contacting the particles with the liquid from the spray nozzle within the cylindrical
partition and spray zone;
drying the particles in an area outside the partition;
circulating the particles from the fluidized bed up through the cylindrical partition, down
through the drying zone and back into the fluidized bed until a selected amount of liquid is
coated onto the particles; and
wherein an inlet air temperature, a product temperature, a spray liquid temperature, a
spray nozzle temperature, an atomizing air temperature, a spray liquid line temperature, a coating
zone temperature, a fluidizing gas flow, and atomizing gas pressure are monitored.
The references set forth below are relied upon by the examiner as evidence of
obviousness:
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