JP2842645B2 - Agar granulation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for granulating agar.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, most industrially manufactured agars are in powder form. This powdery agar is not only convenient for storage and transportation, but also relatively easy to dissolve when actually used. However, powdered agar has a small particle size (60
For example, when a user puts powdered agar into a pot, the powdered agar tends to be scattered and becomes dusty, and the user puts powdered agar into the pot while paying careful attention so that the powdered agar does not scatter. Was. In addition, when powdered agar is heated and stirred to dissolve, the powdered agar drips in water and causes a so-called mushrooming phenomenon. It had been.

In addition, the present applicant has a readily soluble agar (Japanese Patent Application
No. 62-155925) is known. This easily soluble agar is a powder and has good solubility, but when it is dissolved as described above, it is easy to make water while embracing the water. .

In addition, since powdery agar is easily scattered as described above, flake-like agar by the freezing method has recently been partially used. The flake agar is obtained by freezing and dehydrating an agar gel having a size of about 5 mm to 15 mm and drying it. The flaked agar is immersed in water for a certain period of time at the time of use, and then heated and stirred to dissolve before use.

Further, as a method for solving the above-mentioned point of easily becoming dusty, there is known a method for producing granular agar (JP-A-56-121464). According to this method for producing granular agar, the powder agar adjusted to a mesh of 80 or more and a water content of 6% or less is gradually introduced into a rotating mixer while the water content of the final product of the agar is reduced by a sprayer. Set to 15-20%, add water evenly in the form of a mist, and after the addition and mixing are completed, stop for a certain period of time and fix the agar in granular form. Granular agar with a uniform particle size can be produced.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the above-mentioned powdered agar (including easily soluble agar) has a small particle size, so it is liable to be scattered during handling and becomes dusty, the working environment is deteriorated, and a considerable amount of agar remains in a container or the like. It is uneconomical, and it is easy to dissolve because the particle size is small, but it is easy to get water and soak,
This tendency is particularly pronounced with readily soluble agar.

Further, when the flake agar is dissolved, it must be immersed in water for a certain period of time. If it takes time to save the time, there is a disadvantage that unmelted agar remains.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned method for producing granular agar, since water is used as a binder, the granular strength of granular agar cannot be obtained,
There is a disadvantage that granular agar is disintegrated by a slight force. Therefore, in this production method, in order to increase the granule strength,
Attempts have been made to increase the extrusion granulation pressure. However, due to excessive pressure, a part of the powdered agar is dissolved in water, and the granule strength is increased, but the solubility is reduced, and in addition, more water is required, which results in the necessity of re-drying, and the economy is reduced. The properties were significantly reduced.

The reason why agar is not conventionally granulated is as follows.

It is difficult to granulate the aqueous agar solution at or below the coagulation temperature due to the coagulability of agar. When agar is granulated with water, the particles are partially melted to bind and granulate, but agar has a high melting point (generally 85 ° C or higher), making it difficult to obtain the prescribed adhesive strength. Also, it was considered that a predetermined granulation strength could not be obtained. Also, even if granulation was carried out with an agar aqueous solution, it was thought that there was no merit in drying efficiency because the water of the agar aqueous solution was 94% or more.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an economical agar granulation method that is easy to handle and dissolve, easy to manufacture, and highly economical.

[Means for solving the problem]

The inventor has continued research on agar and its production method. We have also been studying the use of agar. As a result, if the agar aqueous solution is used as the binder,
We have found that powdered agar can be easily granulated, and have completed the present invention. That is, the present invention
This is a method for granulating agar, which comprises granulating powdered agar using an agar aqueous solution as a binder.

The greatest feature of the present invention resides in that an aqueous agar solution is used as a binder when granulating powdered agar particles to form large particles. JP-A-56-1 mentioned above
As indicated in US Pat. No. 21464, powdered agar can be enlarged using water as a binder to obtain granular agar.

The concentration of the aqueous agar solution used as a binder in the present invention and the ratio to the powdery agar, the type of agar,
Since it differs slightly depending on the particle size distribution, it may be set in advance according to the type of agar and the particle size distribution that have been set. Generally, 0.1-6.0% and 10-100% by weight, preferably
It may be selected from the range of 1.0 to 2.0% by weight and 20 to 40% by weight. If the above concentration is less than 0.1% by weight, the function as a binder becomes too low, and a predetermined granulation strength cannot be obtained. Conversely, if the concentration is more than 6.0% by weight, the concentration of the aqueous agar solution becomes too high and it becomes difficult to spray.
The ratio of aqueous agar to powdered agar is 10% by weight.
If the amount is smaller, the agar aqueous solution does not sufficiently spread to the powdery agar, and the yield of granulation is too low. Conversely, if the proportion is more than 100% by weight, the water content becomes too large, and re-drying involves considerable energy loss.

The temperature of the aqueous solution of agar used in the present invention must be kept at least until the aqueous solution of agar is solidified until the aqueous solution of agar is sprayed onto powdered agar and almost completely spreads. Therefore, the temperature of the aqueous agar solution is preferably in the range of 60 to 80 ° C. This heat retention may be carried out by keeping the entire apparatus warm.The agar aqueous solution is heated to about 80 ° C., and as a result, the entire apparatus is kept warm by the heat content of the agar aqueous solution. It may be one that keeps warm until it is almost all over.

The agar used in the present invention is of the genus Aspergillus (Gelidiu).
m), genus Ptevocladia, and genus Gracil (Gracil
aria), Acanthopeltis or the like can be used as long as it is produced by a conventional method, irrespective of its chemical constitution or average molecular weight.

That is, the agar of the present invention comprises β-D
-Galactopyranose group and 3,6-anhydro-α-L
-A complex substance mainly composed of agarose having alternating galactopyranose groups and agaropectin other than the agarose. Further, the method of the present invention can be applied to carrageenan, xanthan gum, and gellan gum in addition to agar.

Next, a method for granulating agar will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a process of fluidized-bed granulation, in which a predetermined amount of water and a predetermined amount of powdered agar are supplied from an agar supply device 2 to an agar dissolution tank 1 while stirring a stirrer 3. Heat and melt powder agar, 1.5% by weight, temperature 70
Prepare an aqueous agar solution at about ° C. At the same time, the powdered agar is sent from the agar supply device 4 to the fluidized tank 5. Since air is sent to the fluidizing tank 5 by a blower blower 7 through a perforated plate (a sintered plate or a wire mesh) 6, the powdered agar entering the fluidizing tank 5 forms a fluidized bed 8. . The above-mentioned aqueous solution of agar is sprayed onto the fluidized bed 8 of powdered agar from a sprayer 10 via a metering pump 9 at a ratio of 3 to the powdered agar 10 to make the powdered agar into granules. The powdered agar that has not been granulated scatters and returns to the agar supply device 4 via a cyclone (not shown), and the granulated agar is supplied to the rotary valve 11.
Through the product hopper 12. This product hopper
The granulated agar stored in 12 is a product.

FIG. 2 shows the process of pulverization granulation, and the same parts as those in the fluidized bed granulation of FIG. The powdered agar cut out from the agar supply device 4 is supplied to a mixer 13, and the powdered agar is sprayed with a sprayer 14.
Then, the above-mentioned aqueous solution of agar is sprayed to make the powdered agar into a coagulated state in the mixer 13. Agglomerated agar for pulverizing granulation
Disintegrated in 15 disintegration part 16, and the particle size is further adjusted on screen 17. The agar granulated after passing through the screen 17 is sent to a product hopper 18 to be a product.

FIG. 3 shows the process of extrusion granulation, and FIG.
The same parts as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and description thereof will be omitted. The powdered agar cut out from the agar supply device 4 is supplied to a mixer 13, and the powdered agar is sprayed with a sprayer.
The agar aqueous solution described above is sprayed from 14 and the agar aqueous solution is uniformly mixed with the powdered agar in the mixer 13, and the mixture is extruded into a granulator 19.
Send to The powdered agar supplied to the extruder-granulator 19 is sent to an extruder 20 at a predetermined pressure, where the particle size is uniformed, and sent to a product hopper 21 to be a product.

[Action]

Since the adhesive agar aqueous solution of each particle of the powdered agar is used as a binder, the granulated agar obtained has a high granulation strength and hardly applies pressure during granulation, so that the powdered agar is in a porous state. It becomes granular agar.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described in detail above, the agar granulation method of the present invention uses an aqueous agar solution as a binder, so that a granulated agar having a high granulation strength and a large particle size can be formed and scattered into dust or a container or the like. It can not be used and remains uneconomical. Furthermore, since water is not used as a binder and a small amount of agar aqueous solution is used as a binder, during granulation, it is only necessary to keep the temperature so that the agar aqueous solution does not coagulate, and there is no need to re-dry, so fuel efficiency is low and economic efficiency is high. .

In addition, since the granular agar obtained by the method of the present invention has a large particle size and is in a porous state, it is difficult for water to penetrate into the agar, and particularly when the method of the present invention is applied to easily soluble agar, it remains. The possibility of dissolution is greatly reduced and dissolution is easy, and the dissolving work of the user is easy and short, and the agar which remains is not wasted.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, embodiments will be described.

Example 1 200 ml of an aqueous agar solution having a concentration of 1.5% by weight and a temperature of 70 ° C. (≒ 0.
2 kg). 1.0 kg of powdered agar by the conventional method is put in the fluidized tank, the temperature of the fluidized tank is also kept at approximately 70 ° C, and air at 1.0 ° C / sec and a pressure of 800 mmaq at 70 ° C is sent into the fluidized tank. in forming a fluidized layer of powdery agar, about 2 minutes the aqueous agar solution to this fluidized bed 100 ml / min, under conditions of 0.2 Kg / cm ^2, and spray from 200ml sprayer, particulate from the fluid tank Take out about 1.2kg of agar. Then, the particle size distribution and apparent density of the granular agar are examined.

Examples 2 and 3 The agar aqueous solutions were adjusted to a concentration of 1.0 and 2.0% by weight, and granular agar was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, and their particle size distribution and apparent density were examined.

Example 4 300 ml of an aqueous agar solution having a concentration of 1.5% by weight and a temperature of 70 ° C. is prepared. The agar aqueous solution is sprayed at a ratio of 300 kg of the above aqueous agar solution to 1.0 kg of powdery agar with a mixer to obtain agar in an aggregated state. The coagulated agar is pulverized in a pulverizer / granulator, dried for a certain period of time, and the particle size is adjusted with a 40-mesh screen to obtain about 1.2 kg of granular agar. Then, the particle size distribution and apparent density of the granular agar are examined.

Examples 5 and 6 The agar aqueous solutions were adjusted to a concentration of 1.0 and 2.0% by weight, and granular agar was prepared in the same manner as in Example 4, and their particle size distribution and apparent density were examined.

Example 7 400 ml of an aqueous agar solution having a concentration of 1.5% by weight and a temperature of 70 ° C. is prepared. In a mixer, the agar aqueous solution was sprayed at a ratio of 400 kg of the agar aqueous solution with respect to 1.0 kg of powdery agar, uniformly mixed by spraying, and subjected to an extruder to obtain granular agar having a particle size of 50 mesh or less, After drying for a certain time, about 1.2 kg of granular agar is obtained.

Then, the particle size distribution and apparent density of the granular agar are examined.

Examples 8 and 9 The agar aqueous solutions were adjusted to concentrations of 1.0 and 2.0% by weight, and granular agar was prepared in the same manner as in Example 7, and their particle size distribution and apparent density were examined.

Comparative Example 1 For comparison, the particle size distribution of powdered agar was examined.

Examples 10, 11, and 12 With respect to the granular agar obtained in Examples 1, 4, and 7, 6 g of the granular agar was placed in 200 ml of hot water at a temperature of 80 ° C., and a tabletop stirrer was used.
The mixture is stirred for 2 minutes at a propeller diameter of 20 mmφ and 60 rpm, and the state of collapse is visually inspected.

Comparative Example 2 Powdered agar was dissolved under the same conditions as in Example 10,
Check the dissolution state visually.

The results are shown in Table-2

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a process diagram of fluidized bed granulation, FIG. 2 is a process diagram of pulverization granulation, and FIG. 3 is a process diagram of extrusion granulation.

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for granulating agar, comprising granulating powdered agar using an aqueous agar solution as a binder. 2. A method for forming a fluidized bed by sending air to and flowing into powdered agar, and uniformly spraying an aqueous agar solution maintained at a temperature at which the powdered agar in the fluidized state does not solidify at a predetermined ratio. A granulation method for agar, comprising granulating a dendritic agar to a particle size within a predetermined range. 3. An agar aqueous solution maintained at a temperature that does not coagulate on powdered agar is sprayed uniformly at a predetermined ratio to agglomerate the powdered agar, and the powdered agar in the agglomerated state is ruptured to form a predetermined opening. A method for granulating agar, wherein the powdered agar is granulated to a particle size within a predetermined range by passing through a screen. 4. An agar aqueous solution maintained at a temperature that does not solidify on powder agar is sprayed uniformly at a predetermined ratio, and the powder agar sprayed with the agar aqueous solution is extruded at a predetermined pressure to form a powder within a predetermined range. A granulation method for agar, characterized in that the agar is granulated to a particle size as described above. 5. The method of granulating agar according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the aqueous agar solution is in the range of 0.1 to 6.0% by weight. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the aqueous solution of agar to the predetermined amount of powdered agar is in the range of 10 to 100% by weight.
(2) The method for granulating agar according to (3) or (4).