Dried sucrose-containing products from separate feeds

Abstract

A process for producing solid sugars wherein separate feeds of sucrose solution and of fine sucrose particles are dispersed in a current of heated air, whereby the particles are coated with the solution which is evaporated leaving a solid product containing substantially all the sugar fed to the process.

We claim: 
     
       1. A process for preparing solid sugars which comprises (a) dispersing in a current of heated .Iadd.drying .Iaddend.air .Iadd.in a spray dryer .Iaddend.separate feed of .Iadd.atomized .Iaddend.sucrose solution and of .Iadd.solid .Iaddend.fine sucrose particles .[.;.]. .Iadd., in a weight ratio of solid fine sucrose particles to the solids in said sucrose solution in the range of about 1 to about 4; .Iaddend.   (b) evaporating the water from the sugar solution coated on the .Iadd.sucrose .Iaddend.particles .[.,.]..Iadd.; .Iaddend.   .[.(c) recovering the coated particles from said air stream, and.].   .[.(d).]. .Iadd.(c) .Iaddend.maintaining the outlet .[.air.]. temperature .Iadd.of the heated drying air from the spray dryer .Iaddend.within the range of 45-105° C..Iadd.;   (d) recovering the coated particles from said outlet air stream; and   (e) recycling the said recovered particles from step (d) as the solid fine sucrose particles in step (a). .Iaddend. .[.2. A process according to claim 1 wherein said fine sucrose particles are recycle products from step   
     
     
        (c)..]. 3. A process according to claim 1 wherein said sucrose solution 
     
     
        comprises decolorised and deionised virgin cane syrup. 4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the outlet air temperature is in the range of 55-75° C. .[.5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of solid fine sucrose particles to the solids in said sucrose 
     
     
        solution is in the range of 1 to 4..]. 6. A process according to claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of said fine sucrose particles to the solids in said sucrose solution is in the range of .Iadd.about .Iaddend.2 to 
     
     
        .Iadd.about .Iaddend.3. 7. A process according to claim 1 wherein said 
     
     
        sucrose solution comprises virgin cane syrup. 8. A process according to 
     
     
        claim 1 wherein said sucrose solution comprises dissolved raw sugar. 9. A process according to claim 1 wherein said sucrose solution comprises decolorised and deionised sucrose syrup containing a notable proportion of 
     
     
        invert sugar. 10. A composition prepared by the process of claim 9 having 
     
     
        a crystallinity of from about 45% to about 85%. 11. A process according to claim 1 wherein said sucrose solution comprises sucrose syrup containing a 
     
     
        notable proportion of invert sugar. 12. A composition prepared by the process of claim 11 having a crystallinity of from about 45% to about 85%.