NSF Award
1254328
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II Project of ?No Heat Spray Drying? fundamentally changes the process of spray drying liquids to powders by eliminating the use of heat. Typically, a liquid emulsion consists of a high value liquid ingredient that is emulsified with a carrier system that when dried captures the liquid ingredient in a powdered form. High temperature spray drying remains the preferred method of drying many thermally sensitive materials such as foods, chemicals, probiotics, pharmaceuticals, and in many other applications where the production of a free-flowing powder is required. The current spray drying process employs air heated up to 400° Fahrenheit to dry the liquid into a powder. Exposing sensitive, volatile liquid ingredients to high temperatures causes molecular degradation that negatively impacts performance. By eliminating the use of heat the end result is a significantly improved powder in terms of product quality, solubility, stability and overall performance. Our research will be focused on improving our proprietary technology through dryer optimization and atomization development. This research should yield an innovative, commercially viable ?no heat? spray drying technology with the ability to manufacture significant amounts of powdered products.<br/><br/>The broader impact/commercial potential of this project spans markets including food & beverage, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, infant formula, coffee, vitamins and numerous other segments where the production of a free flowing powder ingredient is desired. The challenge: how to eliminate the use of heat in converting liquids to powders. By eliminating the use of heat in the manufacturing process, we create significantly improved powder products. Our process is more economical, delivers products with longer shelf life, better encapsulation and improves solubility. Our technology has several societal benefits including decreasing energy consumption and preventing the evaporation of volatile ingredients into the atmosphere. Our technology may be able impact the bioavailability of drugs, decrease tablet sizes, deliver stable Omega 3 ingredients and improve dried milk powder. We are only beginning to explore the potential applications of our revolutionary process technology
