CPF: Vloeistoffen strooibaar maken

Concentrated Powder Form (CPF) technology makes it possible to turn liquids into powders and opens up new processing opportunities for the food industry.

Transforming liquids into powders is not a new idea. So far, this has been done by combining the liquid with powder-based carriers in a conventional mixing process such as in fluidisation technology. Generally, a concentration of  2 to 10% can be achieved. However, CPF technology allows concentrations of up to 80%.

'Olive oil in high-coverage powder form for easier dosing'

The process

In CPF technology, carbon dioxide is dissolved under extremely high pressure (from 100 to 250 bar) in the liquid that is to be converted into a powder. Then the gas-saturated solution is rapidly expanded, resulting in the gas being set free and very fine droplets of liquid forming. At the same time, a powdery carrier is added to the sprayed liquid. The release of the gas causes an immediate mixing of the fluid droplets with the solid carrier. The liquid is adsorbed or soaked up. The result is a homogeneous combination of liquid and melted components which allows liquids with various viscosities to be sprayed.

New: olive oil

The RAPS research department is based at the company’s head office in Kulmbach, Germany. Factory number 5 is where new processes are developed: from the initial concept through further development at laboratory and pilot-project level up to entering production. RAPS already uses CPF technology to mix (amongst other ingredients) oil and water-based liquids as well as emulsions. Various carriers are used including powdery solids with a particle size of between 5 micrometres and 2 millimetres, such as starch, maltodextrin, sugar, vitamins, minerals, spice mixtures and fibre. CPF technology is used both for pulverising raw materials and in the  manufacture innovative end products (such as fats, wax, emulsifiers, chocolate) in various industrial segments. A new feature in the RAPS product range, for instance, is CPF olive oil which is in powdered form making dosing much easier. This product is perfectly suited for use in the bakery industry, CPF products are available directly from RAPS Benelux.

CPF technology…

• enables a liquid concentration of up to 80 percent
• produces a microencapsulated liquid with high mechanical stability for use as a high-coverage powder
• is suitable for low and viscous liquids alike
• can be used with many different carriers
• is gentle on the product (inert atmosphere, -10˚ Celsius)
• allows adjustment of the powder properties (e.g. the solubility of the powdered liquid using emulsifiers).

www.raps.com