GB2115398A - Apparatus for the extraction of solid material from liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for the extraction of solids from liquids containing solids granulated by heat and/or solids the moisture content of which is reducible by heat, comprising a collection tank (1), an instant heater (9), a heat holding unit, a filter, preferably with a gravitational filter arranged in a closed space, as well as a drier (45). These are united in a closed system with pipelines (12) and feeder devices (43, 44), with one or several pumps incorporated in the system. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Process and equipment for the extraction of solid material from liquid This invention relates to a process and equipment for the extraction of solid material from a liquid containing solids granulated by the effect of heat and/or solids the moisture content of which is reducible by the effect of heat, e.g. from a slurry containing protein, colloidal solutions and suspensions, and, where there is a fat content, for reducing the fat content of the solid material.

Such solutions, slurries, suspensions and similar materials of organic origin occur in several industrial sectors, which materials have a colloidal or granular solid phase (dry substance content) capable of absorbing a large amount of moisture. The plastic grains of such materials containing a large amount of water can be partially dewatered by heat, or the colloidal parts can be granulated by heat. Since these materials partly cause environment pollution and partly contain certain valuable components utilizable, for instance for animal feeding, industrial or agricultural purposes, efforts have been made by experts in this field to extract the latter components, whilst eliminating the environment damaging properties.

In slaughterhouses for instance large amounts of waste materials, including waste waters of high proteinand fat content, are derived. The processing (treatment) of wastages and waste waters derived from slaughtering-, splitting- and gut cleaning plants cause especially great problem, because the water consumption is very high in these plant units, and thus the waste waters contain the organic impurities and waste in highly diluted, often partially or completely dissolved condition. Also the organic dry substance content of the canning industrial waste waters is very high. In organotherapeutic drug production, valuable active ingredients are produced from animal organs, and the treatment of organ fragments free from the active ingredient derived in the course of production causes serious problems.The same applies to the waste material, occasionally of very high nutritive value, derived from agricultural and pharmaceutical fermentation processes. The sludges of both the communal and animal keeping plants' waste waters contain valuable materials which can be utilized, if extracted in a suitable form. However, so far no solution has been found for the economical extraction of the valuable material of suitable quality, e.g. protein, heparin, etc, from wastage. Disadvantages of the presently known solutions are: multi-step, intermittent operation; and no closed system exists, thus they are incapable of preventing decomposition, degradation and hence deterioration and depreciation, of the valuble materials of the wastes.For instance, processing of the raw material collected for the purpose of meatmeal production begins in every case with the collection of the material, and thus their decomposition and propagation therein of microorganisms begin already before the heat treatment. The intermittently treated material is stored periodically and meanwhile decay, decomposition and re-contamination set in. The heat treated material is to be dried, ground and finally its fat is extracted.

The fat extraction causes serious problems to the experts not only in meatmeal production, but in other fields as well. The general characteristic of the solid grains present in the meat industrial waste waters (e.g.

scraps of meat, intestinal villi, and other non-dissolved by-products of high water content, e.g.- large intestine with excrement,chitterlings, etc.) is represented by the high fat content formed by the so-called surface and structural fats. Though part of thesurface fat (fat tissues) can be removed before the meat processing with laborious manual work, these operations are not, however, carried out in practice; moreover, the structural fat, representing the major part of the fat content, is not removable by preliminary cleaning. Although the voluminous offals are cut up roughly before processing, the fat cannot be removed in the course of cooking, heat treatment, then drying after cutting.Consequently, a storable, non-sticky, non-rancid end product initially from meatmeal can be obtained only if grinding and partial fat extraction with organic solvents are carried out. This subsequent fat extraction entails not only significant costs (material, labourforce, energy, investment), but the inevitable use of organic solvents increases the explosion hazard in the plant. An alternative method in which the material is cut up to such extent that the main bulk of the fats can be melted with a non-explosive medium, e.g. with hot water, and then after removal of the melted fat and hot water the partially fat-extracted fibres become d ryable without after-treatment, is not applicable rationally in practice.

Separation of the solids still with high water content and of very small grain size from the slurry (e.g. by a filter press, filter drum or filter centrifuge) is not possible, because the tiny grains clog the filter surface, and owing to their plasticity the capillaries of the grains are are blocked, so that, from the filtering point of view, a solid layer is formed. Separation of the fines from the slurry is possibly only with extremely costly screw Separation or decanters requiring constant supervision. Decanter-type separation is used, for instance, for the separation of the protein fibre, derived in the so-called wet melting of lard carried out at 92-96 C with steam, from the wet dissolved fat, as well as for the extraction of plastic grains with high water content from melted and beat-treated blood.

We have sought to provide a process for the extraction of solids from liquid-containing solids granulated by heat and/or solids the moisture content of which is reducible by heat, e.g. from slurry, colloidal solutions and#suspensions, in which the solid phase can be separated from the liquid phase by a simple filtering process without the use of a decanter, the valuable materials, e.g. proteins, present in the solid phase do not deteriorate during the process, and most of the possible fat content is removed from the rnaterial during the process without additional processing, e.g. without the need for fat extraction with chemicals.

The invention is based on the following discoveries: The enzymes present in the organic materials derived from living animal or plant organs, or produced by microorganisms, bring about decomposition, self-digestion, decay, etc., and consequently cause deterioration of active ingredients in the material which is processed and stored generally under non-sterile conditions. This can be avoided if the enzyme-action is continously and practically completely prevented at a rate corresponding to the rate of raw material formation; the enzyme producing microorganisms are killed, or prevented from propagating; the microbial re-contamination hazard is practically excluded; finally, by creating bacteriostatic conditions for any remaining microorganisms by drying, their effect is practically completely excluded.Further more, the invention is based on the recognition that if the liquid (e.g. slurry) containing material of high fat and protein content, ground to be very fine, or in the form of a fine precipitate is heated momentarily, the grains are formed, the partial dewatering of the grains occur, and finally the main bulk of the surface and structural fat present in the material melts. By keeping the material heated, aggregaton and dewatering of the grains continue, the grains are stabilized, and meanwhile the fat remains in a melted condition. Such material can be effectively filtered already in a gravitational field and the melted fat is removed with the filtrate, and hence the extremely costly subsequent fat extraction with organic solvents is no longer necessary.

The present invention accordingly provides a process for extracting solid material from liquids, whereby grains are formed in the liquid by the effect of heat and/or the moisture content of the grains is reduced, then the grains are removed from the liquid and dried, which process comprises heating the liquid with heat transfer within a short time, at most 2 minutes (instant heating), to a 50-1 25 C temperature; maintaining the heated material at a 50-1 25 C temperature for at least 2 minutes, preferably for 5-13 minutes, and, if fat is present in the solid material, melting at least part of the fat from the solid material by a heat treatment process; separating the grains from the liquid phase by filtration in a space containing vapour of 50-1 25 C temperature, the filtering process being continued for at least 4, preferably for 8-15 minutes; and drying the wet solid material separated from the liquid phase.

The equipment for implementation of the process is characterized by cutting up the solids present in the liquid prior to the instant heating, preferably with the simultaneous homogenization of the liquid, and/or by cutting up the solids mechanically, then mixing it with liquid prior to the instant heating.

Advantages of the invention can be summed up as follows: Extraction of solids of colloidal solutions, slurries and suspensions which are difficult to treat with the present methods is made possible by the invention with simple means in such a way that the end-product is excellent in respect of both the qualitative and other utilization properties, and its moisture content can be reduced to 5-10%. Prior to the treatment the material, if necessary, can be cut up to minimal grain size, and the cutting device may form part of the closed system consisting of the instant heater, heat holding device, filter and drier. The closed system allows the processing of the waste to provide valuable material under ideal circumstances (e.g. by elimination of decomposition and exclusion of stench).Propagation of the microorganisms and enzyme action are stopped by instant heating already at the beginning of the process, and the enzyme action is eliminated in the whole process by the further operations carried out in the closed system. Should the waste contain fat, then the fat extraction takes place automatically during the process as a side effect of the series of operations according to the invention, and as a result of the complete process, the valuable raw materials are available in the form of amorphous grains with large specific surface without the risk of contamination and re-contamination. The dry material obtained as the end-product is of permanent composition, stable, and thus easily storable and its active ingredient is eminently extractable.

The equipment consists of machines assembled in a block-like closed unit, having a small space requirement, and thus it can be installed at the place of origin of the liquid to be treated, e.g. in slaughter-houses, and at the same time the closed system excludes the risk of interim contamination.

Machine units of the equipment are instructurally simple, the r.p.m. is low, the instrumentation is simple and convenient, and the handling requires a minimal labour force. The investment costs are relatively low, and the specific power consumption of the operation is low.

In the following the invention is described in detail on the basis of the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the equipment for implementation of the process, as well as some of part-units as follows: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section of a preferred embodiment of the equipment; and Figure 2 shows an instant heat holding unit according to Figure 1 on a larger scale.

As shown in Figure 1, the equipment has a tank 1, feeding pipe 2 and recirculating pipe 4, containing a slurry pump 3 leading tangentially into it. A mixer device 5 extends into the tank 1. A pipe 7 emerges from the lower part of the tank, from part of which the recirculating pipe 4 is branched off, and from another part a delivery pipe 8 is led into an instant heater marked with reference number 9, containing a perforated pipe 14.

Afeeder pump 10 is built into the pipe 8 between the tank 1 and the instant heater 9. The instant heater 9 is connected with a heat holding unit 11 through a pipe 12, the heat holding unit being fitted with an insulated pipe 13. This is connected with a steam pipe 15 outside the instant heater, the steam pipe including a control unit 16.

In order to keep the instant heater 9, heat holding unit 11 and a filter 18 is to be described at a later stage internally clean, a washing water tank 90 is connected with the pipe 8 between the homogenizing tank 1 and the pump 5 and both hot and cold water washing of the mentioned manchine units can be carried out in the tank 90. Through a feeder funnel 91 disinfectant also can be admitted into the system by the pump 5. For washing of the collecting-homogenizing tank 1, a feeder funnel 92 and the pump 3 are used to feed in the liquid.

The heat holding unit 11 is connected with the filter 18 through a pipe 17, and a hollow body 20 rotatable around the longitudinal horizontal geometrical axis Xis in a closed housing 19, the hollow body having a first section I and a second section II; the former section is formed by a truncated pyramide shaped drum 21, the latter section by polygonal prismatic members 22, 23 and 24 rigidly interconnected in a zig-zag line. End plates 25 and 26 of the drum 21 are made of plate metal, and the large end plate is provided with an eccentrically arranged polgonal opening 27, connected with the first member 22 of the second section 11 in such a way that the longitudinal axis of the members 2 intersects the geometrical axis of rotation x outside the drum 21, in the same way as the longitudinal axes of the members 23 and 24.A pipe 28 leads into the interior of the drum 9 through the small end plate 25 of drum 9, and this pipe is the mechanical axis of rotation of the hollow body 20, which is fitted with the drum 21 by a bearing 29. The pipe 17 emerging from the heat holding unit 11 is connected to the pipe 28. The sides of the drums 21 and the members 22,23 and 24 are formed, at least in part, by a filter 30. The prismatic member 24 furthest from the drum 9 leads into a box 31, which is in co-rotation with the hollow body 20 and which is open along its circumference. The box 31 is formed by two parallel circular, vertically arranged plates 32 and 34, held together by staybolts 35.An internal plate 33 has a central opening 36, the last prismatic member leading into it, while a shaft 37 for rotation of the whole hollow body 20 is connected with the external plate 32, the shaft 37 being rotated in a bearing 38 and connected with a drive 39. The direction of rotation is indicated by the arrow wl. The lower part of the housing 19 is formed as a trough 40, from the deepest point of which a pipe stub 41 emerges, through which the filtrate passes off. A pipe 42 is below the box 39, leading into one of the ends of a worm conveyor housing. The other end of the same worm 43 is connected to a pipe 44a including a cell feeder 44, while the pipe 44a leads into a contact-fluid drier 45 at the left hand end in Figure 1.A washing device 68 is built into the filter 18, consisting of a pipe 69 and spray heads 70 mounted on it, and the pipe 69 joins a pump outside the filter. The washing device 68 serves for the external washing of the hollow body 20; water, steam high-pressure hot water, compressed air, etc., may be used as the washing agent. A pipe 93 emerges from the upper part of the housing 19 above the outlet leading into a deodorizer 63, into which the vapours generated in the housing 19 pass. The deodorizer 63 may be a conventional wet washing, absorber or similar device.

The drier 45 has a horizontally arranged cylindrical housing, its end plates 46 and 47 and the duplicated cylinderical wall 48 surrounding a closed space 49. A driving shaft 50 runs along the horizontal longitudinal geometrical axis y of the drier 45 and is connected to a drive 51. Discs 52 and 53 are spaced from each other and are rigidly to the shaft 50, and the adjacent discs together with the cylindrical wall 48 form cells.

Scraper-mixer blades 54 are mounted in the circumferential range of the discs 52, while free-running rollers 55 are mounted in the circumferential range of the discs 53. Every second disc is provided with scraper-mixer blades and rollers, e.g. four on each disc uniformly spaced (at 90 ). The discs 52 have the openings 56 in the vicinity of the driving shaft 50, while the openings 57 are in the circumferential range of the discs 53 containing the rollers 55. Both the blades 54 and rollers 55, the axis of rotation of which is parallel with the longitudinal symmetry axis x, are arranged with a small clearance from the internal surface of the cylindrical wall 48; the spacing between the rollers and the cylindrical wall surface may be varied as necessary.A dust separator pipe 58 extends upwards from the central part of the drier housing 45, the dust separator having a dust bag 59; this is connected with a vibrator 60. A dust separating cyclone is also applicable instead of the dust bag. A pipe stub 61 joints the upper part of the dust separator 58, and is connected to a pipeline 62. This latter pipe leads into the deodorizer 63. Each of the two upper ends of the cylindrical housing of the filter 45 have drying gas inlet openings 64 and 65, with pipe stubs 64a and 65a attached to them on the outside. From the interior 49 of the cylindrical housing at the end opposite the inlet side, pipe 66 extends downward and has built therein a cell feeder 67. Such drying equipment is described in detail in Hungarian patent application No. Rl-701.

Figure 2 shows the instant heater 9 and heat holding unit 11 and their interconnection in detail. The heat holding unit 9 has a vertically arranged pipe 71 with the pipe 8 leading into it through a pipe stub 72 at the bottom, and it emerges through a pipe stub 74, while an expanding tank 73 is attached to the upper part without transition. A pipe 76 for drainage of the liquid containing a gate valve 75 is connected to the pipe stub 74. The perforated pipe 14 runs along the vertial geometrical symmetry axis of the pipe 71, and its upper, non-perforated section 14a bent at 900 is led into the tank 73 the lateral direction at the bottom, and it is provided with a control valve 80 outside the tank, as part of the control unit 16 shown in Figure 1. The steam inlet pipe 15 is connected to the other side of the gate valve.The lower part of the perforated pipe 14 has an opening 14b. The control unit 16 has a thermometer 77 and temperature sensor 78 extending into the tank 73 and functionally connected with a control valve 80 through pipe 79. A pipe stub 81 emerges from the upper part of the tank 73 in the lateral direction, and the pipe 12 shown in Figure 1 is connected to it, through which pipe the instant heater 9 and the heat holding unit 11 are interconnected; it leads into a pipe stub 82 of the latter, containing a locking device 83 before the pipe stub. A drain pipe 84 with a locking device 84a built in it branches off the pipe 12 before the locking device 83. The heat holding unit 11 has a pipe 86 in a box 85 shown with a dash-dot line, connected to the pipe stub 82 at the bottom, and formed as a spiral running in a geometrically vertical plane, and consisting of straight pipe sections 87 and of connected curved pipe sections 88. The angle of pitch a of the spiral is only a few degrees, preferably a maximum of 100. The complete pipeline 86 is heat insulated. The pipeline 86 ends at a pipe stub 89 at the top, continuing in the pipeline 17; this latter pipe connects the heat holding unit 11 with the filter 18 already described in detail.

The equipment according to the invention funtions as follows: The wet suspension mainly with protein content (containing protein dissolved in water), or colloidal jellylike solution having a low solid content, e.g. 2-5%, is led into the collecting - homogenizer tank 2 (arrow a) at its place of origin, which tank serves the purpose of a buffer tank as well. Homogenization is ensured with the slurry pump 3 and/or with the mixer device 4. Homogenization is advantageous for carrying out the further processes. By the liquid treatment in the tank 1 the inactive accompanying substances are prevented from coagulation in the instant heater or in heat holding unit, and they do not adhere to the granulated material, so that they are washed down easily from the grains during filtering and are removable with the filtrate.

The material is delivered from the tank 1 by the pump 5 into the instant heater 9, where steam of 75-1 000C temperature and at a pressure reduced to 0.2 - 0.4 bar is conducted from the pipe 15 throughtthe perforated pipe 14to the material for at most 2 minutes. The amount of steam supplied and the required temperature range can be ensured with the control unit 16 according to the existing demands. As a result of the instant heating, the components, mostly with protein content, of the material partially lose their hydrophillic colloidal character and become separable from the remaining medium. Should the liquid contain therapeutically valuable material, e.g. heparin, this will be bound to the coagulating proteins separating almost entirely in the instant heater 9, and thus an easily filtrable form develops.At the same time the binding of the accompanying substances to the coagulated protein, which would upset further processing, can be reduced depending on the extent of pretreatment. As a result of the instant heatings, significant degermination and, owing to granulation, preliminary dewatering also take place.

The granulated material passes from the instant heater 9 into the heat holding unit 11, where it stands at a 75-1 000C temperature for at least 2, preferably for 5-12 minutes. The size of the grains, separating in a flaky form, partially losing their hydrophillic character and water absorbing capacity, can be increased with heat holding, the coagulation process can be made complete or nearly complete, and the grains become more "rigid", as a result of which the next process, separation by filtration, will be easier. In certain cases the efficiency of the granulation can be increased by adding chemicals to the material prior to the heat treatment. The degermination will be further increased by the heat holding unit 11.

The material is delivered from the heat holding unit 11 through the pipe 17 into the filter 18, in the closed housing 19 of which the filtering process is carried out in a temperature range of 60-100 C, i.e. at the temperature of the instant heating and heat holding process. Preliminary dewatering of the material takes place in the rotary drum 21 of the first section 1, then the wet mass of material in the prismatic members 22, 23 and 24 of the second section II is forced into a forward-backward motion (see dotted arrows), back sliding repeatedly, and meanwhile dividing continuously. Its residence time is extended, whereby the filter surfaces 30 are constantly cleaned and regenerated. The material in the hollow body 30 is separated into a filtrate and a fraction containing 15-35% solids.In the course of separation, very favourable fractionalization also takes place, because a significant part of the non-granulated materials, and other accompanying substnances, e.g.

fat in the liquid state, passes out through the pipe stub 41 with the wet filtrate accumulating in the tank 40, and at the same time the major part of the valuable materials (97-99%) bound to the coagulated proteins are retained. When the accompanying substance is fat, it has already become liquid in the process of instant heating and it cannot get bound to the solids in the filter at the vapour temperature, while, owing to the forwad-backward movement in the hollow body 20, a considerable part of the liquid fat flows down. At the same time, the industrially valuable material (e.g. heparin) present in the instant heater and heat holding unit settles without loss in the granulated solid phase, and the utilizable material does not pass off with the filtrate. Since the rotary hollow body 20 (filter body) is in a closed space, i.e. in a hot steam space, the degermination process continues.As a result of the long residence time and constant two-directional, forward-backward movement, the granulation process continues, the smaller grains adhere to each other, and consequently the grain size of the material passing through the pipe 42 into the worm conveyor 43 is advantageously large.

If the filtrate passing through the pipe stub 41 contains fat, then the fat should be passed into a conventional fat extractor (freezer-fat trap, separator, etc.). The fat-extracted filtrate can be recirculated as washing liquid into the hollow body 20. In this way the inherent valuable materials remain in the process and are recoverable at least in part. The warm vapour ascending in the closed housing 19 is condensed and it passes off with the filtrate, or in certain cases it passes through the pipe 93 into the deodorizer 63. The washing device 68 may also be used for the partial chemical treatment of the material during the continuous process of filtering, by spraying chemicals, or for pretreatment, e.g. fat is extracted from the material granulated with chemical treatment by using hot water, etc.

The hollow body 20 has a buffer-effect as a result of which fluctuations in the liquid concentration and composition do not disturb the operation.

The material derived in the contact-fl u id drier 45 is subjected simultaneously to the effect of contact heat transfer and convective heat transfer of mixed flow. The contact heat transfer takes place through the duplicated cylindrical wall without the heating medium conducted into the closed space 100. Progress of the material in the drying space divided into cells with the rotary discs 52 and 53 is considerably slowed down, the residence time is extended, and thereby the material passing in the direction of the dotted arrows is kept in contact for a long time with the hot air flowing in the direction of the continuous arrows, blown in through the openings 64 and 65. The material is dried at a 100-1350C temperature with the contact-fluid drier 45.The rollers 55 smear the material onto the internal cylindrical wall surface, and the dried layer of the material is dispersed into the air flow by scraper-mixer blads 54. A further purpose of the rollers 55 is to cut up the dried and separated material to the required grain size, which can be accomplished by the suitable adjustment of the distance from the internal surface of the cylindrical wall. The outgoing air is purified with the dust filter 58 and deodorizer 63. The end-product is discharged from the contact-fluid drier through the cell feeder 66.

The end-product obtained from the contact-fluid drier 45 is of 90% solid substance (dry) content and of uniform grain size. As a result of the degermination continuing in the course of this process, the germ number of the end-product is 10 - 104 pc/g. and with the use of a special airfilterthis germ number can be further reduced to a value of a few spores/g.

The process according to the invention is described in detail with the aid of Examples as follows: Example 1 Protein-containing granular material is separated in the fat-plant of a slaughterhouse by the so-called wet-melting of lard on a decanter with the useof 92-96 C temperature steam, the material having a high fat and water content: the fat represents 25-35%, and the water 70-80% of the dry substance content.

According to the process the extraction of the protein fibre from this material is as follows: Hot material of 820C temperature is added to the continuously obtained granular material, and it is delivered into a collecting tank by a screw pump through an open hopper. The amount of water to be added should be sufficient to obtain 5-7% dry substance content for the slurry in the tank. The material accumulated in the tank is continuously recirculated with a slurry pump, whereby it is partly homogenized and partly the specific surface of the pulpy, lumpy material, granulated with heat treatment used for fat melting, in the interests of more effective fat reduction, is increased by cutting.

The mixture containing the homogenized and cut-up solid material is delivered with a feeder pump into the instant heater of the equipment, where the temperature is increased to 92-96 C by direct blowing of steam at 0.5 bar pressure for 30 seconds. The material is blown at a slow rate in the spiral pipe (heat holding unit) and is kept at the same temperature for 12 minutes.

The main bulk of the surface and structural fat content of the grains exposed to the heat effect is melted and mixed with the hot water medium. The protein-containing solids cut up and pulped with instant heating and heat holding are coagulated, whereby aggregates of such grain size are obtained, which can be readily separated from the liquid phase by filtration, and the separated elastic grains are easily dryable. As a result of this heat effect a significant proportion of the virulent germs is destroyed.

The protein-containing grains coagulated by the heat effect are separated from the fat-containing water in a gravitational filter, in a vapour space at 900C temperature with continuous operation. During filtration the material is washed with hot water of 82 C temperature. The hot water is admitted through the spray heads arranged above the filter equipment.

The fat-containing filtrate is further treated by a conventional method, while the protein-containing material freed from the major part of its fat content is continuously dried in a contact fluid drier, into which air of 140-150 C temperature is blown. The material is kept at 85-95 C temperature with the drying gas of such temperature and with the simultaneous contact heat transfer, and remains in the drier for about 35 minutes. In this temperature range the material and the digestibility of the protein content do not deteriorate.

The results of the analytical tests of the end-product are the following: water content 7.8% protein content 79.7% digestible protein 97.4% (in % of the total protein) fat content 11.8% germ number 1500 pc/g.

The well-storable, inexpensively transportable product of low germ number, very high and well digestible protein content, with substantially reduced fat content in comparison with the product obtained by direct drying, can be used also for animal feeding and in the food industry, and its stable quality permits optimal utilization Example 2 The large intestines of cattle derived from the slaughterhouse, are cut up, according to their rate of supply, on an industrial meat grinder and with the use of discs of 8 mm mesh size. The grinder containing about 17% dry substance is delivered into the collecting tank with the continuous feeding of 15-25 C water. The amount of water is selected so as to obtain a 4-7% dry substance content for the slurry. The mixture in the collecting tank is homogenized by recirculation with a slurry pump.The homogenized material is delivered into the instant heater and there its temperature is increased to 87-93 C by directly blowing in steam of 0.5 bar pressure, and the material is kept at this temperature for about 12 minutes. The tertiary and quaternary structure of the proteins present as dry substance in dissolved condition, or as a colloidal suspension, varies mostly irreversibly with the heat treatment, the grains lose their hydrophillic character, becoming mostly insoluble in water, part of the structural water is discharged and an elastic granular coagular readilyfiltrable even in a gravitational field is formed.As an additional effect of the heat treatment, the main bulk of the surface and structural fat melts and emulsifies with the wet medium; the germ number is greatly reduced, because even the virulent germs are destroyed.

The mainly protein-containing coagulant is separated from the liquid phase, which latter contains mainly fat and a small quantity of protein-hydrolizates (perlides, peptides), in a vapour space of 90 C temperature with continuous filtering. During filtration washing is used with water of 800C temperature for the purpose of further fat extraction. The filtered granular material is dried according to the method given in Example 1. The results of the analytical tests of the end-product are as follows: water content 9.2% fat content 9.7% protein content 72.4% digestible protein 96.2% (in % of total protein) germ number 3500 pc/g.

Accordingly, the product is of stable quantity, well storable, its germ number and fat content are substantially reduced in comparison with the original state, its protein content is high and well digestible in comparison with the meat-meals product noramlly from intenstines, and it is eminently suitable for animal feeding purposes. A further advantage is that as a result of the several heat treatments and continuous filtration and washing carried out in a gravitational field, preliminary removal of the excrement from the large intestine is not necessary.

Example 3 Blood continuously obtained from a slaughterhouse is treated with chemicals, e.g. calcium chloride, facilitating coagulation, and the congealed product is gently cut up into 10-15 mm grains, mixed with water of 85 C temperature and the obtained slurry is heated in the instant heater to 95-1 OO"C temperature with the use of direct steam blown in at 0.5 bar pressure. The material is kept at this temperature for 8 minutes. The protein content of the chemically treated and cut up congealed product loses its hydrophilic character under the effect of heat treatment, and elastic grains are formed becoming easily filterable.The approximately 25% dry substance content of the coagulant separated from the liquid phase during the filtration considerably exceeds the original 19% dry substance content of the blood. Due to this and to the fact that the water-absorbing capacity of the proteins is significantly reduced, the drying in the next step can be carried out more effectively. The chemical facilitating the coagulation is removed continuously with the filtrate. The filtered grains are dried simularly in a contact fluid drier with the use of drying air of 120-130 Ctemperature.

The residence time of the material in the drier is 25 minutes, the outlet temperature of the air is 80-85 C, the dry substance content of the end-product is 90%, and other characteristic analytical data are the following: water content 8.7% fat content 0.4% protein content 89.2% digestible protein 98.0% (in % of total protein) germ number 4800 pc/g.

Thus, the obtained solid granulated material is of low germ number with high, excellently digestible protein content. It is a well storable product of stable quality, and eminently suitable for animal feeding purposes.

Naturally, the invention is not restricted to above process examples and to the described embodiment of the equipment, but it can be realized in several ways within the scope defined by the following claims. The example given for the large intestine of cattle applies equally to the processing of the large-and small intestine of pigs as well.

An advantage of the invention is that the extraction of the solid content of solutions, slurries etc., which are difficult to treat, and reduction of the possible fat content of the solid material are effected by simple means in such a way that an excellent end-product is avaiable in respect of both the qualitative and other utilization properties.

Claims (12)

1. Apparatus for carrying out the process hereinbefore defined, comprising a collecting tank, an instant heater, a heat-holding unit, a filter, preferably a gravitational filter, arranged in a closed space and with a drier united with each other in a closed system via pipelines and feeder devices incorporating one or several pumps in the system.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having a mixer device (5) in the storage tank (1) for homogenization of the material, and/or a recirculating pipe (4) returning to the tank (1) from the pipe (7) emerging from the tank (1) and a pump is introduced into the recirculating pipe (4).

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, having a pump (10) in the pipe (8) connecting the tank (1) with the instant heater (9) and washing medium tank (90) as well as a device (91) for feeding detergent and/or chemicals facilitating coagulation connected to the pipe section between the tank (1) and pump (10).

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the instant heater (9) is provided with a vertical, closed pipe (71) into the lower part of which the pipe (8) emerging from the tank (1) and containing the pump (10) is leading and the perforated pipe (14) is running along the vertical geometrical longitudinal axis of the pipe (71); the vertical closed pipe (71) has an expanding part (73) at the top, from which the non-perforated end (14a) of the perforated pipe (14) emerges and connected to the steam feeder pipe and a pipe (12)for delivery of the material heat-treated with instant heating is branched off the upper region of the expanding part (73).

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the instant heater (9) is connected with a control unit (16) for regulating the amount of steam to be admitted, the control unit (16) containing a sensor (78) for sensing the temperature of the material in the instant heater (19), and the control valve (80) connected to the steam inlet pipe (1 5) which is in functional connection with the heat sensor (78) through a pipe.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 11 to 15, wherein the heat holding unit (11) is formed with spiral shaped straight sections (87) arranged suitable in a vertical plane, and with a heat-insulated pipeline consisting of curved sections (88) connecting the adjacent straight sections (87).

7. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, having a filter with a hollow body (20) arranged in a closed housing (19), the walls of which contain at least in part openings; furthermore having a device to admit the material to be filtered and to discharge the separated components; and wherein the hollow body (20) has two sections (1, 11), the first section (1) of which has a horizontally arranged truncated pyramid or truncated cone shaped drum (21) rotatable about a horizontal or near-horizontal longitudinal geometrical symmetry axis (x), the side surface of which, at least in part, is formed by a filter (30); a material feeder pipe (28) leading into the interior through a smaller end plate (25), while a larger end plate has an opening (26) arranged eccentrically in relation to the symmetry axis (x), and the second section (11) of the hollow body (20) co-rotatable with the first section (1) is connected to the opening (26), the second section (11) having at least three suitably oblong, polygonal prismatic members (22,23 and 24) leading into each other, the side surfaces of which, at least in part, are formed by a filter (30) and the geometrical longitudinal axes of the members (22,23 and 24) together form a zig-zag or similar line and intersect the symmetry axis (x) of the drum (21) outside the drum (21), the symmetry axis (x) being the common axis of rotation of the two sections (1,11) of the hollow body (20).

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the drier is formed as a contact-fluid drier (45) which has a drying space in the interior of the externally heated, horizontally arranged, cylindrical body, with a mixer device in it, and furthermore comprising devices to admit the wet material and gaseous drying medium into the drying space, as well as to discharge the dried material and gaseous drying medium from the drying space, the cylindrical drying space (49) being divided into cells with walls (52, 53) spaced from each other and cross directional, preferably perpendicular to the horizontal or near horizontal geometrical longitudinal axis (y), the walls having openings (56,57) ensuring the passage of the material to be dried and that of the gaseous drying medium through the cells; the cross walls (52,53) and the cylindrical wall (48) of the drying space (49) being rotatable in relation to each other; and scraper-mixer blades (54) in the vicinity of the cylindrical wall (48) of the drying space (49) which are connected to at least a certain part of the cross walls (52, 53) and devices, suitably rollers (55), being arranged on the cross walls (52, 53) containing such scraper-mixer blades (54) and/or on other cross walls in the circumferential range of the cross walls (52, 53) in the vicinity of the cylindrical wall (48) of the drying space (49) for smearing the material to be dried onto the cylindrical wall (48) of the drying space (49), and for cutting up the dried material.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein a worm conveyor (43) and a cell feeder (44) are provided between the filter (18) and the contact-fluid drier (45).

10. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, having a deodorizer (63) with a pipeline (62,93) emerging from the filter (18) and/or from the dust extractor of the drier leading into the deodorizer (63).

11. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, having a device arranged above and/or in the interior of the filter (18), containing preferably spray heads for feeding in the liquid, for instance hot water.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

13. A liquid or solid material which has been treated using an apparatus as claimed in any previous claim.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 18.3.83 Superseded claims 1 to 13 New or amended claims:- 1 to 12

1. Apparatus for the extraction of solid material from liquids containing solids granulated by the effect of heat and/or solids the moisture content of which is reducible by the effect of heat, as well as, in the case of fat content, for reducing the fat content of the solid material, which apparatus comprises a collecting tank for receiving liquid to be treated; instant heater in communication with the collecting tank and adapted to heat the liquid with heat transfer ("instant heating") and without preliminary filtration to 50-125"C temperature within at most 2 minutes at atmospheric pressure; a heat-holding unit for receiving material from the instant heater and adapted to maintain the heated material at 50-125 C temperature for at least 2 minutes, whereby grains are formed in the liquid by the effect of heat and/or the moisture content of the grains is reduced, and, when the solid material contains fat, at least a part of the fat from the solid material is melted; a filter for receiving material from the heat-holding unit and adapted to separate the grains from the liquid phase, which may contain melted fat as well, without intermediate cooling in a closed space of 50-125 C temperature containing vapour, by filtering under atmospheric pressure for at least 4 minutes; a drier for receiving and drying the wet solids separated from the liquid phase; and at least one pump for transferring material from the collecting tank successively to the instant heater, the heat-holding unit, the filter and the drier.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having a mixer device in the collecting tank for homogenization of the liquid to be treated, and/or a recirculating pipe which branches from a pipe communicating between the tank and the instant heater and returns to the tank, a pump being included in the recirculating pipe.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, having a pump in the pipe connecting the tank with the instant heater and means for introducing washing medium, detergent and/or chemicals facilitating coagulation into the said pipe between the tank and the said pump.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the instant heater is provided with a vertical, closed pipe into the lower part of which the pipe emerging from the collecting tank leads, and a perforated pipe runs within the vertical pipe and along the vertical geometrical longitudinal axis thereof; the vertical pipe has an enlarged part at the top, from which a non-perforated end of the perforated pipe emerges and is connected to a steam feeder pipe; and a pipe for delivery of the material heat-treated with instant heating is branched off the upper region of the enlarged part.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the instant heater is connected with a control unit for regulating the amount of steam to be admitted, the control unit containing a heat sensor for sensing the temperature of the material in the instant heater, and a control valve connected to the steam feeder pipe which is in functional connection with the heat sensor.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heat-holding unit comprises a heat-insulated vertically rising spiral pipeline.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the filter comprises a hollow body arranged in a closed housing, the walls of which body contain at least in part openings, and a device to admit the material to be filtered from the heat-holding unit and to discharge the separated components; and wherein the hollow body has two sections, the first section of which has a horizontally arranged truncated pyramid or truncated cone shaped drum rotatable about a horizontal or near-horizontal longitudinal geometrical symmetry axis (x), the side surface of which, at least in part, is formed by a filter; a material feeder pipe leading into the interior through a smaller end plate, while a larger end plate has an opening arranged eccentrically in relation to the symmetry axis (x), and the second section of the hollow body co-rotatable with the first section is connected to the eccentrically arranged opening, the second section having at least three oblong, polygonal prismatic members leading into each other, the side surfaces of which, at least in part, are formed by a filter and the geometrical longitudinal axes of the members together form a zig-zag line and intersect the symmetry axis (x) of the drum outside the drum, the symmetry axis (x) being the common axis of rotation of the two sections of the hollow body.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the drier is formed as a contact-fluid drier which has a drying space in the interior of an externally heated, horizontally arranged, cylindrical body, with a mixer device in it, the drier furthermore comprising devices to admit the wet material from the filter and gaseous drying medium into the drying space, as well as to discharge the dried material and gaseous drying medium from the drying space, the cylindrical drying space being divided into cells with cross walls spaced from each other and perpendicular to the horizontal or near horizontal geometrical longitudinal axis (y), the walls having openings ensuring the passage of the material to be dried and that of the gaseous drying medium through the cells; the cross walls and the cylindrical wall of the drying space being rotatable in relation to each other; and scraper-mixed blades arranged in the vicinity of the cylindrical wall of the drying space which are connected to at least a part of the cross walls and rollers being arranged on the cross walls containing such scraper-mixer blades and/or on other cross walls in the circumferential portion of the cross walls in the vicinity of the cylindrical wall of the drying space for smearing the material to be dried onto the cylindrical wall of the drying space, and for cutting up the dried material.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein a worm conveyor and a cell feeder are provided between the filter and the drier.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, having a deodorizer to treat gases supplied by a pipeline emerging from the filter and/or from a dust extractor connected to the drier.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, having a device arranged above and/or in the interior of the filter, containing spray heads for feeding in hot water.