Materials and Methods for Inhibiting Material Mixing in a Material Processing System

Abstract

A material mixing inhibitor composition, a method of minimizing material mixing of a first fluid material and a second fluid material in a material processing system that includes a pipeline, and a cartridge for delivery of a material mixing inhibitor composition to the material processing system are described.

1 . A material mixing inhibitor composition comprising:
 from about 50% to about 99% by weight of a liquid;   from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a gelling agent; and   from about 0.05% to about 5% of a gelling agent activator;   wherein each component of the composition is food grade.   
     
     
       2. The inhibitor composition of  claim 1  further comprising from about 0.1% to about 4% of an oil or fat. 
     
     
         3 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 1  wherein the liquid is a juice. 
     
     
         4 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 3  wherein the juice is 100% juice. 
     
     
         5 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 3  wherein the juice is derived from one or more fruit, vegetable, or a combination of a fruit and vegetable. 
     
     
         6 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 3  wherein the juice is derived from orange, pineapple, apple, mango, cranberry, grapefruit, blueberry, acai, strawberry, grape, passion fruit, tomato, cucumber, kale, spinach, broccoli, carrot, lemons limes, tangerine, mandarin orange, tangelo, pomelo, celery, beets, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, artichoke, broccoli, beet, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, watercress, peas, beans lentils, asparagus, radish, peach, banana, pear, guava, apricot, watermelon, pomegranate, blackberry, papaya, lychee, plume, prune, fig or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 1  wherein the gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of natural gums, pectin, agar, sodium alginate, potassium alginate, ammonium alginate, calcium alginate, gelatin, collagen, gellan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, konjac, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 7  wherein the gelling agent is a carrageenan selected from iota carrageenan, kappa carrageenan and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 1  wherein the gelling agent activator is selected from the group comprising a source of sodium ions, calcium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions, and mixtures thereof.. 
     
     
         10 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 9  wherein the source of sodium, calcium, potassium, or magnesium ions is provided with an anion selected from the group consisting of acetate, carbonate, chloride, citrate, lactate, phosphate, sulfate and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 2  wherein the oil or fat is a fruit or vegetable oil. 
     
     
         12 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 11  wherein the fruit or vegetable oil is a vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of soybean, corn, palm, cottonseed, canola, rapeseed, sunflower, sesame, grape seed, peanut, rice bran, safflower, linseed, hazelnut, olive, coconut, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 12  wherein the vegetable oil is partially or fully hydrogenated. 
     
     
         14 . The inhibitor composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a gel that exhibits a storage modulus from about 2,000 to about 7,000 over an angular frequency range from about 0.1 to about 500 rad/s. 
     
     
         15 . A method of minimizing material mixing of a first fluid material and a second fluid material in a material processing system that includes a pipeline, the method comprising:
 introducing into an upstream portion of the pipeline a sufficient amount of a material mixing inhibitor composition to form in the pipeline a self-sustaining plug having its peripheral surface contiguous with an inner surface of the pipeline, a leading face in contact with the first fluid material, and a trailing face in contact with the second fluid material;   moving the plug through the pipeline under fluid pressure of the second fluid material;   wherein mixing of the first fluid material and the second fluid material is inhibited by the plug such that an amount of the first fluid material present in the second fluid material at a trailing face of the plug is about 10% or less by volume.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the inhibition by the plug is such that an amount of the second fluid material present in the first fluid based material at a leading face of the plug is about 10% or less by volume. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising, prior to the introduction of the material mixing inhibitor composition, removably affixing a cartridge to a portion of the pipeline, the cartridge containing the material mixing inhibitor composition. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the cartridge is affixed to the portion of the pipeline at an angle other than orthogonal. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the cartridge and the material mixing inhibitor composition are aseptic. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the introducing comprises:
 prior to introducing the material mixing inhibitor composition, isolating the upstream portion of the pipeline from other portions of the pipeline; and 
 mixing one or more ingredients forming the material mixing inhibitor composition within the isolated upstream portion of the pipeline. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the material mixing inhibitor composition comprises:
 from about 50% to about 99% by weight of a liquid; 
 from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a gelling agent; 
 from about 0.05% to about 5% of a source of sodium, calcium, or potassium ions; and, from about 0.1% to about 4% of a partially or fully hydrogenated oil; 
 wherein each component of the composition is food grade. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a flow of the second material is laminar. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  15  further comprising removing the plug at a downstream portion of the pipeline, the downstream portion being spaced from the upstream portion. 
     
     
         24 . A cartridge for delivery of a material mixing inhibitor composition to a material processing system, the cartridge comprising:
 a first end configured to be removably attached to a portion of the material processing system;   a second end configured to receive the material mixing inhibitor composition;   a wall disposed between and connecting the first end and the second end, the wall having an interior surface;   wherein a ratio of a length of the cartridge to a diameter of the cartridge is from about 1:1 to about 10:1.   
     
     
         25 . The cartridge of  claim 24  wherein the first end is inwardly tapered. 
     
     
         26 . The cartridge of  claim 24  wherein the first end has an outlet with a diameter that is about 10% to about 50% less than the diameter of the cartridge. 
     
     
         27 . The cartridge of  claim 24  wherein the interior surface is substantially filled with the material mixing inhibitor composition. 
     
     
         28 . The cartridge of  claim 25  wherein the material mixing composition comprises:
 from about 50% to about 99% by weight of a liquid; 
 from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a gelling agent; 
 from about 0.05% to about 5% of a source of sodium, calcium, or potassium ions; and, 
 from about 0.1% to about 4% of a partially or fully hydrogenated oil; 
 wherein each component of the composition is food grade.