ElsevierAtarés Huerta, LM.; Depypere, F.; Pieters, J.; Dewettinck, K. (2012). Coating quality as affected by core particle segregation in fluidized bed processing. Journal of Food Engineering. 113(3): 415-421. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2012.06.012 Elsevier Editorial System(tm) Abstract: Fluidized bed coating is an important technique in the food powder industry, where often particles of a wide size distribution are dealt with. In this paper, glass beads of different particle size distribution were coated with sodium caseinate in a top-spray fluid bed unit. Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) was used to visualize and quantify the particle motion in the fluidized bed. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy combined with image analysis were used to investigate the effect of core particle size and its distribution on the thickness and quality of the coating. Particle size significantly affected the thickness and quality of the coating, due to differences in the corresponding fluidization patterns, as corroborated by PEPT observations. As the particle size distribution becomes narrower, segregation is less likely to occur. This results in a thicker coating which is, however, less uniform compared to when cores of a wider particle size distribution are spray coated.
Cover LetterCLSM is able to characterize microparticles and quantify the coating thickness.The thickness and quality of the coating was affected by the size of the particles PEPT findings supported these results Our results help understand particle motion patterns, coating thickness and quality *Highlights (for review)
14Tracking (PEPT) was used to visualize and quantify the particle motion in the fluidized bed. Confocal
15Laser Scanning Microscopy combined with image analysis were used to investigate the effect of core
16particle size and its distribution on the thickness and quality of the coating. Particle size significantly
17affected the thickness and quality of the coating, due to differences in the corresponding fluidization 18 patterns, as corroborated by PEPT observations. As the particle size distribution becomes narrower,
19segregation is less likely to occur. This results in a thicker coating which is, however, less uniform 20 compared to when cores of a wider particle size distribution are spray coated.
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