A METHOD OF CONTINUOUS SEPARATION OF VEGETABLE BIOMASS INTO A FLUID PHASE AND A SOLIDS CONTAINING PHASE OF PULPY CONSISTENCE

摘要

Moist vegetable biomass (21) is fed (22, 24) to a mixing zone (26) equipped with stirring means (27) of a conditioning vessel (25). Aqueous juice (30) recycled (40) from a subsequent step (39) is also fed (29) to the mixing zone (26). The mixture is fed (32) to a processing apparatus (33) whose operation involves the generation of a gradient of flow speed within the flowing suspension, which opens cells of the vegetable biomass to liberate their content into the aqueous juice. A slurry (34) is produced that is fed to a separator (35) for partitioning into aqueous juice (36) and mush (37). The mush is removed (38). The aqueous juice is divided (39) into major (40) and minor (41) portions whose ratio provides for balance between water entering and leaving the process, considering that the major portion (40) is recycled to the mixing (26) zone and the minor portion (41) removed. Preferably, the ratio is greater than about 4:1. Preferably, the processing apparatus (33) has an effective shearing gap whose width is larger than 1 mm.