Step 1: Understanding Instantizing:
Instantizing enhances the dispersibility and solubility of powders in liquids, like instant coffee or milk powder. This involves agglomeration, where fine powder particles are clustered into larger, porous granules that wet more easily.
Step 3: Detailed Process:
- A Spray drier is ideal for instantizing. Modern multi-stage spray driers initially dry the product into fine particles. These particles then pass through a humid zone (using steam or water mist) near the drier's bottom, making their surfaces adhesive.
- Next, they enter a secondary drying stage, often a fluid-bed drier, where the sticky particles collide and bind, forming larger agglomerates. This integrated two-step process is the standard instantizing method.
- Drum driers, Tunnel driers, and Kiln driers are unsuitable for instantizing. They produce flakes, large pieces, or bulk materials and lack the controlled re-wetting and agglomeration mechanisms.
Step 4: Conclusion:
The spray drier, especially a multi-stage system with a fluid bed, is used for agglomeration and instantizing. Therefore, option (B) is the correct answer.