Gas-effusing compositions and methods of making and using same
Gas-effusing compositions, particularly, particulate compositions having pressurized gas held within open internal voids thereof, are provided as well as methods of making and using such compositions.
1. A gas-effusing particulate foamer composition comprising low density, gas-injected, spray-dried particles having an external surface, a plurality of open internal voids within the particles, and gas held within the open internal voids at super-atmospheric pressure, the open internal voids in gaseous communication with the external surface of the particles and surrounding atmosphere via a plurality of restrictive passageways in the particles having a restrictive diameter, the restrictive passageways and restrictive diameter effective to permit release of the gas held in the open internal voids by molecular effusion into the surrounding atmosphere at an exponentially decreasing rate, the particles comprising at least about 60 percent by weight skim milk powder, non-fat milk powder, or combination thereof, the particles having a bulk density of less than about 0.35 g/mL.
2. A method for manufacturing a gas-effusing particulate composition, the method comprising:
contacting a soluble, gas-injected, spray-dried particulate ingredient in a pressure vessel with an edible gas at super-atmospheric pressure at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the particulate ingredient, the particulate ingredient comprising particles having an external surface, a plurality of open internal voids within the particles, and a plurality of restrictive passageways having a restrictive diameter within the particles such that the edible gas at super-atmospheric pressure passes through the restrictive passageways from the external surface into the open internal voids; and
depressurizing the pressure vessel to provide the gas-effusing particulate composition having particles in which the super-atmospheric gas is held in the open internal voids, the open internal voids of the particles in gaseous communication with the external surface of the particles and surrounding atmosphere via the plurality of restrictive passageways in the particles, the restrictive passageways and restrictive diameter effective to permit release of the gas held in the open internal voids by molecular effusion into the surrounding atmosphere at an exponentially decreasing rate, the particles comprising at least about 60 percent by weight skim milk powder, non-fat milk powder, or combination thereof, and the particles having a bulk density of less than about 0.35 g/mL.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the restrictive diameter is less than about 1 μm.
4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the restrictive diameter is at least about 2 times the size of molecules of the edible gas.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the amount of super-atmospheric gas held within the open internal voids is at least about 8 mL per gram of composition.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles have a particle size in the range of about 0.5 to about 5000 μm.
7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the open internal voids have a diameter in the range of about 0.01 to about 2000 μm.
8. The method of claim 2 wherein the restrictive diameter is less than about 1 μm.
9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the restrictive diameter is at least about 2 times the size of molecules of the edible gas.
10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the amount of gas held within the open internal voids is at least about 8 mL per gram of composition.
11. The method of claim 2 wherein the particles have a particle size in the range of about 0.5 to about 5000 μm.
12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the open internal voids have a volume in the range of about 0.5 to about 5.0 mL/g.
13. The method of claim 2 , wherein the open internal voids have a diameter in the range of about 0.01 to about 2000 μm.
14. The gas-effusing particulate composition of claim 1 wherein the particles are soluble in an aqueous-based medium.
15. The gas-effusing particulate composition of claim 1 wherein the pressurized gas contained within the open internal voids is edible.
16. The gas-effusing particulate foamer composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise at least about 80 percent by weight skim milk powder, non-fat milk powder, or combination thereof.
17. The gas-effusing particulate foamer composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise at least about 90 percent by weight skim milk powder, non-fat milk powder, or combination thereof.
18. The gas-effusing particulate foamer composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles have a bulk density of less than about 0.30 g/mL.
19. The gas-effusing particulate foamer composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles have a bulk density of less than about 0.25 g/mL.
20. The gas-effusing particulate foamer composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles have a bulk density of less than about 0.20 g/mL.
21. The gas-effusing particulate foamer composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles have an internal void volume of at least about 0.5 mL/g.
22. The gas-effusing particulate foamer composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles have an internal void volume of at least about 1.0 mL/g.
23. A gas-effusing particulate foamer composition comprising low density, gas-injected, spray-dried particles having an external surface, a plurality of open internal voids within the particles, and gas held within the open internal voids at super-atmospheric pressure, the open internal voids in gaseous communication with the external surface of the particles and surrounding atmosphere via a plurality of restrictive passageways in the particles having a restrictive diameter, the restrictive passageways and restrictive diameter effective to permit release of the gas held in the open internal voids by molecular effusion into the surrounding atmosphere at an exponentially decreasing rate, and wherein the particles do not entrap pressurized gas in sealed internal voids, the particles comprising at least about 60 percent by weight skim milk powder, non-fat milk powder, or combination thereof, and the particles having a bulk density of less than about 0.35 g/mL.
24. A gas-effusing particulate foamer composition comprising low density, gas-injected, spray-dried particles having an external surface, a plurality of open internal voids within the particles, and gas held within the open internal voids at super-atmospheric pressure, the open internal voids in gaseous communication with the external surface of the particles and surrounding atmosphere via a plurality of restrictive passageways in the particles having restrictive diameters, the restrictive passageways and restrictive diameters effective to permit release of the gas held in the open internal voids by molecular effusion into the surrounding atmosphere at an exponentially decreasing rate, and wherein the majority of gas present in the particles is the super-atmospheric pressurized gas held in the open internal voids, and any other gas present in the particles is unpressurized gas entrapped in closed internal voids formed during spray-drying, the particles comprising at least about 60 percent by weight skim milk powder, non-fat milk powder, or combination thereof, and the particles having a bulk density of less than about 0.35 g/mL.
25. The method of claim 2 , wherein the particles comprise at least about 80 percent by weight skim milk powder, non-fat milk powder, or combination thereof.
26. The method of claim 2 , wherein the particles comprise at least about 90 percent by weight skim milk powder, non-fat milk powder, or combination thereof.
27. The method of claim 2 , wherein the particles have a bulk density of less than about 0.25 g/mL.
28. The method of claim 2 , wherein the particles have a bulk density of less than about 0.20 g/mL.