APPLICATION OF LIQUIDS TO SOLID PARTICLES

1 . A method for improving the % C.V. of a liquid composition added to a solid material, comprising:

a) preparing a low cloud point liquid composition containing (i) an ingredient to be added to a solid material in amounts of 1% or less, and (ii) 0.1% to 10 wt. % of a non-ionic surfactant selected from castor oil-based surfactants having 20-60 ethylene units, and

b) applying said composition to feed ingredients, livestock feed, aquaculture feed, companion animal food, human food, biologics or a pharmaceutical, by spraying the liquid composition onto the surface thereof with an average droplet size of 20-200 microns while mixing, and

determining that the coefficient of variance of ingredient (i) is 5% or less.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) comprises: a single feed ingredient, a mixture of ingredients used for livestock feed, aquaculture feed, companion animal food or human food.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) contains a pharmaceutical used for animal or human diseases prevention/treatment, or as a nutritional supplement.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein composition (a) contains a preservative, nutrition supplement, pharmaceutical, or biological applied in liquid form to a feed or pharmaceutical product.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant is an ethoxylated castor oil surfactant with 25 to 60 ethylene units.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant is from 0.5 to 2% by weight of composition (a).

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein composition (a) is applied by spray atomization.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein composition (a) is applied by a hydraulic spray system.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the C.V. is 4% or less.

10 . A method for improving the application of liquid ingredients to a solid feed ingredient or pharmaceutical agent, comprising:

c) preparing a liquid composition having low cloud point containing (i) an ingredient to be added to a solid material in amounts of 1% or less, and (ii) 0.1% to 10 wt. % of a non-ionic surfactant selected from castor oil-based surfactants having 20-60 ethylene units,

d) applying the liquid composition onto a solid material which is a feed ingredient or a pharmaceutical agent, by spraying the liquid composition onto the surface thereof with an average droplet size of 20-200 microns, and

mixing the solid material while applying the liquid composition, whereby the coefficient of variance of the ingredient (i) is 5% or less.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant is from 0.5 to 2% by weight of composition (a).

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the coefficient of variance of the active ingredient is 4% or less.

13 . A feed or pharmaceutical composition obtained by a process, comprising:

c) preparing a liquid composition having low cloud point containing (i) an ingredient to be added to a solid material in amounts of 1% or less, and (ii) 0.1% to 10 wt. % of a non-ionic surfactant selected from castor oil-based surfactants having 20-60 ethylene units,

d) applying said liquid composition to a solid material which is a feed ingredient or a pharmaceutical agent by spraying the liquid composition onto the surface thereof with an average droplet size of 20-200 microns, and

mixing the solid material while applying the liquid composition, whereby the coefficient of variance of said ingredient (i) is 0.1 to 5%.

14 . The composition of claim 13 , wherein the surfactant is from 0.5 to 2% by weight of composition (a).

15 . The composition of claim 13 , wherein the coefficient of variance of the active ingredient is 4% or less.