Method for pasteurizing or sterilizing liquid and semi-liquid products

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR HEAT TREATING LIQUIFORM MATERIALS, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING THE LIQUIDFORM MATERIAL TO BE HEAT TREATED INTO A CLOSED HEAT TREATING ZONE IN A FINELY DIVIDED STATE, INITIALLY INJECTING PRIMING LIVE STEAM IN SAID TREATING ZONE TO HEAT THE MATERIAL TO A DESIRED TREATING TEMPERATURE AND THEN CUTTING OFF SAID STEAM WHEN STEADY STATE OPERATION IS REACHED, INTRODUCING THE SO-TREATED PRODUCT IN LIQUID STATE TO A CLOSED EXPANSION ZONE ALSO IN FINELY DIVIDED STATE, AND THEREIN COOLING THE PRODUCT BY EXPANSION TO A TEMPERATURE INTERMEDIATE BETWEEN THE INITIAL TEMPERATURE OF THE PRODUCT AND THE DESIRED HEAT TREATMENT TEMPERATURE AND THEREBY CREATING VAPORS, WITHDRAWING THE COOLED LIQUID PRODUCT, CONDUCTING THE VAPORS INCLUDING ALL THEIR INHERENT FLAVORS FROM SAID EXPANSION ZONE TO A COMPRESSING ZONE FOR COMPRESSING SAID VAPORS TO A PRESSURE AT LEAST AS HIGH AS THAT CORRESPONDING TO THE DESIRED TREATING TEMPERATURE, AND IN STEADY STATE OPERATION INJECTING THE VAPORS SO COMPRESSED INTO SAID CLOSED HEAT TREATING ZONE AS THE SOLE SOURCE OF HEAT TO PRODUCE THE DESIRED TREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL.