Application Characteristics of Reactors in the Production of Food Products Such as Flavors and Fragrances

　　Flavorings and fragrances are two types of additives commonly used in food products; however, these two products are not the same. A fragrance is a single, pure substance, whereas a flavoring is a blend created by artificially combining individual fragrance compounds. Fragrances can be produced through methods such as pressing, extraction, adsorption, and steam distillation, while flavorings are primarily obtained by carefully blending various fragrance compounds and other ingredients according to specific formulations.

　　Therefore, in the production process of fragrances and flavorings, reaction kettles are primarily used for fragrance products. Over the years, through our company’s collaboration with fragrance manufacturers, we’ve identified several distinctive features and specific requirements inherent to this type of production equipment:

　　1. Reactor material: Since this is a food additive, the substances used in production are non-toxic and non-corrosive. The equipment material can be food-grade 304 stainless steel.

　　2. Pressure Conditions: The pressure conditions under production are not high. Depending on the process conditions of different products, the pressure generally falls within the range of 0.5 to 1.0 MPa. The primary source of pressure is the vapor pressure of the liquid reactants.

　　3. Sealing configuration: For lower pressures, a double-end-face sealing configuration can be used.

　　4. Reaction temperature and heating method: The heating temperature is typically around 100 degrees Celsius, and steam heating is the primary heating method used.

　　5. Agitator blades and stirring speed of the reaction vessel: During the production process, as temperature and time progress, the viscosity of the material will increase continuously. Therefore, it is essential to equip the vessel with agitator blades that can handle high viscosity and effectively coat the vessel walls—primarily anchor-type and helical agitators.

　　6. Discharge method: Since the final product of the spice has a very high viscosity—typically in paste or powder form—the discharge outlet should be equipped with a large-caliber ball valve.