JP2000157615A - Sterilizing method of powder and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve durability by excellently mixing powder and superheated steam, quickly heating the powder, enhancing a sterilizing effect, and obviating a special seal mechanism. SOLUTION: This device has a superheated steam supply pipe 2, an ejector 3 for sucking powder by superheated steam, a separator for separating the superheated steam and the powder/grain, an exhaust means for exhausting the steam from the separator and processing piping 6 for communicating the ejector 3, the separator and an exhaust fan. The powder and the superheated steam are sucked from the ejector 3 by the superheated steam to be compressively mixed with the powder to be heat-sterilized to be held by the processing piping 6, and exhaust quantity of the exhaust fan is adjusted, and while adjusting pressure of the separator, the powder and the superheated steam are separated by the separator.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sterilizing powders and granules, and more particularly, to powders for heat-sterilizing powders such as foods and pharmaceuticals by using superheated steam as a driving source. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sterilizing granules.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, steam has been used for sterilization of powdery or granular raw materials or products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and feeds. Steam is used for sterilization because the method using heated air tends to cause deterioration in the quality of the material to be sterilized, and there is a problem that it takes a long time to raise the temperature because condensing latent heat having a large heat capacity cannot be used. By using superheated steam, saturated steam, or a mixture thereof, the latent heat of condensation can be used and the sterilization time can be shortened. However, even with the use of steam, the method of sterilizing packaged granules increases the size of the packaged product and takes time to raise the temperature because there is a gap between the granules inside, Moreover, it is difficult to eliminate internal temperature unevenness,
A part exposed to a high temperature for a long time is likely to deteriorate in quality, apart from heat treatment. At the same time the pressure of the packaging material,
There is a restriction that it can be used only for those that can withstand temperature. Further, the retort main body serving as a pressure vessel is rugged and large, which is disadvantageous in terms of space and cost. Further, since it is a batch-type operation, there are disadvantages such as that it takes time to prepare and take out.

[0003] As a device for sterilizing unpackaged particles using normal pressure or pressurized steam, a heating pipe for flowing high-speed superheated steam, and a sterilization target while sealing the superheated steam in the heating pipe. A charging valve for charging the raw material, a separation device connected to the heating pipe to separate the raw material from the stream of superheated steam, a raw material discharge valve connected to the separation device, and an outlet side of the raw material discharge valve. A so-called so-called crusher comprising a crusher continuously provided so that the raw material does not come into contact with the atmosphere, and a product discharge valve or the like having a sealing mechanism at an outlet end of the crusher to prevent air from entering the crusher. An air flow type device is known (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-153654). As another example of other airflow type sterilizer at normal pressure, there is a method in which a granular material is dropped naturally from the upper part of the tower, and superheated steam is supplied from the lower part to sterilize by heating in countercurrent.

Further, as a stirring type apparatus for sterilizing a granular material while stirring it using steam, a supply port for sterilized material is provided at one upper end in a sealed state, and a sterile supply port is provided at the other lower end. A horizontal can body provided with a material discharge port, and a stirring cylinder that rotates from the supply port to the discharge port of the can body are provided, and a steam supply pipe is provided in the can body. (See, for example, JP-A-10-75)
990).

[0005] In the above-mentioned air-flow sterilization apparatus and stirring type sterilization apparatus, when pressurized superheated steam is used for heating, a gas tends to flow between a material input portion and a discharge portion due to a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the device. In order to prevent this, a special rotary valve or a semi-continuous mechanism of a double damper system is used to charge and discharge the powder while sealing. In a tower-type sterilizer using superheated steam at atmospheric pressure, a special sealing mechanism for preventing gas inflow is not required, but falling objects are limited to those having a small apparent specific gravity.

[0006]

In the sterilizer using steam in a pressurized atmosphere as described above, a high degree of sealing is required, but the granular material has abrasion properties and is easily bitten on the sliding surface. For this reason, the durability of the seal mechanism is likely to be insufficient, and a special structure is required. This raises initial costs and maintenance costs, and there is a problem that it takes time and labor to disassemble and clean when changing the product.

[0007] In the tower-type sterilizer as described above, a material having a large apparent specific gravity does not disperse in superheated steam and falls freely as it is. And sterilization is not performed uniformly. The present inventor has invented in response to the above-mentioned problems, and has studied sterilization devices using various steams, sucking powder and granules with steam using an ejector, and rapidly heating by compressing and mixing. , It was found that it can be sterilized uniformly.

The object of the present invention is to mix powder and superheated steam well, heat quickly, enhance the sterilization effect, and eliminate the need for a special sealing mechanism to improve durability. To be better.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for sterilizing a granular material, wherein the granular material is sucked by an ejector using superheated steam as a driving source. At the same time, the mixture is compressed and mixed, sterilized by heating, and thereafter, the granular material is separated from the superheated steam and collected.

[0010] The method for sterilizing powders and granules according to the second aspect is the first aspect.
In the method for sterilizing powders and granules, both the powders and the superheated steam are sucked into an ejector using the superheated steam as a drive source. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method for sterilizing a granular material according to the first or second aspect, wherein the separation of the granular material and the superheated steam is performed for a predetermined time. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for sterilizing powders and granules according to the first to third aspects, wherein the powders and the superheated steam are separated under normal pressure. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method for sterilizing a granular material according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the granular material and the superheated steam are separated under pressure.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for sterilizing a granular material according to the present invention, comprising: a superheated steam supply pipe; an ejector for sucking the granular material by the superheated steam;
The separator is provided with a separator for separating the superheated steam and the granular material, an exhaust means for exhausting from the separator, and a pipe for communicating the eductor, the separator and the exhaust means. The sterilizing apparatus for granular materials according to claim 7 is the sterilizing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure of the separator. The sterilization apparatus according to item 6 or 7, further comprising heating means for heating the separator.

In the present invention, the granular material means a material to be sterilized (also referred to simply as a material) in the form of a granular material. And the like, and can be applied to powdery or granular raw materials or products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and feeds. For example, foods include cereals and their granulated products, spices, seafood such as bonito and fish meal, various tea leaves, vegetable chips, vegetables such as freeze-dried vegetables, and the like.
Examples include crude drugs such as cinnamon bark, peony and turmeric, pharmaceutical ingredients, and bulking agents. As the superheated steam generator, a known device for heating steam by an electric heating method, a combustion method, or the like can be used. In the present invention, the normal pressure means about atmospheric pressure, which differs from atmospheric pressure by several mm to several tens mm in a water column.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
An embodiment embodying the present invention will be described. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of a sterilizing apparatus for performing the method of the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows a supply unit and a first half of a processing unit of a schematic configuration of an apparatus for performing a sterilizing method according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the latter half of the processing unit, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the ejector.

The apparatus for sterilizing powders and granules according to the present embodiment includes a material conveying device 1 for supplying a granular material to be sterilized at a predetermined speed, and a superheated steam supply pipe 2 for supplying superheated steam.
An ejector 3 for sucking the material, a separator 4 for separating the superheated steam and the material, and an exhaust unit 5 for evacuating the separator 4
A processing pipe 6 communicating with the ejector 3 and the separator 4; an exhaust pipe 7 communicating with the separator 4 and the exhaust means 5; a pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure of the separator 4; The granular material supplied to the ejector 3 from the material transporting apparatus 1 and the superheated steam supplied from the sterilizing steam supply pipe 14 are used as a driving source for the superheated steam supplied from the superheated steam supply pipe 2. The ejector 3 is sucked into the system and processed. The exhaust pipe 7 is provided with an exhaust steam processing device 8 for processing exhaust steam used for sterilization.

The material conveying device 1 includes a screw conveyor,
This is a device that conveys a granular material such as a belt conveyor by a fixed amount. The material is supplied from a hopper 11 to a storage unit 13 through a quantitative supply device 12 capable of supplying a fixed amount at a time, such as a rotary valve.
Is supplied to the ejector 3 by a predetermined amount. If the material has a property of being transformed in the air, the transport path from the hopper 11 to the material transport device 1 is made airtight. The material transporting device 1 and the ejector 3 communicate with each other in an airtight manner, so that the material is efficiently sucked.

The ejector 3 is a device for injecting steam at a high speed from a nozzle to convert speed energy into pressure energy to reduce the pressure, and the superheated steam supply pipe 2 and the sterilization steam supply pipe 14 are connected. The supply pipes 2 and 14 communicate with a steam supply source (not shown). And ejector 3
As shown in FIG. 3, the suction chamber 15 communicates airtightly with the material conveying device 1 and communicates with the steam supply pipe 14 for sterilization.
And a steam chamber 16 communicating with the superheated steam supply pipe 2 and a discharge port 18 communicating with the steam chamber 16 and discharging steam.
And a diffuser 19 which communicates with the suction chamber 15 and has a smaller diameter at both ends than at both ends. The discharge port 18 has an opening located in the suction chamber 15 and ejects superheated steam supplied from the driving steam supply pipe 2,
The atmosphere is suctioned from the surroundings, and the pressure in the suction chamber 15 is reduced by reducing the pressure. The material and the superheated steam supplied by the material conveying device 1 are sucked into the decompressed suction chamber 15, and are compressed, mixed and heated in the diffuser 19 together with the superheated steam discharged from the discharge port 18 of the nozzle 17. . At this time, the heat transfer coefficient is large, and heat sterilization is performed rapidly. When the dimensional structure of the ejector 3 is determined, the required driving steam pressure amount with respect to the suction pressure is also determined. Therefore, if an attempt is made to secure the amount of superheated steam necessary for sterilization using only the driving steam, the degree of vacuum on the suction side is excessively reduced, and sterilization unevenness occurs due to an increase in the amount of leaked air. Problems such as biting into the seal portion may occur. Conversely, reducing the amount of driving steam increases the suction pressure,
Sometimes it is not possible to aspirate powders as you wish. In order to solve this problem, in the present invention, the superheated steam for sterilization is sucked into the ejector 3 together with the granular material so that a required amount of superheated steam can be secured. The material is conveyed to the superheated steam and is blown from the outlet 20 of the ejector 3 to the processing pipe 6. A vacuum gauge seat 21 is provided in the suction chamber 15, and a vacuum gauge (not shown) is provided to measure the pressure in the suction chamber 15. Further, a pressure gauge seat 22 is provided in the steam chamber 16, and a pressure gauge (not shown) is provided.
The pressure in the steam chamber 16 is measured. The superheated steam supply pipe 2 communicating with the steam chamber 16 is provided with a pressure reducing valve 23, a pressure adjusting valve 24, and a pressure indicating controller 25. The pressure control valve 24 is operated by instrument air based on a signal from the pressure indicating controller 25.

The superheated steam is reduced in pressure by a pressure reducing valve 23, and based on a control signal from a pressure indicating controller 25, the pressure of the pressure controlling valve 2 is reduced.
At 4, the pressure is adjusted to a predetermined pressure, supplied to the steam chamber 15, and discharged from the nozzle 17. Similarly, the pressure reducing valve 26, the pressure regulating valve 27, the flow rate indicating controller 2
8 are provided. The pressure control valve 27 is operated by instrument air in response to a signal from the flow rate indicating controller 28. The superheated steam is depressurized by a pressure reducing valve 26, adjusted to a predetermined flow rate by a pressure adjusting valve 27 based on an adjustment signal from a flow rate controller 28, and supplied to the suction chamber 15.
The mixture is sent from the suction chamber 15 to the diffuser 19 while being mixed with the material and the driving steam. Further, the outer walls of the ejector 3 and the processing pipe 6 are kept warm or provided with a jacket tube so that a heating medium such as heated air or steam flows therein so as to prevent a temperature drop of the steam supplied to the ejector 3. In the present embodiment, a jacket tube 29 is provided, and is configured to communicate with the heating air tube 30 to guide and flow the heating air. Then, the powdery material accompanied by the superheated steam is supplied to the processing pipe 6 through the separator 4.
And separated from the superheated steam.

The separator 4 is a device for separating superheated steam and sterilized material. The separator 4 is formed of a cylindrical portion and a conical portion disposed in an inverted conical shape below the cylindrical portion, and is provided with a processing pipe 6 communicating with the ejector 3. Is provided in the cylindrical portion, and a discharge pipe 31 communicating with the exhaust means 5 is provided in the upper center,
An outlet 32 for taking out the material separated from the superheated steam is formed at the lower part. The lower end of the discharge pipe 31 is hung down to a conical portion, and a discharge valve 33 such as a rotary valve is provided at the outlet 32. By setting the pressure inside the separator 4 to normal pressure, the discharge valve 33 can operate well even with the sealing property of a valve used under general atmospheric pressure. A pressure indicating controller 34 for measuring the pressure inside the separator 4 and generating a control signal is provided, and the inside pressure of the separator 4 is adjusted by adjusting the exhaust of the separator 4. Thereby, the pressure of the separator 4 is adjusted to be constant so that the sterilization treatment can be performed. The sterilized material is taken out of the discharge valve 33 intermittently or continuously. Separator 4
In order to prevent the temperature from dropping, it is preferable to keep or heat the outer wall. In the present embodiment, a jacket 35 is provided outside the outer wall, and a heating medium flows between the outer wall and the jacket 35 to heat the separator 4 from the outer wall so that the temperature does not drop. The air used for the heating is sucked by the circulation fan 38 through the circulation path 38a and is circulated for use. The exhaust pipe 7 is connected to the discharge pipe 31 of the separator 4, and the exhaust steam treatment device 8
Is in communication with

The exhaust steam treatment device 8 is a device for treating the superheated steam used in the sterilization treatment. The device is reheated to generate superheated steam, and a steam circulation device is provided to provide a steam supply pipe for sterilization and a superheated steam supply pipe. Or may be condensed and collected as drain. In this embodiment, condensation and recovery are performed using a condenser. The gas that does not condense is sucked by the exhaust fan 5 of the exhaust means and exhausted or, if necessary, further subjected to an exhaust process such as gas-solid separation.

The pressure adjusting means comprises a control valve 36 provided in the exhaust pipe 7, a pressure indicating controller 34 which measures a pressure provided in the separator 4 and generates a signal, and the like. A control signal from the pressure indicating controller 34, a drive motor for the control valve 36,
The pressure of the separator 4 is maintained at a predetermined pressure by adjusting the valve with a driving force of an air cylinder or the like. In the present embodiment, an adjustment signal is generated by the pressure indicating controller 34, the instrumentation air is adjusted by this signal, and the air cylinder is driven. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Gather together with the signal,
A comparison and adjustment device that outputs a control signal in comparison with a set pressure or the like may be separately provided.

A mechanism for flowing a heating medium to the outside of the outer wall for preventing the temperature of the separator 4 from dropping is provided with a heating medium supply pipe 37 communicating with the inside of the jacket 35.
7 is configured to communicate with a circulation fan 38, an air heater 39, an outside air intake filter 40, a flow divider 41, and the like. The circulating fan 38 sucks the used heating air and the outside air, sends the air to an air heater 39, heats it to a required temperature with water vapor, and heats the ejector 3 with a diverter 41.
The heat is supplied to the heating medium supply pipe 37 that heats the separator 0 and the separator 4 to heat them. The air whose temperature has been lowered by use of the heating is returned to the circulation fan 38 through the circulation path 38a, and is mixed with outside air and reused.

Next, the sterilization operation of the granular material by the above sterilization apparatus will be described. First, the apparatus is heated. The pressure of the superheated steam is reduced to a predetermined pressure by a pressure reducing valve 23, the flow rate is adjusted by a control valve 24, and the superheated steam supply pipe 2
From the discharge port pipe 31 to the separator 4 via the exhaust pipe 7 via the exhaust pipe 7 through the exhaust steam processing device 8 to be discharged or recirculated to the ejector 3 via the processing pipe 6. The pipe 6, the separator 4, etc. are heated.

In order to heat the ejector 3 and the separator 4 from outside, steam is supplied to the air heater 39, and the circulation fan 38 is operated to heat the air. The heated air flows from the pipe 30 to the ejector 3 via the flow divider 41, and also flows from the heating medium supply pipe 37 to the separator 4.
When heated to a predetermined temperature, the material is supplied by operating the material transport device 1 and the material supply valve 12.

The material is supplied to the storage unit 13 by the material supply valve 12, and is supplied to the ejector 3 by the material transfer device 1 by a predetermined amount. The superheated steam is discharged from the steam chamber 16 of the ejector 3 by the nozzle 17 and jets toward the diffuser 19. At this time, the material and the superheated steam supplied from the sterilizing steam supply pipe 14 are sucked and squeezed into the suction chamber 15 which is made negative pressure by the superheated steam ejected at a high speed, and compressed and mixed together with the superheated steam, It is heated and sterilized while flowing through the gradually expanded channel. The compressed material is ejected to the processing pipe 6, heated and sterilized for a predetermined time, and sent to the separator 4. In the separator 4, the material descends and accumulates downward while rotating the inner periphery of the outer wall by centrifugal force, and the superheated steam is exhausted from the discharge pipe 31, and the material and the superheated steam are separated. The superheated steam is sucked by the exhaust means 5, condensed in the exhaust steam processing device 8 by the exhaust pipe 7, separated into drain and exhaust, and removed.

According to the apparatus for sterilizing powder and granules constituted as described above, the material is sucked and processed by the superheated steam itself for sterilization in the ejector 3, so that the material supply mechanism can be simplified. Further, the mixing of the superheated steam and the material can be performed while compressing, so that the mixing can be performed efficiently. Further, since the apparatus is operated at normal pressure, the structure of the supply device and the like can be simple, and both initial cost and maintenance cost can be reduced.

Next, another example of an apparatus for sterilizing powdery and granular materials in which the latter sterilization separation process is performed under pressure will be described with reference to FIG. Until the material is sucked by the ejector in the first half of the processing section, compressed and mixed, and ejected to the processing pipe 6, the configuration and operation are the same except for the operating pressure. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts and the detailed description is omitted.

The separator 10 connected to the processing pipe 6 has a pressure resistance such that there is no leakage at a pressure higher than the normal pressure, for example, at several atmospheric pressures. The separator 10 is formed from a cylindrical portion and a conical portion disposed in an inverted conical shape below the cylindrical portion. An inlet for connecting to the processing pipe 6 communicating with the ejector 3 is provided on the ceiling, and a butterfly is provided at the inlet. An airtight supply valve 51 such as a valve is provided. An exhaust port for extracting exhaust steam is provided in the cylindrical portion, and a filter 52 is provided in the exhaust port, and communicates with the exhaust pipe 7 via the filter 52. An outlet for taking out the material separated from the superheated steam is formed at the lower part of the separator 10, and an outlet valve 53 having good airtightness is provided in the outlet. A stirring blade 54 is provided inside the separator 10, and a drive motor 55 for driving the stirring blade 54 is provided on the ceiling. A pressure indicating controller 34 is provided on the ceiling of the separator 10. A control valve 36 is provided in the exhaust pipe 7, and further, an exhaust steam processing device 8 and an exhaust fan 5 are provided. Supply valve 51,
The discharge valve 53 is controlled by a signal from a controller to control instrument air and is driven by an air cylinder.

The filter 52 is provided with a filter control box 56. The box 56 is connected to an inert gas supply pipe 57, and the inert gas supply pipe 57 is provided with a valve 58. When removing the material deposited on the filter 52, the valve 58 is opened and N ₂ gas is supplied from the inert gas supply pipe 57 to blow off.

Since the operation of the separator 10 is operated at a high pressure, the supply and discharge of the materials are performed by airtight valves 51 and 53.
And the exhaust of the superheated steam is greatly different only in that the exhaust is performed after the material is removed by the filter 52. Since the operation can be performed in the same manner as the separator 4, the description is omitted.

According to the apparatus for disinfecting powdery and granular materials configured as described above, the material is sucked and processed by the superheated steam itself for disinfection in the ejector 3, so that the material supply mechanism can be simplified. Further, the mixing of the superheated steam and the material can be performed while compressing, so that the mixing can be performed efficiently. In addition, since sterilization is performed under pressure, sterilization can be performed more uniformly and reliably.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes those which can be modified and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. By the way, in the above,
Although the method of adjusting the pressure of the separator has been described using the combination of the pressure indicating controller and the control valve, the exhaust fan may be directly adjusted. Further, although the example in which the adjusting device is constituted by the indicating controller and the adjusting valve has been described, the adjusting device may be constituted by a measuring device, an arithmetic device, an adjusting valve and the like. Further, the example in which the ejector and the separator are heated by air has been described, but the heating may be performed by steam.

[0032]

According to the method for sterilizing powders and granules according to the first aspect of the present invention, the material supply section and the separation section are suctioned at normal pressure and the powders and granules are sucked with superheated steam, so that a special supply device is not required. Yes, the initial cost and running cost can be reduced accordingly. In addition, since the mixture is pressurized and sterilized, the mixture of the material and the superheated steam is improved, and the material can be rapidly heated and sterilized.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the superheated steam for sterilization is sucked together with the powder separately from the superheated steam for driving the ejector, the sterilization and suction according to the powder are performed. Since the amount of superheated steam can be set according to the pressure, the same apparatus can be used for sterilization of various powders and granules, and the versatility is increased. In addition, the structure and dimensions of the ejector are not limited by the amount of superheated steam necessary for sterilization, so that the structure and dimensions can be made according to the size and amount of the granular material. According to the method for sterilizing powders and granules according to the third aspect, since the separation of the powders and the superheated steam is performed after the separation for a certain period of time, heating can be performed more uniformly. Sterilization unevenness can be eliminated. In the powder and particle sterilizing apparatus according to the fourth aspect, since the separation of the powder and the superheated steam is performed under normal pressure, in addition to the effects of the first, second and third aspects, no special seal is required for taking out the material. Therefore, the initial cost and running cost of the apparatus can be reduced, and the durability can be improved. According to the method for sterilizing powders and granules according to the fifth aspect, since the separation of the superheated steam is performed under pressure, the heating and sterilization of the powders and granules can be further improved.

According to the apparatus for sterilizing powders and granules according to the sixth, seventh or eighth aspect, the above-described method for sterilizing powders or granules can be realized, and as a result, heating is performed quickly and the sterilizing effect is enhanced. ,
An overheated steam sterilizer that does not use a special seal can be provided at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a supply unit and a first half of a processing unit of a schematic configuration of an apparatus for performing a sterilization method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a latter half of a processing unit.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an ejector.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a latter half of a processing unit according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Material conveying device 2: Superheated steam supply pipe 3: Ejector 4: Separator 5: Exhaust fan 6: Processing piping 7: Exhaust piping 8: Exhaust steam treatment device 10: Separator 11: Hopper 12: Quantitative supply device 13: Reservoir 14: steam supply pipe for sterilization 15: suction chamber 16: steam chamber 17: nozzle 18: discharge port 19: diffuser 20: outlet 21: vacuum gauge 22: pressure gauge 23: pressure reducing valve 24: pressure regulating valve 25 : Pressure indicating controller 26: pressure reducing valve 27: pressure adjusting valve 28: flow rate indicating controller 29: jacket pipe 30: heated air pipe 31: discharge pipe 32: outlet 33: discharge valve 34: pressure indicating controller 35: Jacket 36: Control valve 37: Heating medium supply pipe 38: Circulation fan 39: Air heater 40: External air intake filter 41: Divider 51: Supply valve 52: Filter 53: Extraction valve 54: stirring blade 55: motor 56: filter control box 57: inert gas supply pipe 58: valve

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A powder characterized in that the powder is sucked by an ejector driven by superheated steam, compressed and mixed, heat sterilized, and then separated and recovered from the superheated steam. Sterilization method of granules. 2. The method for sterilizing a granular material according to claim 1, wherein the granular material and the superheated steam are sucked into an ejector driven by the superheated steam. 3. The method for sterilizing a granular material according to claim 1, wherein the granular material and the superheated steam are separated after being held for a predetermined time. 4. The method for sterilizing a granular material according to claim 1, wherein the granular material and the superheated steam are separated under normal pressure. 5. The method for sterilizing a granular material according to claim 1, wherein the granular material and the superheated steam are separated under pressure. 6. A superheated steam supply pipe, an ejector for sucking powder and granules by the superheated steam, a separator for separating the superheated steam from the powder and granules, and an exhaust means for exhausting from the separator.
A sterilizing apparatus for a granular material, comprising: a pipe communicating the eductor, the separator, and an exhaust unit. 7. The apparatus for sterilizing a granular material according to claim 6, further comprising pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure of the separator. 8. The apparatus for sterilizing a granular material according to claim 6, further comprising heating means for heating the separator.