Albion Awarded New U.S. Patent

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich.—Albion was granted a new U.S. patent (No. 7,351,853 B2), “Method of Manufacturing a Granular Mineral Composition.” The patent describes a manufacturing process in which a reaction is carried out between edible organic acids and mineral bases to form a new mineral organic acid compound; the reaction is carried out in a manner that produces granules without requiring a binder or a solvent and no need for the use of extrusion and milling techniques to control particle size. Albion’s new technology controls the reaction, heat of reaction and achieves a reacted granulated mineral compound in one step, without the need for initial spray drying, addition of binders or any other extra process. Particle sizes for the granules can be controlled to achieve different micron size ranges. The heat generated during the reaction to form the new mineral compound is used to drive the moisture out of the granulation, yielding a new granulated compound ready for use.