JPH0588101B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention uses a plate-shaped body made of a graphite compound or graphite composite exhibiting a large value of thermal diffusivity to rapidly thaw frozen foods by heating at room temperature or low temperature. Related to frozen food thawing equipment. [Prior art] Frozen foods, which are frozen and refrigerated foods, are frozen at low temperatures and stored at low temperatures, so they have better quality than other stored and processed foods in terms of quality maintenance. There is. For this reason, the number of frozen foods is increasing, and the conventional thawing method called natural thawing involves gradually defrosting them in ice water, running water, in the air, or at a temperature of around 5 degrees Celsius, such as in an electric refrigerator. It is mainly used to defrost meat, fish, and shellfish that have been frozen raw. Rapid defrosting can be accomplished by thawing in hot oil, boiling water, steaming, in an oven, or in a microwave. A thawing method is used that rapidly reconstitutes food at high temperatures. [Problem to be solved by the invention] As described above, in addition to natural thawing, methods of thawing by heating at 60°C or higher using heaters and steam have been attempted, but these methods have problems with high melting temperature and short melting time. The problem of deterioration of the quality of the frozen product due to the length of time is a drawback. In addition, as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 56-151488, a device has been proposed in which frozen food is pierced and thawed using a large number of metal prickles embedded in a metal base with a built-in heater, but the temperature control mechanism It is not suitable as a shoe-making tool, including for home use, because it is accompanied by complicated devices such as, from the viewpoint of operation and cost. Furthermore, when high frequency processing is employed to shorten the thawing time of frozen foods such as meat, there are drawbacks such as partial high temperatures, deterioration of meat quality, and outflow of drips (gravy). The present invention solves these drawbacks and makes it possible to rapidly melt frozen foods at room temperature or low-temperature heating (below 40°C). , α=λ/Cp・ρ λ: Thermal conductivity Cp: Specific heat ρ: Density A graphite compound with a thermal conductivity (λ) of 0.1 cal/cm・sec・℃ or higher and a large value of thermal diffusivity. Alternatively, there is provided a frozen food thawing device comprising a plate-like body of a graphite-based composite, in which a frozen food is placed or sandwiched between the plate-like bodies, and the frozen food is rapidly thawed at room temperature or low temperature heating. It is intended to. Another object of the present invention is to provide an industrially advantageous frozen food thawing device that has a simple thawing method and mechanism, is hygienic, and can thaw in a short time without deteriorating freshness while retaining the good qualities of natural thawing, and does not allow time for bacteria to multiply. It's about getting. [Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the frozen food melter of the present invention has a thermal conductivity (λ) of 0.1 cal/cm・
A plate-like body of a graphite compound or graphite composite exhibiting a large thermal diffusivity (α) of sec·° C. or more is used. In normal graphite-based (graphite-based) compounds, Cp (specific heat) and ρ exhibit almost fixed values in the general formula,
In the present invention, graphite-based compounds or graphite compounds that have a thermal conductivity (λ) of 0.1 cal/cm・sec・℃ or higher and a large thermal diffusivity are used, excluding carbonaceous compounds that have a small thermal diffusivity. System complexes are suitable. Graphite, which is also generally called graphite, can be obtained with different purity depending on the raw material and manufacturing method, and is in a chemically bonded state of two or more elements. Carbon or carbon materials with different degrees of graphitization are formed by high-temperature heat treatment, and a graphite compound that exhibits a large thermal diffusivity due to the degree of crystal growth and orientation, or a graphite compound with materials other than carbon. A refrigeration system that is a composite body and adopts the configuration of a plate-like body, in which a frozen food is placed or sandwiched between the plate-like bodies, and the frozen food is rapidly thawed at room temperature or low temperature heating. It provides a food melter. The graphite compounds used in the present invention include various types of artificial graphite having a thermal conductivity of 0.1 cal/cm・sec・℃ or higher;
It can be arbitrarily selected from natural graphite, pyrolytic graphite, etc. Also, composites of graphite or carbon alone impregnated with synthetic resin and thermosetted, and graphite or carbon powder bonded with synthetic resin and thermosetted with an organic material, or copper or other metal powder mixed with graphite. A composite of a metal material in which the pores of graphite are impregnated with molten metal, or a composite of a graphite compound such as an inorganic material impregnated with low melting glass, silicate, etc. materials such as graphite-silicon carbide, graphite-silica, etc. [Function] In general, heat transfer phenomenon, heat transfer in a thawing machine is not only proportional to thermal conductivity, but also the value obtained by dividing thermal conductivity by heat capacity (specific heat x density), that is, thermal diffusivity. What is directly required for thawing is the speed at which the temperature of the thawing plate drops, and the more rapidly the plate temperature falls, the more efficiently the thermal energy held by the solid is transferred to the frozen material. In other words, the thawing power becomes stronger. This property does not appear often when the thermal conductivity is high, and in the plate-shaped body etc. in which amorphous carbon or carbon materials with different degrees of graphitization are molded by high-temperature pressure processing, the degree of crystal growth and orientation Due to this, the thermal diffusivity shows a large value and acts as an important factor in the thawing of frozen foods. [Example] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings and examples. Example 1 Example of melting in a test tube Conditions Room temperature 11℃ Sample ice block 15m/m x 15m/m x 10m/m Graphite plate Thickness 3m/m Height 300m/m
× Width 210m (manufactured by Tohoku Kyowa Carbon, composite carbon material) The overall structure is shown in Figure 1.

[Table] Example 2 Melting example Frozen yam usage conditions Room temperature 23℃ Graphite plate (Tohoku Kyowa Carbon, Escafaite GE-
134) Thickness 5m/m, length 300m/m x width 210m/m Initial board temperature 7℃ Sample shape Length 85m/m Width 110m/m x Height 20m/m Contents Frozen yam 90g Plastic bag pack material sealed shelf packaging

【table】 Example 3 Melting example frozen tuna conditions Room temperature 23℃ Graphite board Same as Example 2 Sample shape Bottom area 43.7cal Height 8cm 460g Initial temperature -8℃

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention uses a plate-shaped body made of a graphite compound or a graphite composite that exhibits a large value of thermal diffusivity, and prevents deterioration of freshness of frozen foods by heating at room temperature or low temperature, and improves natural thawing. It is possible to significantly shorten the thawing time and thaw in a short time without leaving drips, leaving no drips, or giving time for bacteria to multiply, and it is hygienic and can be manufactured at low industrial cost. It has the effect of

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of the melter of the present invention with a heater, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a type in which the melted product is inserted into two graphite plates and used at room temperature. 1...Wooden case, 2...Graphite board, 3...Auxiliary heater with overtemperature prevention, 4...Stainless steel plate with grooves, 5...Power cord, 6...Intermediate switch, 7...
Pillar, 8...melted product.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 In the general formula showing the thermal diffusivity (α) below, α=λ/Cp・ρ λ: Thermal conductivity Cp: Specific heat ρ: Density Thermal conductivity (λ) is 0.1 cal/cm・It is made of a plate-shaped body of a graphite compound or a graphite-based composite that exhibits a large value of thermal diffusivity of sec・℃ or more, and a frozen food is placed or sandwiched between the plate-shaped bodies and heated at room temperature or low temperature. A frozen food thawing device that rapidly thaws frozen food.