FIELD: food industry.
SUBSTANCE: invention aims at eradicating vermin in foods and provides a method for generating gas fumigant in the form of phosphine and carbon dioxide. Method comprises formation of free space near the surface of mixture composed of metal phosphide, substance producing carbon dioxide through endothermic chemical process, and substance inhibiting their chemical activity, said mixture being packaged in sealed envelop contacting with mixture in all surface points of the latter, after which above-mentioned free space is filled with acid/water mixture. In this process, phosphine and carbon dioxide are formed simultaneously. Heat releasing from phosphine formation reaction is consumed in endothermic carbon dioxide formation reaction. Relevant apparatus represents at least one block constituted by two chambers, one of them being used to accommodate above-indicated triple mixture and the other acid/water mixture. Gas fumigant discharge opening is located on the second chamber and provided with device pushing first-chamber cup to the surface of triple mixture and device for displacing this cup along the surface of triple mixture, the latter device containing at least one opening to connect the chambers with each other. In the triple mixture, metal phosphide and carbon dioxide producing substance are taken in amounts ensuring phosphine-to-carbon dioxide volume ratio 1:(1.2-20.0), whereas acid-to-water weight ratio in their mixture is 1:(1-10). Fumigation is performed just before the acid/water mixture is brought into contact with the triple mixture packaged in sealed envelop as above, after which above-mentioned free space is filled with acid/water mixture. Alternatively, object to be fumigated is a solid monolith, through which alternate-direction natural convective air flow is passed and gas fumigant is passed periodically from above and from below of the product, of gas fumigant passage periods being alternated with periods wherein gas fumigant is not passed and matched with periods wherein natural convective air flow is passed inside the solid monolith of product.
EFFECT: increased service time of apparatus and reduced consumption of gas fumigant.
31 cl, 14 dwg
