EFFECT OF BINDING MATERIALS, FEEDING RATE AND DIE PROFILE ON AQUATIC PELLETS QUALITY USING RING-DIE PELLETING MACHINE

Abstract

The overall goal of the present study isto investigate the effectof using binding materials, feeding rate and die profile on aquatic pellets quality using ring-die pelleting machine to produce a strong and durable aquatic pelleted feeds with lowest specific energy consumption. Three feed blends containing 30% protein were formulated with the same concentrate level of each starch, gelatin and molasses of 3% as a binding material instead of fish meal (FM) along with appropriate concentrate levels of soybean meal, corn flour, mix of vitamin and mix of mineral and pelleted in a ring-die pelleting machine. The ring-die pelleting machine was evaluated under the same concentrate levels of replacement percentage of binding materials in feed formula, feeding rate (70, 100 and 125 kg/h) and two types of forming unit of die profile (1) and die profile (2). Using constant values of die speed of 300 rpm, average ration moisture content of 17% (w.b). The evaluation included machine production rate, pelleting efficiency, specific energy consumption, pellets quality (durability, bulk density) and economical costs of aquatic feed pellets mass. The obtained data showed that, the highest values of machine productivity of 123.96 kg/h, , lowest specific energy consumption of 19.26 kW.h/Mg, the highest values of durability (92.68%) and pelleting efficiency of 98.67 % were recorded in the case of gelatin as binding material, die profile (1) and feeding rate of 125 kg/h. but the highest values of pellets bulk density (0.822 g/cm3) was recorded in the case of molasses as binding material, die profile (1) and feeding rate of 125 kg/h.