Moisture Content Of Raw Material Research Articles

Influencing parameters on mechanical–physical properties of pellet fuel made from corn harvest residues

Herbaceous biomass can be used as an alternative for wood to produce fuel pellets, but obtaining the appropriate properties for these pellets is a challenge. Worldwide, corn harvest residues have significant potential as a herbaceous biomass. The objective was to investigate influences on the mechanical properties of corn stover and corn cob pellets. The parameters varied included particle size and the moisture content of raw material, the shares of wood and additives, and pressing intensity. Corn cob pellets had better properties with bulk densities of 547.7–719.5 kg/m3, a mechanical durability of 88.0–98.8%, and pellet yields of 98.2–100.0%. When corn stover was used, these properties were 510.1–644.3 kg/m3, 77.9–99.2%, and 41.1–100.0%. Pressing intensity and blending with wood had a very strong significance (p < 0.001) in terms of improving the properties of corn stover pellets. These pellets reached quality thresholds when the extrusion ratio was raised to 5, when blended with 40% of wood, or when an admixture with 1% of pressing aid was used. To keep the pellets' moisture content under a limit of 15%, corn stover should be conditioned to a moisture content no higher than 17%. When corn cobs were used, particle size and pressing intensity showed a very strong significance (p < 0.001). Thresholds for corn cob pellets were achieved by either raising the extrusion ratio to 4 or reducing the particle size using sieve mesh size larger than the pellet press die openings.

Study on capacity of coffee grounds to be extracted oil, produce biodiesel and combust

Coffee is a global consumer product whose energy is waste. In order to reuse coffee grounds, the n-heptane was used to extract the coffee oil from spent coffee grounds. Then the coffee oil and methanol were used to prepare biodiesel through transesterification. In addition, the coffee grounds after extraction of oil was used to make solid biofuels. By experiments, the effects of different extraction methods, different proportions of n-heptane and coffee grounds, number of repeated uses of n-heptane and moisture content of raw materials on extraction rate of coffee oil and recovery of n-heptane were determined. Composition of obtained biodiesel was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. It was found that there were many components in biodiesel, including many esters, unreacted fatty acids, and some cyclic and linear organic compounds. By thermogravimetric analysis of defatted grounds, apparent activation energies of the combustion of main volatiles, secondary volatiles and fixed carbon were determined using the Coats-Redfern method. The apparent activation energies were 96.801 kJ·mol-1, 30.973 kJ·mol-1 and 21.227 kJ·mol-1, respectively.

Process Efficiency and Energy Consumption During the Extrusion of Potato and Multigrain Formulations

Abstract The aim of the research was to determine the effect of extrusion conditions (various moisture content of raw materials and screw rotation speed), as well as the effect of recipe composition on the process efficiency and the energy consumption during treatment of potato and multigrain products. The efficiency of the extrusion process (Q) was determined by the mass of the product obtained at a given time for all prepared raw material mixtures and the process parameters used, while the specific mechanical energy demand was determined using the SME index. The obtained results allow to conclude that the level of raw materials moisture content had a greater impact on the efficiency and energy consumption of the extrusion process than the variable screw speed during the treatment. The efficiency of the process increased with the increasing moisture of the tested compositions, while a decrease in the requirements of SME was observed. The use of differentiated raw material compositions also influenced the Q and SME values determined during the tests.

An experimental investigation on biogases production from Chinese herb residues based on dual circulating fluidized bed

In this paper, pyrolysis gasification experiment was carried out on a dual circulating fluidized bed gasifier using Chinese herb residues as raw material, and the effects of gasification temperature, the moisture content of raw materials, air equivalence ratio ER and steam to biomass mass ratio (S/B) on gasification characteristics were studied. The results show that the increase of gasification temperature can promote the gasification reaction and improve the gas production quality as well as the gasification efficiency. The rise of moisture content of raw materials leads to the decrease of the gasification temperature and φCO, the significant increase of φCO2, φH2, gas heat value and gasification efficiency all showed the tendency to increase first and then decrease. With the increase of ER, the combustible gas, especially φCO reduced continuously, leading to the gradual decrease of the calorific value of gas, φCO2, carbon conversion rate and gasification efficiency increased firstly and then decreased. A certain amount of steam ratio can improve the gas quality and the gasification efficiency, but excessive steam will restrain the gasification, S/B has a suitable threshold range. When the raw material moisture content was controlled between 5 and 10%, the gasification temperature was between 750 and 800 °C, ER 0.23–0.26 and S/B 0.4–0.6, the residue gasification system in dual circulating fluidized bed displays good gasification characteristics with more than 8 MJ/m3 the calorific value and 75% gasification efficiency. The results can provide a theoretical reference for the improvement of dual circulating fluidized bed gasification process and the further deepening utilization of Chinese herb residue resources.

Total Weight and Axle Loads of Truck Units in the Transport of Timber Depending on the Timber Cargo

When transporting timber, the high variability of species, assortments and moisture content of the wood raw material does not allow the weight of the transported timber to be precisely determined. This often contributes to the excessive weight loading of the entire truck unit. The aim of the research is to present the variability of the total weight of truck units with wood cargoes (GVW—gross vehicle weight) depending on the weight of the empty unit and the transported timber load, as well as to analyze the changes in GVW, unit loads of wood and load on individual truck unit axles depending on the season. This study analyzes the total weight of truck units for 376 transports of Scots pine timber at different times of the year. The total weight of the truck units depends on the weight of an empty unit and the weight of the load. GVW was determined by using a weighbridge to weigh the vehicles and then the empty unit after unloading. The weight of the load was obtained as the difference between GVW and the tare. It was found that GVW differed significantly depending on the truck unit used, ranging from 43.60–58.80 Mg, often exceeding permissible limits for public roads. The individual axle loads for various truck units were also analyzed. The obtained results indicate that these loads are more equally distributed in the case of five-axle trucks compared to six-axle ones.

Nutritional, functional and textural properties of healthy snacks formulation from hulled and hull-less barley

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a winter crop and mainly used for food and feed. Barley is an excellent source of β-glucan, fiber and has low glycemic index which helps in lowering cholesterol and maintains diabetes. Present study was aimed to develop extruded snacks by incorporating different proportions of hull-less and hulled barley into rice flour using single screw extruder under pre-optimized conditions. The prepared products were analyzed for their nutritional, functional, colorimetric and textural properties. Physico-chemical analysis of the different formulation has shown an increase in crude protein, total fat, crude fiber and total ash in rice + H.L.B from 8.01 to 9.01, 0.73 to 1.04, 0.77 to 1.14 and 0.55 to 0.99 respectively by increasing the quantity of H.L.B and 8.01–8.85, 0.73–1.02, 0.77–1.38 and 0.55–1.01% respectively for rice + H.B. The diameter of rice-H.L.B flour mix extruded snacks ranged from 8.14 to 8.73 mm and from 8.43 to 8.61 mm for rice-H.B flour extruded snacks. The color of extruded snacks turned darker on adding barley flour and trend goes on. WAI as well as WSI increased with the increase in moisture content of raw material. These puffed snacks have shown a better nutritional profile when compared to puffed snacks prepared from rice only.

Effects of moisture and pressure on densification process of raw material from Artemisia dubia Wall.

Abstract At present, active scientific research studies are being carried out worldwide on alternative biomass resources that could replace wood. One possibility is to use plants belonging to the group of fast rotation energy crops, which includes Artemisia genus plants such as mugwort (Artemisia dubia Wall.). These plants easily adapt to the prevailing agricultural-climate conditions in Lithuania and can offer yields from 22 to 27 t ha−1 in dry matter. However, due to the low bulk density of the harvested biomass, extensive use of A. dubia for energy production is not sufficiently effective. This study analyses the effects of the moisture content of A. dubia biomass and comparative pressure on the pellet formation process and pellet characteristics. A study was carried out on milled A. dubia biomass with six different moisture content levels (4.3, 7.8, 10, 12.9, 15.5 and 21.5%). Depending on the raw material press load and moisture content, it was determined that the pellet density was between 912 and 1214 kg m−3. As a result of plastic deformation and depending on the moisture content of the raw material used, the original pellet density decreased to 583 and 1064 kg m−3, corresponding to 13.1 and 5.5% respectively The results of the study demonstrate that the optimal moisture content for producing A. dubia pellets is 9.4%.

Influence of carbon material on the production process of different electric arc furnaces

The characteristics and applications of carbonaceous materials play a vital role in silicon production using an electric arc furnace, as this is an energy-intensive industry with high energy operating costs that is currently facing severe challenges to become more sustainable and more competitive. In this study, the effect of different carbon materials on specific electrical consumption and the exergetic efficiency and the silicon yield for two types of furnace was investigated using a statistical analysis method based on actual production data from the silicon plant. The highest exergetic efficiency values of 0.39 (8.3 MVA) and 0.42 (12.5 MVA) without recovery were obtained by the application of petcoke and charcoal. The exergetic efficiency was higher in the larger capacity furnace than in the smaller furnace for the same consumption of raw materials. The correlation between exergetic efficiency and carbon materials was evaluated and revealed that the moisture content and graphitization of raw materials have a significant effect on the exergetic efficiency. The reactivity of mixtures was improved by synergistic interactions between petcoke and coal or woodchips, which increased the carbothermic reduction utilization of silica based on the higher silicon yield indicator, but reduced the exergetic efficiency and silicon actual production, as it increased the specific electrical consumption.

Co-pelletization of sewage sludge and agricultural wastes

This paper concerns the process of production and properties of pellets based on biomass wastes. Co-pelletization was performed for sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant and other biomass material such as animal and olive wastes.The aim of the present study was to identify the key factors affecting on the sewage sludge and agricultural residues co-pelletization processes conditions. The impact of raw material type, pellet length, moisture content and particle size on the physical properties was investigated. The technic and technological aspects of co-pelletization were discussed in detail.The physical parameters of pellets, i.e.: drop strength, absorbability and water resistance were determined. Among others, also energy parameters: low and high heat value, content of ash and volatiles were presented.Results showed the range of raw materials moisture, which is necessary to obtain good quality biofuels and also ratio of sewage sludge in pelletizing materials.The analysis of the energetic properties has indicated that the pellet generated on the basis of the sewage sludge and another biomass materials can be applied in the processes of co-combustion with coal. Those biofuels are characterised with properties making them suitable for use in thermal processes and enabling their transport and storage.

Evaluation of selected properties of gluten-free instant gruels processed under various extrusion-cook- ing conditions.

For consumers suffering with gluten intolerance, the only way to manage the condition is to avoid foods which are high in gluten. Instant gruels, processed from gluten-free corn and rice by extrusion cooking, could be used as a ready meal both for children and for adults on a gluten-free diet. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of various processing conditions on selected characteristics of corn-rice instant gruels. Corn-rice mixtures (75:25 and 50:50) were processed at 12, 14, 16 and 18% of initial moisture content, using an extruder with screw speeds of 80, 100 and 120 rpm. Bulk density, water absorption and solubility, gel formation, color and sensory characteristics were assessed, under various pro- cessing conditions and with various corn:rice ratios. The composition of the raw materials, initial moisture content and screw speed applied during processing affected the characteristics of the corn-rice extruded instant gruels. Increasing the amount of rice in the recipe from 25 to 50% resulted in decreased bulk density, water solubility, volumetric gel formation ability and b* value. Increasing the initial moisture content increased the bulk density, L*, a* and b* intensity, and gel formation index values of extrudates made with a 75:25 corn-rice recipe. Increased rpm increased extrudate solubility and water absorption, if the initial moisture content was higher than 14%. The highest scores for overall acceptability were found for milk suspensions of 75:25 and 50:50 corn-rice instant gruels processed at 12 and 14% of initial moisture content, at 120 rpm. Corn-rice instant gruels can be successfully produced by extrusion-cooking. Variable param- eters, like the initial moisture content of raw materials or screw speed during processing significantly affected the properties of the products. An understanding of the effects of processing conditions on some qualities of extruded instant gruels allows more desirable products to be created. Moreover, the various components can be used for extruded products for consumers on gluten-free diets. Functional additives incorporated in the recipe to improve the nutritional value of the extrudates, which will be investigated in our upcoming research.

Effects of moisture content, wood species, and form of raw materials on fiber morphology and mechanical properties of wood fiber‐HDPE composites

Use of high‐quality wood fibers as reinforcement materials in wood‐plastic composites (WPCs) significantly improves the overall performance of the resulting WPCs. This study focused on the preparation of various types of wood fibers for subsequent use in WPCs. Further, effects of moisture content, wood species, and form of raw material on the quality of prepared wood fibers and on the mechanical properties of wood fiber‐reinforced high‐density polyethylene were comprehensively investigated. The main findings indicated that the overall size of wood fibers increased significantly with the initial moisture content of raw materials; the best morphological features of fibers and the best corresponding mechanical properties of WPCs were obtained for an initial moisture content of 30 wt%. The lengths and diameters of wood fibers prepared from veneers were larger than those of fibers prepared from chips. A wood fiber diameter between 0.21 and 0.29 mm (60–80 mesh) and a length to diameter ratio between 5 and 8 yielded the best mechanical properties for the resultant products. Finally, the composites reinforced with pine fibers exhibited mechanical properties superior to those reinforced with poplar fibers. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3236–3246, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers

Energy Consumption and Process Efficiency as Affected by Extrusion-Cooking Conditions and Recipe Formulation During the Production of Gluten-Free Rice-Legumes Products

Abstract The objective of the study was to determine the effect of extrusioncooking conditions (moisture content and screw speed) and recipe formulation on process efficiency and energy consumption during the extrusion-cooking of gluten-free rice-legumes products, shaped for spaghetti-type pasta. Process efficiency (Q) was determined through measurement of the pasta weight and energy consumption was determined using specific mechanical energy consumption (SME). According to the obtained results, screw speed had a great significant impact on Q and SME values which increased as screw speed increased. Moisture content of raw materials had also a significant effect on Q and SME mainly at low screw speed applied. The process efficiency increased with the increase of raw materials moisture content while reverse observations were noted for the energy consumption. On the contrary, variations of recipe formulations did not affect the measured parameters.

Biofuel pellets made at low moisture content – Influence of water in the binding mechanism of densified biomass

In order to find the optimum moisture content for strength and density for pellets produced in a laboratory single pellet press, three different materials were prepared, birch (Betula pendula), spruce (Picea abies) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). Pellets were produced at different process settings. Density and strength of the produced pellets were analyzed. Both pressure and temperature had a positive effect on pellet density and strength, while raw material moisture content was the dominant factor for pellet density and compression strength.For all raw materials, a maximum moisture content for pellet density and strength could be found. For birch at all compression pressures, maximum pellet density and maximum strength coincided at 6.1% moisture content. For reed canary grass, optimal pellet density occurred at 5.2% moisture content, the maximum pellet strength was at 8.5% moisture content for compression pressure of 300 MPa and 400 MPa. For spruce, maximum pellet density was found at 5.1% moisture content, and maximum pellet strength at 8.3% moisture content for compression pressure of 300 MPa and 400 MPa and at 10.7% for 200 MPa. When the process temperature was increased to 80 °C, the optimal moisture content for pellet strength shifted to a lower value. The moisture content for monolayer coverage was 6.2%, 7.7%, 7.5% for birch, RCG and spruce, respectively. Optimal moisture content coincided with monolayer coverage at room temperature when the compaction pressure was sufficient high, in the case of spruce and RCG, the pressure should be above 300 MPa.

Pengaruh variasi kecepatan udara dan massa bahan terhadap waktu pengeringan jagung pada alat fluidized bed

Indonesia is an agricultural country that has many agricultural products so that post-harvest handling is necessary so that the crop is not quickly broken when stored or distributed. One harvests in Indonesia, which require post-harvest handling such as corn. Based on SNI, the maximum moisture content of corn feed raw material has a moisture content of 14%. The water content of the corn used is 20% with a tolerance of ± 0.5%. Variations air speed used is 5 m /s, 6 m /s and 7 m /s with a variation of the mass of material that is 0.5 kg, 1 kg, and 1.5 kg. With the variation of air velocity and mass of the material showed that the higher the speed of the air, the faster drying time. In addition, the heavier material is drained, it will take longer. Variations of air velocity and mass of materials that require the fastest drying time is the air speed of 7 m /s with a mass of 0.5 kg. Variations of air velocity and mass of material that takes the longest drying air is at a speed of 5 m / s with a mass of 1.5 kg of material.

A Microwave-Sensitive Solid Acid Catalyst Prepared from Sweet Potato via a Simple Method

In this study, a microwave-sensitive solid acid catalyst was successfully synthesized from sweet potatoes via a simple process. The catalyst was proven to have superior microwave-sensitive and homogeneous properties. The physicochemical properties were characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), thermogravimetric (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and elemental analysis (EA). Results showed that the total acid density and specific surface area for the catalyst were 6.35 mmol/g and 78.35 m2/g, respectively. The elemental sulfur content reached 7.449% after sulfonation and the catalytic activity could reach over 91% within 30 min with microwave power density of 1.0 W/mL. The catalytic reaction temperature should not exceed 200 °C, as shown in TGA curve, and the moisture content in the oil raw material should be within 1%–2%. The catalyst deactivated gradually to 64.38% after reutilization five times, but the catalytic activity could be simply regenerated by re-sulfonation, albeit slightly reduced (87.56%). The shift of diffraction peaks in the XRD patterns and new absorption peaks at 619.98 and 1190.49 cm−1 of FT-IR spectra demonstrated that the –SO3H group was effectively attached to the catalyst. The SEM images displayed a loose and porous amorphous structure in the end catalyst.

Analysis of Total Qality Management Implementation of The Cost of Production in Animal Feed Industry

ABSTRACT Global competition is forcing companies have the ability to compete with similar companies, especially with companies that have applied science and technology, to be able to win this competition, companies are required to have efficiency so that their products can compete with similar products. To minimize deviations production process and shrinkage fodder, required a series of continuous improvement by the company to support the smooth operation of the company as a whole. Methods of research by the author is a method of collecting data with field studies and literature. Methods of field studies carried out by direct observation to the company. Research conducted an analysis of Total Quality Management. The purpose of this study in order to determine deviations and shrinkage process of production (shrinkage) fodder. The observations were carried out on an on going basis include observation of the moisture content of raw materials, checking the engine used on a regular basis, setting or press machine setup, the engine speed is balanced and improve the existing human resources. From the results of the study authors concluded that the application of Total Quality Management and conduct continuous improvement and sustainable can minimize shrinkage deviations and production process (shrinkage) so that the effectiveness of production can be achieved. Keywords: Cost, Total Quality Management.

Process analysis using multivariate regression models exemplified by WPC processing with a single-screw extruder

In the polymer industry, single-screw extruders are important extruding pure plastics; however, they are rarely used for the production of wood-plastic composites (WPC). The objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of WPC extrusion using a smooth bore single-screw extruder by determining the impact on product quality through process parameters and raw material properties using multivariate regression models. A general factorial design was used to examine the influence of variation of raw material moisture content and screw speed on processibility. To evaluate the performance of the single-screw extrusion in the production of WPC profiles, a reference was produced by use of the conical, co-rotating twin-screw extruder. The feasibility of PVC-based WPC production on single-screw extruder was demonstrated. However, only the profiles produced from absolutely dry raw material and with a low screw speed were of superior quality, i.e. showing higher density and mechanical strength properties.

The Effectiveness Criterion for Densification of Wood Waste

Densification process of biomass to the form of high-grade solid biofuel (briquette or pellet) is influenced by amount of technological factors. Size fraction and moisture content of raw material have the most importance. The densification process may be describing by complicated mathematical models based on behaviour of pressed particular matter. Therefore it is complicated to energy optimize the process. This paper deals with a methodology for determining the compressibility for pine sawdust on the basis of experiments. It also specifies the effectiveness criterion for biomass densification in order to optimize the densification process in terms of energy input. The experiments were performed in two stages. The first stage was an experimental investigation of the influence of size fraction and moisture content on the final compressibility of pine sawdust. High-pressure binderless densification of pine processing residues in the form of sawdust was studied. A piston-and-die process was used to produce densified briquettes under 20 °C temperature and at pressure up to 159 MPa. The results show the behaviour of the pressure load when the parameters of the particulate matter are changed. In the second stage, the experiments were evaluated and optimized to achieve minimum energy input of the process and a maximum degree of densification. For this purpose the Effectiveness Criterion for Densification was designed

Effect of Water Steam Treatment on Extrusion Texturization Product Properties

In this report, we mainly study the effect of water steam pretreatment conditions of raw materials on color, texture parameters, protein quality, solvent retention capacity and other properties of defatted soy flour extrusion texturization product and then trying to establish the regression model. The result shows that the correlation coefficients can be used for predicting the value of L*, hardness, cohesiveness, resilience, WSRC, LASRC, SCSRC and the interaction of covalent bond and non-covalent bond of extruded product of defatted soy flour steam treated. The effect of moisture content of raw material on hardness (p = 0.0010) and LASRC (p = 0.0041) is significant. The temperature of steam treatment on WSRC (p = 0.0017) and the interactions of covalent and non-covalent protein (p = 0.0003) is the most significant impact. The interactive effects of steam treatment temperature and moisture content on SCSRC of product is significant (p = 0.0002). The time of steam treatment has the most significant influence on L* (p = 0.0001), cohesiveness (p = 0.0019) and resilience (p = 0.0008) of product.

Effects of Moisture Content and Temperature on the Quality of Water Hyacinth Pellets

Moisture content and temperature are two important process parameters that greatly influence the quality of biomass pellet fuels. The moisture content of raw material was varied at five levels (8%, 10%, 12%, 14%, 16%) to test its effect on water hyacinth pellet density and diametric compression strength. The experimental conditions included a compressing force of 6 kN, hammer mill screen size of 2 mm, and temperature of 100 °C. Five temperature conditions (80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 °C) were studied under the same conditions and 12% moisture content. In these conditions, the optimal moisture contents for water hyacinth pellet density and diametric compression strength were 12.2% and 11.5%, respectively, and the optimal temperatures were 100.4 °C and 104.3 °C, respectively.