Sieve Fractions Research Articles

Assessing the chargeability and separability of oat groat particles through sieving combined with triboelectrification-based approach

• Oat groats were sieved at six different aperture sizes to produce twelve fractions. • Sieved fractions were analyzed for protein, particle size and tribo-charge behavior. • Particle diameters and protein content of sieved fractions were linearly correlated. • Sieved bran fractions were rich in protein and acquired high charges at laminar flow. • Sieved starchy fractions were enriched in protein by tribo-electrostatic separation. The possibility of fractionation of dehulled oat groat particles was assessed through combined sieving and tribo-electrostatic separation approach. Through this process, oat groats were initially sieved at six different aperture sizes of 53 to 425 μm, resulting in the production of twelve different fractions including six starch-rich fractions as well as six bran-rich fractions among which the bran-rich fractions had significantly higher protein concentration (15.5–19.6%) compared to the starch-rich fractions (9.7–14.0%). A linear relationship (R 2 = 0.9554) was found between protein content and mean particle diameters (D 50 ) of all sieved fractions. The tribo-charging behavior of all sieved fractions was assessed as a function of particle size and protein content. Bran-rich particles despite their large particle sizes were acquired higher charge-to-mass (nC/g) ratios compared to starch-rich fractions at the laminar air flow rate (Re = 2091) in contact with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tribo-charging tube. To exclusively evaluate the tribo-charging behavior of the fractions as a function of protein content, the specific charge (nC/g) values were recalculated to charge density (nC/m 2 ) values and a three-stage incremental trend was observed between charge density and protein content of the fractions at the laminar air flow rate. Starch-rich fractions exhibited totally different tribo-charging behavior at the turbulent (Re = 4182) air flow rate due to the large surface-to-volume ratio of their fine small particles that resulted in enhanced particle–wall collisions and eventually acquisition of higher specific charge values compared to their equivalent sieved bran-rich fractions. The starch-rich fraction sieved at aperture size of 106 μm with protein content of 10.1% was further fractionated through single- and multi-stage tribo-electrostatic separation processes where its protein content was sharply enhanced by ~80% equivalent to over 55% protein separation efficiency.

Quantifying the finest particles in dust fractions created during the sanding of untreated and thermally modified beech wood

This article deals with the fractionation of wood dust by sieve after sanding. Dust from untreated beechwood was compared to dust from thermally modified beechwood (at 200 °C for 3 h). The authors hypothesized that the thermal modification changes the particle size distributions of the dust sieve fractions and that all the dust sieve fractions contain the finest particles, which are suspendable in the air and are potentially respirable. To obtain dust for testing, both wood materials were sanded with P120 paper at a belt speed of 14.5 m/s and a pressure of 0.65 N/cm2. A set of sieves with aperture sizes of 25, 80, and 250 µm were used to separate the dust into sieve fractions with grain sizes less than 25 µm, 25 to 80 µm, 80 to 250 µm, and greater than 250 µm. The content of the finest particles in the fractions was measured via a laser particle sizer. Both dusts had similar particle size distributions. In addition, each investigated fraction of both dusts contained the finest particles, i.e., less than 10 µm. It follows that the laser analysis method may be necessary to correctly assess the occupational risk at a sanding.

Nutritional composition and physicochemical properties of oat flour sieving fractions with different particle size

Nutritional constituents, hydration, pasting, and thermal properties of oat flour sieve fractions (74–180 μm) and the relationship between composition and characteristics were studied. Starch constituents, protein components (except for albumins), and saturated fatty acids (SFA) were mostly distributed in small particle fractions, while total protein, albumin, dietary fiber (DF), lipids, and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) were abundant in large particle fractions. Amino acids (except for Tyr and Gly) of group Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ were significantly lacking in S2 (150–180 μm), and Cys decreased from 2.51% to 1.50% with the decrease in sieving particle sizes. The largest particles showed the highest water solubility index (WSI, 9.90%), the medium particles (100–132 μm) exhibited the highest pasting viscosities (final viscosity of 4148 cP), and the smallest particles had the maximum gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH, 3.2 J/g). Correlation analysis demonstrated that except for the basic components, Glu, Cys, Iso, Phe, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:2n6c also significantly affected the WSI and pasting properties of oat flour, while amylose, Gly, Ala, Val, Met, and C20:1 were highly correlated with thermal properties. The results are useful for oat processing and the development of oat-based products with specific particle size range to achieve desirable characteristics.

A new protocol to assess the microplastics in sewage sludge

Pollution from plastics and their slow degradation are current problems that require urgent solutions. The natural degradation of plastics leads to its fragmentation, resulting not only in microplastics (MPs) but also in nanoplastics (NPs). In recent years, research and monitoring of MPs and NPs concentrations has increased. The monitoring of their concentrations in the environment, sampling sites, detection and quantification methods are not standardised due to the inherent properties of the materials and the origin of the samples, which tends to make the comparison of data between different studies difficult. In this study, we developed an H2O2-enzyme protocol for the extraction of MPs from sludge based on existing analytical methods in the literature, from sampling to quantification and detection. Our laboratory study consists of four protocols used to verify MPs recovery from doped sludge samples containing three polymers (polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate and nylon). To emphasise the relevance of the optimal protocol, a triplicate test was performed for each of these protocols, all of them using sieve fractions between 100 and 500 μm, while isoporous polycarbonate membranes were used for the filtration of the samples. The percentage polymer distribution of H2O2-enzyme protocol was similar to the control (42% ± 8.49; 38% ± 2.83; 16% ± 11.31), with some limitations for the larger fraction. Data collection was carried out by optical visualisation and chemical identification using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to record polymer spectra obtained for potential interpretation. Finally, a test was conducted to try all protocols on a real sludge from a local plant to confirm their efficiency.

The Effect of Particle Size on the Physical Characteristics and Drug-release Behavior of Mini-tablets

This study aimed to investigate the influence of particle size of the excipients on the behavior of mini-tablets in terms of physical characteristics and drug release profiles. Material and methods: All of the mini-tablets based on HPMC, PEG 6K and PEO 8M PVP produced high quality mini-tablets from both sieve fractions while 90F was very fragile. Results: Crushing strength values were the most pronounced difference between the mini-tablets from all formulations. The PEO 8M-based mini-tablets showed the highest values and deformation behavior instead of fracture. Water absorption and drug release profiles also showed intriguing and different results between the various formulations. Conclusion: The results suggested that even though different particle size has limited effect on the physical characteristic of the product, it may have a significant effect on its drug dissolution profile. HIGHLIGHTS The particle size of powders or granules can influence the physical properties and release profiles of tablets, particularly mini-tablets PEG 6K and PEO 8M mini-tablets from the larger sieve fraction variation absorbed less moisture and released drugs faster than their counterparts, whereas HPMC and PVP 90F mini-tablets from both sieve fractions exhibited a similar pattern in terms of moisture uptake and drug release profiles PEO 8M mini-tablets of both sieve fractions displayed almost linear release profiles with the highest crushing strength than the rest of the formulations GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Investigating sizing induced surface alterations in crystalline powders using surface energy heterogeneity determination

Particle sizing is the most commonly employed and critical unit operation across powder processing industries. In this work, we show the surface energy changes prompted by the sizing operations like milling and sieving in α-lactose monohydrate powders using Finite Dilution Inverse gas chromatography (FD-IGC) analysis. Three separate sieved fractions of α-lactose monohydrate powder were divided into a top, middle and bottom fraction from the same starting material. Similarly, a custom grade α-lactose monohydrate was milled for a different duration to produce two milled samples with different median particle sizes. Sieved sample results showed that the bottom fraction exhibited higher heterogeneity with higher dispersive (γd) surface energy values ranging from 42.5 mJ/m2 to 45.9 mJ/m2 compared to the top and middle fractions. The finest fraction contains more cleaved surfaces that are exposed during the preparation process, i.e. milling, of the material resulting in different surface properties. Furthermore, the surface energy analysis of the milled samples revealed slight but vital differences in the γd heterogeneity profiles. The site-specific distribution of energies was obtained using the Boltzmann probability distribution model and revealed two distinct regions for crystalline α-lactose monohydrate. Thus, our work confirmed that sizing operations like milling and sieving affect the surface energy of the particulate solids due to the changes in properties like size, shape, exposure of internal cleavage planes, etc. and that the surface energy heterogeneity determination using FD-IGC helped in characterising these changes.

Effects of replacing steam-flaked corn with shredded sugar beet pulp on feed sorting, behavior, blood metabolites, and growth performance of dairy calves.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of partial replacement of steam-flaked corn (SFC) with shredded sugar beet pulp (SBP) in the starter diet on selective intake (sorting), feeding and chewing behavior, blood biochemical parameters, and growth in newborn female Holstein dairy calves. A total of 48 calves (3 d old; 40.1 ± 0.84 kg body weight; mean ± SE) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 feeding treatments containing 0 or 25% SBP (percentage of dry matter [DM]) in the starter diet. Calves were weaned on d 61 and remained in the study until d 81. Intake of starter feed and total intake of DM (milk DM + starter feed DM), crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber were increased (P < 0.05) by feeding SBP; however, intake of starch (P < 0.01) and total intake of ether extract (P = 0.03) were decreased with no apparent effect on total intake of ME. Average daily gain, feed efficiency, final weight, and skeletal growth also showed no significant changes. Circulating concentrations of glucose, total protein, and albumin were not affected by partial replacement of SBP with SFC; however, higher concentrations of blood urea-N (P = 0.01) and a lower albumin-to-globulin ratio (P = 0.03) were observed in SBP- vs. SFC-fed calves. Calves fed SBP sorted more for particles retained on the 4.75-mm sieve (P = 0.02) and against particles retained on the 0.6-mm sieve and bottom pan (P < 0.01). Intake of neutral detergent fibers and starch from particles retained on all sieve fractions was increased and decreased (P < 0.01), respectively, by replacing SFC with SBP. Replacement of SBP with SFC was associated with increased meal length and meal size and increased rumination frequency and length, but decreased intervals between rumination (P ≤ 0.01). Calves fed SBP spent more time eating, rumination, and standing and less time lying and non-nutritive oral behaviors (P < 0.01). In general, 25% replacement of SFC with SBP did not affect calf performance but increased time spent rumination and eating and decreased non-nutritive oral behaviors.

Granulometric distribution of metals in road-deposited sediments by using different sieving methods

Road-deposited sediments (RDS) contain metals that can pollute receiving waters during precipitation events. The concentration of particle-bound metals tends to increase with decreasing particle size. In terms of metal load, the highest loads were often located in the medium range of particle sizes. Many studies have used varying or undocumented sieving techniques without showing the quality of the separation process. This is important as different particle size classes are documented with different pollution contents and loads. This knowledge builds the foundation for the selection of best management practices to improve receiving water quality. Based on the knowledge that the separation of particle sizes by the commonly applied dry sieving can be methodologically biased, this study compares particle size classes obtained by dry and wet sieving methods. The aim of the study was to show the methodological influence of the sieving process on the particle-size distribution (PSD) with focus on the metal distribution within RDS. Therefore, concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb were determined and loads were calculated per sieve fraction after wet and dry sieving. Wet sieving causes a shift of the PSD to finer particles and both metal concentrations and loads are significantly higher especially in the smallest sieve fractions. Fine, highly polluted particles remained in coarser sieve fractions after dry sieving. This leads to diverging metal contents and especially loads in the fractions > 250 µm and thus lead to varying conclusions from the results. The results of the comparison of sieving methods however confirmed the relevance of the fine particle fractions in terms of best management practices. The fraction < 40 µm showed highest concentration and load in RDS after wet sieving. The results also showed the considerable influence of the sieving method used and the need to document laboratory methods as part of good laboratory practice.

Studies on the Content of Selected Technology Critical Elements (Germanium, Tellurium and Thallium) in Electronic Waste

The article draws attention to the problem of the presence of metals: germanium (Ge), tellurium (Te), thallium (Tl), and others (Cd, Ba, Co, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in selected waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). As a result of the growing demand for new technologies, the global consumption of TECs has also been increasing. Thus, the amount of metals in circulation, of which the impacts on the environment have not yet been fully understood, is constantly increasing. Due to the low content of these metals in WEEE, they are usually ignored during e-waste analyses. The main aim of this study was to determine the distribution of Ge, Te, and Tl (and other elements) in ground sieve fractions (1.0, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.1 mm) of selected electronic components (solar lamps, solar cell, LED TV screens, LCD screens, photoresistors, photodiodes, phototransistors) and to determine the possible tendency of the concentrations of these metals in fractions. This problem is particularly important because WEEE recycling processes (crushing, grinding, and even collection and transport operations) can lead to dispersion and migration of TCE pollutants into the environment. The quantitative composition of e-waste was identified and confirmed by ICP-MS, ICP-OES and SEM-EDS, and XRD analyses. It was found that Ge, Te, and Tl are concentrated in the finest fractions of ground e-waste, together with Cd and Cr, which may favor the migration of these pollutants in the form of dust during storage and processing of e-waste.

Relationship of particle density and organic content in sieve fractions of road-deposited sediments from varying traffic sites based on a novel data set

Pollutants (e.g. heavy metals) are to a large extent bound to particles in runoff from traffic areas. Sedimentation is the prevailing process of treatment in most cases. The effectiveness of treatment depends largely on the characteristics of the particles, especially their size and density. Road-deposited sediments (RDS) are the main source of solids in runoff. The sizes and density vary over a wide range, as the particles are composed of mineral and organic components of different origin (e.g. tire and road wear, plant debris, erosion from surrounding areas, atmospheric deposition). While many previous studies have dealt with particle-size distributions, there are still relatively few studies on density. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between particle size, organic content and density in RDS on a large data set from different sites and the influence of site-specific conditions on the composition. In addition, it should be checked whether the loss on ignition (LOI) is suitable as a surrogate parameter for density. Density was obtained by gas pycnometry, LOI by ignition in a muffle furnace at 550 °C. In total, 85 RDS samples were collected at 11 sites over a 5 year period and sieved into ten sieve fractions <2000 μm. Each sieve fraction was analyzed for LOI and density (n = 848). This novel data set covers a wide range of boundary conditions in terms of traffic intensity and surrounding vegetation. The results show that there is a strong negative linear correlation of density and LOI independent of particle size <2000 μm (R2 = 0.867). LOI is an applicable surrogate parameter for density in RDS. Site-specifically traffic and vegetation proved significant sources of organic content and density in the multicomponent mixtures in form of tire wear and plant debris.

BIOGEOCHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LANDFILL FRACTION GENERATED BY MECHANICAL WASTE SORTING

As the resource recovery from mixed waste streams are performed, new mixed waste streams are generated. Some of these waste streams does not fit well to existing waste management options, for example, they may hold a to low heating value to sustain combustion and they may have a too high carbon content to be accepted at non-hazardous landfills. Also various health and pollution risks may arise as well as practical handling issues due to the physical properties of such wastes. One such waste is the under sieve fraction generated when recovering metals and fuel from mixed waste streams using mechanical and magnetic separation tools. Such mechanical sorting is typically used for mixed wastes of different properties and particle sizes, such as houshold bulky wastes, construction and demolition waste, and at landfill mining materials. In this work, we examine the properties of one case of mechanical sorting of bulky wastes, including construction and demolition wastes. We analyse a broad spectrum of chemical, physical, and mechanical properties as well as some biological. Based on the data we develop recommendations for landfilling, what potential problems might arise and how to counteract them.

Soil water repellency in sandy soil depends on the soil drying method, incubation temperature and specific surface area

Soil water repellency (SWR) is problematic in rainfed cropping soils as it decreases plant water use efficiency. The occurrence of SWR is often dependent on the prevailing soil water content, but the response of SWR to soil water content varies among studies. We undertook three experiments to investigate how the (i) drying method prior to experimentation (oven-dried at 105 °C or vacuum-dried at 20 °C), (ii) incubation temperature (4 °C, 20 °C and 40 °C), and (iii) specific surface area (SSA) of four sieved soil fractions (0.49 m2 g−1, 0.59 m2 g−1, 0.65 m2 g−1 and 1.61 m2 g−1) influenced the response of SWR to soil water content. In all experiments, SWR (measured by molarity of ethanol droplet) remained constant up to a ‘threshold soil water content’, and then responded linearly with increasing soil water content. However, oven-dried soil at 105 °C had lower SWR than soil dried anoxically at 20 °C, which remained constant up to a threshold soil water content. The SWR response rate to soil water content above the threshold was also lower in the 105 °C oven-dried soil than the 20 °C anoxically vacuum-dried soil. Whereas, increasing the incubation temperature increased the SWR response rate to soil water content above the threshold. The four sieved soil fractions had increasing threshold soil water contents with increasing SSA, which could be related to the total carbon content of the soil. In conclusion, the same drying method and incubation temperature should be used throughout an experiment and between studies when investigating the response of SWR to soil water content to avoid methodological errors.

PROPERTY EVALUATION AND COMPLIANCE LEVEL ANALYSIS OF GLASS WASTES REINFORCED CERAMIC COMPOSITES FOR MASONRY APPLICATIONS

Abstract: This study investigated the effects of various sieve fractions of waste glass (WG) on the properties of fired clay bricks in order to enhance its service efficiency for masonry. Green bricks prepared with various sieve fractions of WG were dried in air for 24 hours and later in an oven at 110 ᵒCfor 8 hours to remove moisture content and then fired in a furnace at 4 ᵒC/min until 1000 ᵒC was attained. They were left to soak for another 4 hours and allowed to cool in the furnace. Samples were tested for firing shrinkage, weight loss, apparent porosity, water absorption, bulk density, compressive strength and modulus of rupture. Property evaluation and compliance level analysis were carried out on the results obtained, to check level of compliance with existing standards. Results revealed that firing shrinkage, weight loss, apparent porosity and water absorption reduced as WG particle sizes reduced while bulk density, compressive strength and modulus of rupture increased as WG particle sizes reduced. Compliance level table shows that sieve fractions of -150+75 μm (sample C) and -75 μm (sample D) had 100% compliance with all standards used for comparison, while the control sample X (0% additive), (sample A) -850+300 μm and (sample B) -300+150 μm had 50 %, 63 % and 88 % compliance respectively. In conclusion, WG particles sizes of 150 μm and 75 μm had the optimum impact on the properties of fired clay bricks for construction purposes.

Living and dead foraminiferal assemblages of the last decades from Kveithola Trough: Taphonomic processes and ecological highlights

We examine the living and dead benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the topmost 10 cm (using 150 μm sieve fraction) of three sedimentological short records collected in the Kveithola Trough (northwest Barents Sea). Our aim is to reconstruct the environmental variations of the last decades, connected to the interaction among the North Atlantic and the Arctic water masses. Our samples are collected at water depths between 150 and 380 m during the Eurofleets2-BURSTER oceanographic cruise, on board of the R/V Polarstern (June 2016).In the Cell Tracker Green (CTG) labelled living foraminiferal fauna, the main species are Pullenia bulloides, Globobulimina auriculata, and Nonionellina labradorica, while in the dead assemblages the main species are Cassidulina neoteretis, Cibicidoides lobatulus, and Cassidulina reniforme (outer, inner, and shelf stations, respectively). The dead foraminiferal assemblages show no significant traceable environmental changes in the Kveithola Trough area occurred during the last ca. 100 years. Conversely, the living foraminiferal fauna shows that this area is subject to variations related to circulation changes and organic matter burial in sediments, to which the biota adapts quickly. Moreover, the species that are only observed in the dead foraminiferal assemblages and not in the living CTG-labelled foraminiferal assemblages (e.g. C. reniforme) are typical of colder water and highlight the ongoing warming of the Arctic area. We find that the preservation of foraminiferal tests may bias the paleontological results. The agglutinated tests are often disintegrated, and the delicate calcareous ones are broken. The environmental conditions (style of sedimentation, bottom currents, interaction with other communities) can weaken the foraminiferal tests and make them prone to breakage or dissolution.

Desliming process of kuru columbite (Plateau state) using scrubbing method towards niobium pentoxide recovery

The presence of niobium in nature is associated with pegmatite in the form of columbite which necessitates its recovery process from the crude. Kuru Columbite Ore was sourced from ten different pits properly mixed to obtain homogenization and 20 kg was sampled out using the random sampling method, it was ground using the Denver milling machine and prepared towards characterization followed by desliming process by repeated scrubbing technique. Chemical characterization of the crude sample was carried out using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (ED-XRF). Mineralogical analysis was carried out using X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS). 100 g of the crude sample using the cone and quartering method was sampled out for the particle size analysis and 1000 g each of sieve fractions –710+500 µm, –500+355 µm, –355+250 µm, –250+180 µm, and –180+125 µm was used for the scrubbing process. ED-XRF analysis revealed that the crude sample contains 11.4% Nb2O5, 39% SiO2, 6.56% Fe2O3, 0.34% TiO2 and other compound in trace forms. Mineralogical analysis of the Kuru columbite revealed the present of niobium oxide, iron tantalum, with other associated minerals. SEM images revealed that the ore contains coarse grains of niobium pentoxide which are disperse within the matrix of the ore, this implies that it requires less energy to liberate niobium pentoxide within the matrix of its ore and are evenly dispersed. The EDS of these microstructures revealed the presence of O, Mg, Al, Si, and Fe. The particle size analysis revealed the liberation size to be -250+180 µm and the chemical analysis of the Kuru Columbite ore of the concentration test using scrubbing process revealed that the economic liberation (-250+180 µm) have the highest assay of 48.6% Nb2O5. Kuru Columbite Ore has successfully being upgraded from 11.4% to 48.6% via repeated scrubbing process.

Investigation of a Grey Alder Particleboard Bonded by Different Industrial Side-Stream Lignins

Particleboards based on a mixture of grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) wood particles (sieve fraction 0.4-2 mm) and 15 or 25% of lignin powder obtained by hot pressing from four different industrial sources were investigated. Their density, thickness swelling, water absorption, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity in bending, and internal bond strength were determined. It was founded that the source and amount of the added lignin noticeably affected all tested properties of the particleboards.

Testing Metal–Organic Framework Catalysts in a Microreactor for Ethyl Paraoxon Hydrolysis

We explored the practical advantages and limitations of applying a UiO-66-based metal–organic framework (MOF) catalyst in a flow microreactor demonstrated by the catalytic hydrolysis of ethyl paraoxon, an organophosphorus chemical agent. The influences of the following factors on the reaction yield were investigated: a) catalyst properties such as crystal size (14, 200, and 540 nm), functionality (NH2 group), and particle size, and b) process conditions: temperature (20, 40, and 60 °C), space times, and concentration of the substrate. In addition, long-term catalyst stability was tested with an 18 h continuous run. We found that tableting and sieving is a viable method to obtain MOF particles of a suitable size to be successfully screened under flow conditions in a microreactor. This method was used successfully to study the effects of crystal size, functionality, temperature, reagent concentration, and residence time. Catalyst particles with a sieved fraction between 125 and 250 µm were found to be optimal. A smaller sieved fraction size showed a major limitation due to the very high pressure drop. The low apparent activation energy indicated that internal mass transfer may exist. A dedicated separate study is required to assess the impact of pore diffusion and site accessibility.

A multi-analytical methodology for the characterization of industrial samples of spent Ni-MH battery powders

A multi-analytical methodology is implemented to characterize several sieving fractions of industrial samples of Black Mass (BM) powders originating from the thermo-mechanical treatment of cylindrical and prismatic-type spent nickel metal-hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. Elemental analyses of 17 elements (including C and O) indicate that the elemental composition of the powders (greater than93 %wt) does not depend on the battery type nor on the sieving fraction. XRD analyses evidence several phases (including Ni, NiO, CeO2 and C) but their quantification is not possible. Beyond these standard characterisations, magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate that the amount of metallic nickel versus nickel oxide increases with the sieving fraction, and that powders from prismatic-type batteries contain twice as much metallic nickel than cylindrical ones. Thanks to statistical analysis (based on clustering algorithms) of an electron probe µ-analysis (EPMA) compositional map, the complete methodology allows us to propose a full phase distribution for the BM particles. Three types of particles are identified and quantified. They originate from the partial oxidation of the battery components (anode active mass, anode current collector, cathode active mass and cathode current collector). The whole picture highlights the joint importance of battery ageing mechanisms, thermal deactivation and BM sieving steps on powder composition.

Flavonoid concentration in milling fractions of Tartary and common buckwheat

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and Tartary buckwheat (F. tataricum Gaertn.) samples were used in milling, sieving and analysing experiments. Flavonoids were analysed in buckwheat samples, in milling and sieving fractions and after the contact of flour particles with water, to simulate conditions in dough.&#x0D; In Tartary buckwheat, there was even more than 100-times higher content of flavonoids flour in comparison to respective fractions of common buckwheat flour. The highest concentration of flavonoids in milling fractions of Tartary buckwheat flour (granulation over 100 |im up to including 1000 |im) was established as 3.5-4.5% flavonoids/DM.&#x0D; Immediately after the direct contact of flour particles of common and Tartary buckwheat with water the apparent concentration of flavonoids rose (even for 100% or more) in the first 5-30 minutes of contact. After one hour, due to the degradation of flavonoids, their concentration decreased. Concentration of flavonoids are after 24 hours of contact of flavonoids with water in all milling fractions lower in comparison to the value after first 5 minutes of contact with water.

Micronutrients and in vivo antioxidant properties of powder fractions and ethanolic extract of Dichrostachys glomerata Forssk. fruits.

Dichrostachys glomerata powders were processed by sieve fractionation and ethanolic extraction followed by freeze‐drying. The micronutrient contents and the in vivo antioxidant properties of powder fractions in rats' high‐fat diet‐induced oxidation model were determined. Sieved fractionation was achieved by finely grinding the Dichrostachys fruits and fractionating on a sieve column to retain particle of sizes <180, 180–212, 212–315, and ≥315 µm. Unsieved powder and lyophilized ethanolic extract were used as control. All the powders were examined for the minerals, total carotenoids, and vitamins contents. For in vivo antioxidant properties assessment, the individual powder was dissolved in water and administered to rats at the dose of 250 mg/kg body weight. Oxidation was induced by treating the rat with high‐fat diet, and the measured parameters were malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities. The results showed a significant influence (p < .05) of particle size on the micronutrient contents and in vivo antioxidant properties. The smaller the particle size of the powder fractions, the higher the minerals, vitamins, total carotenoids contents, and antioxidant properties. Comparatively, the ethanolic powder had the highest carotenoids content, while the powders of particle size <180 µm and 180–212 µm had the highest minerals and vitamin contents. The highest antioxidant properties were characterized by high superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and low malondialdehyde production. The grinding of Dichrostachys fruit followed by controlled differential sieving process may compete with ethanol extraction for an efficient concentration of bioactive compounds and micronutrients except carotenoids.