Investigation of the possibilities for reduction of the finest particles during the production of pelleted pig feed

Abstract

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the possibility to decrease the amount of fine particles in the pellets by coarser grinding of corn before pelleting for the benefit of pigs ' digestive system. Quantity of fine particles after pelleting was more than twenty times higher compared to their quantity before pelleting. Nevertheless, certain combinations of parameters resulted in lower quantity of fine particles and the thickness of the die showed the most significant effect. Coarser grinding of corn before pelleting had some influence on decrease of fine particles in the pellets, but this effect was much weaker than expected. On the other hand, grinding intensity had no significant influence on pellet quality and specific energy consumption of the pellet press, suggesting that coarser grinding of cereals could be applied in the process of pig feed production than it is current practice. This will result in significant energy savings in grinding process.

Keywords

• corn
• grinding
• pelleting
• pigs
• particle size