scholarly journals Extrusion of Different Plants into Fibre for Peat Replacement in Growing Media: Adjustment of Parameters to Achieve Satisfactory Physical Fibre-Properties

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1185
Author(s):  
Christian Dittrich ◽  
Ralf Pecenka ◽  
Anne-Kristin Løes ◽  
Rafaela Cáceres ◽  
Judith Conroy ◽  
...  

Peat is a highly contentious input in agriculture. Replacing or reducing peat by substitution with lignocellulosic biomass processed into fibre by twin-screw-extrusion could contribute to more sustainable agriculture with regard to horticultural production. Therefore, plant wastes including pruning from Olea europaea L. and Vitis spp. L., residues from perennial herbs like Salvia spp. L., Populus spp. L. and forest biomass were processed to fibre for peat replacement with a biomass extruder. The water-holding-capacity (WHC), particle-size-distribution and other physical fibre characteristics were determined and compared to peat. The specific energy demand during extrusion was measured for aperture settings from 6–40 mm. No fibre reached the 82% WHC of peat. At the setting of 20 mm of all materials investigated, Salvia performed best with a WHC of 53% and moderate specific energy demand (167 kWh tDM−1) followed by Olea europaea with a WHC of 43% and a low energy demand (93 kWh tDM−1). For Populus, opening the aperture from 20–40 mm decreased energy demand by 41% and WHC by 27%. The drying of biomass for storage and remoistening during extrusion increased the specific energy demand. Despite a lower WHC than peat, all investigated materials are suitable to replace peat in growing media regarding their physical properties.

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 1758-1766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Françoise Berzin ◽  
Ahmed Tara ◽  
Lan Tighzert ◽  
Bruno Vergnes

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiqi Huang ◽  
Laura Roman ◽  
Mario M. Martinez ◽  
Benjamin M. Bohrer

The objective was to modify functional properties of breadfruit flours using twin-screw extrusion and test the physicochemical properties of the extruded flours. Extruded breadfruit flours were produced with twin-screw extrusion using different last barrel temperature (80 °C or 120 °C) and feed moisture content (17% or 30%). These conditions resulted in four extruded flours with different mechanical (specific mechanical energy, SME) and thermal (melt temperature) energies. At temperatures below the gelatinization of the native starch (<70 °C), swelling power was increased in all extruded treatments. Solubility was dramatically increased in high-SME extruded flours at all tested temperatures. Water holding capacity was dramatically increased in the low-SME extruded flours. A two-fold higher cold peak viscosity was obtained for low SME-high temperature extruded flour compared with the other extruded flours. Low SME-low temperature extruded flour still exhibited a hot peak viscosity, which occurred earlier than in native flour. Setback was decreased in all extruded flours, especially in high-SME treatments. The incorporation of extruded flours into soy protein gels did not affect cooking loss, while hardness and springiness decreased with the addition of extruded flours. Overall, extrusion of breadfruit flour altered functional flour properties, including water holding capacity and pasting properties, and modified the texture of soy protein gels.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2128
Author(s):  
Paulo F. Teixeira ◽  
José A. Covas ◽  
Loïc Hilliou

The dispersion mechanisms in a clay-based polymer nanocomposite (CPNC) during twin-screw extrusion are studied by in-situ rheo-optical techniques, which relate the CPNC morphology with its viscosity. This methodology avoids the problems associated with post extrusion structural rearrangement. The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix, which can be processed at ambient and low temperatures, is used to bypass any issues associated with thermal degradation. Local heating in the first part of the extruder allows testing of the usefulness of low matrix viscosity to enhance polymer intercalation before applying larger stresses for clay dispersion. The comparison of clay particle sizes measured in line with models for the kinetics of particle dispersion indicates that larger screw speeds promote the break-up of clay particles, whereas smaller screw speeds favor the erosion of the clay tactoids. Thus, different levels of clay dispersion are generated, which do not simply relate to a progressively better PDMS intercalation and higher clay exfoliation as screw speed is increased. Reducing the PDMS viscosity in the first mixing zone of the screw facilitates dispersion at lower screw speeds, but a complex interplay between stresses and residence times at larger screw speeds is observed. More importantly, the results underline that the use of larger stresses is inefficient per se in dispersing clay if sufficient time is not given for PDMS to intercalate the clay galleries and thus facilitate tactoid disruption or erosion.


2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thelma G. Manning ◽  
Joseph Leone ◽  
Martijn Zebregs ◽  
Dinesh R. Ramlal ◽  
Chris A. van Driel

In order to eliminate residual solvents in ammunition and to reduce the emissions of volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere, the U.S. Army ARDEC has teamed with TNO in developing a new process for the production of solventless propellant for tank ammunition. To reduce the costs of solventless propellants production, shear roll mill and continuous extrusion processing was investigated. As described in this paper JA-2 a double base propellant cannot be processed without solvent by the extrusion process. An alternative JA-2 equivalent propellant was defined. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the manufacturing of this propellant by solventless continuous twin screw extrusion processing while maintaining gun performance characteristics of conventional JA-2 propellant. This is elucidated by explicitly researching the relationship between interior ballistic properties of the gun propellant and utilizing a continuous manufacturing process. Processing conditions were established, and the propellant was manufactured accordingly. The extruded propellant has the desired properties, which resulted in a comparable gun performance as the conventional JA-2 propellant.


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