Abstract
An experimental vacuum coating system was developed. Liquid vitamin was sprayed into pellets of different diameters under vacuum. A special mixing paddle was developed and incorporated into the coating chamber to improve the mixing uniformity. The effects of vacuum pressure and spray pressure on the mixing uniformity were studied using the methylene violet tracing method. A proper spray pressure needs to be selected to obtain the best mixing uniformity. No effect of vacuum pressure on the mixing uniformity among pellets was observed. The effects of liquid dosing, vacuum release time, and pellet size on the gradient of liquid concentration between the central and the outer region of pellet were studied. Decreasing the vacuum release time reduced the gradient of liquid concentration. Increasing liquid dosing caused a decrease of the gradient of liquid concentration. The smaller the pellets, the smaller the gradient of liquid concentration.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 383-387 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - Mar 1 2003 |
Keywords
- Feed
- Liquid addition
- Pellets
- Vacuum infusion