Fertilizers are commonly used to improve the soil quality in both conventional and organic agriculture. One such fertilizer is dolomite for which soil application in granulated form is advantageous. These granules are commonly produced from ground dolomite powder in continuous pan transfer granulators. During production, the granulator’s operation parameters affect the granules’ properties and thereby also the overall performance of the fertilizer. To ensure product granules of certain specifications and an efficient overall production, process control and intensification approaches based on mathematical models can be applied. However, the latter require high-quality quantitative experimental data describing the effects of process operation parameters on the granule properties. Therefore, in this article, such data is presented for a lab-scale experimental setup. Investigations were carried out into how variations in binder spray rate, binder composition, feed powder flow rate, pan inclination angle, and angular velocity affect particle size distribution, mechanical stability, and humidity. Furthermore, in contrast to existing work samples from both, pan granules and product granules are analyzed. The influence of operation parameter variations on the differences between both, also known as trajectory separation, is described quantitatively. The results obtained indicate an increase in the average particle size with increasing binder flow rate to feed rate and increasing binder concentration and the inclination angle of the pan. Compressive strength varied significantly depending on the operating parameters. Significant differences in properties were observed for the product and the intermediate (pan) samples. In fact, for some operation parameters, e.g., binder feed rate, the magnitude of the separation effect strongly depends on the specific value of the operation parameter. The presented concise data will enable future mathematical modeling of the pan granulation process, e.g., using the framework of population balance equations.
Adsorption mechanisms of caffeine, quercetin, and phenol as test substances in various chromatographic systems have been analyzed. The investigations were conducted using three different chromatographic columns packed with polar bonded stationary phases, that is, amide, amine, and zwitterionic. Methanol–water and acetonitrile–water systems with different organic solvent contents have been used as mobile phases. On the basis of adsorption isotherms obtained for the tested systems, Scatchard plots and adsorption energy distributions have been determined. The most likely retention mechanisms have been discussed. The results of investigations indicate that (i) the surfaces of tested adsorbents are energetically heterogeneous, and (ii) the main role in sorption mechanism is played by low‐energy sites.
Background: A microgranule fertilizer was designed for localized fertilization of soil with controlled release of nutrients. The microgranule matrix was fortified with proteins, which were obtained from food industry byproducts or waste, i.e., whey protein from milk serum, soy protein from soy isolate and egg white protein from chicken egg white powder. The mechanism of the protein decomposition and migration of micro and macromolecule compounds through two different model soil systems was investigated. The potential of the protein fortified fertilizer for localized fertilization of the potted maize seeds was evaluated. Results: The study revealed that proteins slowly diffused through soil with simultaneous degradation, which was accompanied with release of ammonia ions. The highest concentration of proteins and degradation products was found in a close vicinity of the microgranule. The microgranules were used as a local fertilizer for maize seeds in the pot experiments. The experiments confirmed statistically significant improvement in root density of maize plant compared to control group. Conclusions: Byproducts or waste of food industry, such as the milk serum and soy can be used as a source of proteins that degrade in soil without a pretreatment. The degradation is accompanied with formation of ammonium ions, which can be utilized by plants as a nitrogen source. The fertilizer microgranule should be placed in a close vicinity to the plant seed, since the maximum of the protein concentration and ammonia ions is reached at a very close distance from the microgranule.
Utilization of agricultural waste can be done by converting it with conventional fuels to energy. For this purpose, it is necessary to understand the properties of waste and its mixture with the fossil fuels important for its storage and conversion. The objective of the work was to examine the influence of moisture content and the composition of agricultural waste with hard coal mixtures on the mechanical and rheological properties of the waste. The materials tested were powdered biomass: dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), meat and bone meal (MBM), and hard coal (HC). Mechanical properties were measured to investigate flowability with the Jenike shear tester. A technique with an annular powder rheometer was applied for rheological measurements. It was shown that an increased moisture content worsened the flowability of the mixtures, while an increased biomass content reduced the influence of moisture and stabilized the mechanical properties of the mixtures in quasi-static conditions. In dynamic conditions, moisture decreased the mechanical strength of the mixtures and increased their flowability.
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