The Compression and Solidity of the Plant (IV)

Factors exerting a influence upon the compression and solidity of powdered plants

Abstract

Direct shear tests, durability tests and expansion tests were made according to design of design of experiments using orthogonal arrays on the solidity of compressed plant material (alfalfa) differing with the condition of powdered materials and its atmosphere after compression tests by means of piston. A summary of the results is given below.
1) Compressed materials of leaves compared favourably. in the solidity with that of stalks.
2) The solidity depenped on the difference in sizes of particles and the part of materials was the best when the powder was of more than 0.42mm, and not more than 0.84mm and of a leaf.
3) If the shock durability was taken as a criterion, factors which showed effect upon the solidity, in dereasing order, were the temperature, additives, the part of materials, size-distribution of particles and the moisture content. The effect of temperature and an additive was especially large
4) Increasing the temperature (to 80°C) gave good solidity.
5) Saccharose produced a better effect on the solidity than fat.
6) Addition of saccharose whose quantity was 10% of the plant material was effective, but addition of fat was ineffective when the quantity was 10% of the plant material.
7) The plant materials of 16% moisture content, wet basis, gave better solidity than those of 12% moisture content, wet basis.
8) The more there were different sizes of particles, the better the solidity was.
9) More binding ingredients except fiber were found in the leaf then in stalks, the compressed leaf material had the better solidity and temperature effect than the stalk material.