Abstract
In order to study the vertical and horizontal distribution of the caking strength of refined salt packed in a 25 kg paper bag, a piling test was carried out with the salt piled up in 24 layers on wooden pallets and with 6 bags in one block, for three months.
1. In the early stage of piling, those paper bags located in the middle part between the pallets and in the lower part of the layers were found unstable, but they became stable gradually as time passed.
2. The caking strength showed a linear increase in proportion to the number of layers.
3. The vertical distribution of caking strength was found larger in the same layer (A, B, C and D).
4. The distribution of caking strength in one bag was large, and the highest value of caking strength was always shown in the central part of the bag.
5. Under the piling condition where the absorption and drying of moisture occurred, no relation was found between the caking strength and the water content.
6. A representative value of the caking strength was chosen from the central part of the bag when the highest value of caking strength was required, while it was chosen at random from the classified layer of the bag when a mean value was required.
7. The vertical caking strength was greater than the horizontal one by 1-3 times in the same position of the bag. This was attributable to the horizontally moving action of salt particles by incumbent pressure in the bag.
