Upgrade of sunflower meal processing technology

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to investigate sunflower meal processing technology which enables adequate breaking up of the conglomerates, i.e., detaching of the protein core from the adhered hull and allowing for the hull separation by mechanical fractionation. Sunflower meal from the regular production of a domestic oil extraction plant, of the standard, pre-determined quality, with lower (sample 1) and higher (sample 2) percentage of conglomerates was used as a starting research material. Roll crusher was used for breaking up of the conglomerates. Particles larger than 5.0 mm were almost completely crushed in both samples, whereas percentage of particles larger than 2.0 mm was reduced by 17.6% in sample 1 and by 36.9% in sample 2. At the same time, percentage of particles smaller than 1.0 mm was increased by 6.9% in sample 1 and by 23.3% in sample 2, indicating that crushing of larger particles is more intense in both samples. Fractionation process on centrifugal separator results in the increased yield of high-protein sunflower meal (passing through the sieve) from 31.72 to 59.33%, while crude protein is reduced only from 0.25 to 0.68% of absolute value. As a result, obtained products passing through the sieve mesh size 1.5 and 1.8 mm are within the limits prescribed for the high quality sunflower meal. Preliminary treating by roll crusher upgrade the sunflower meal processing technology by increasing the yield of high protein sunflower meal and allow better valorisation of this feed.