共查询到20条相似文献，搜索用时 15 毫秒
1.
Amit Arora Bruce S. Dien Ronald L. Belyea Ping Wang Vijay Singh M. E. Tumbleson Kent D. Rausch 《Cereal Chemistry》2010,87(2):100-103
In dry‐grind corn processing, the whole kernel is fermented to produce ethanol and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS); the E‐Mill process was developed to generate coproducts in addition to DDGS. Compositions of thin stillage and wet grains obtained from the E‐Mill process will be different from the dry‐grind process. Knowledge of thin stillage compositions will provide information to improve coproducts from both processes. Laboratory dry‐grind and E‐Mill processes that used granular starch hydrolyzing enzymes (GSHE) were compared and process yields determined. Two methods, centrifugation and screening, were used to produce thin stillage and wet grains from the laboratory processes. Compositions of process streams were determined. In the dry‐grind process using GSHE, solids contents of beer, whole stillage, and wet grains were higher compared to the same fractions from the E‐Mill process using GSHE. Solids contents of mash for both processes were similar. Total solids, soluble solids, and ash contents of thin stillage were similar for the two processes. Fat content of thin stillage from E‐Mill was lower than that from the dry‐grind process; protein content of E‐Mill thin stillage was higher than that from dry‐grind thin stillage. Removal of germ and fiber before fermentation changed composition of thin stillage from the E‐Mill process. The screening method produced higher thin stillage and lower wet grains yields than using a centrifugation method. The screening method was less time consuming but resulted in limited wet grains material for additional analyses or processing. The centrifugation method of thin stillage separation removed more solids from thin stillage than the screening method. 相似文献
2.
Kalpana Naidu Vijay Singh David B. Johnston Kent D. Rausch M. E. Tumbleson 《Cereal Chemistry》2007,84(1):6-9
The effects of ground corn particle size on ethanol yield and soluble solids in thin stillage was evaluated using a 2‐L laboratory dry‐grind procedure. The procedure was optimized for grinding, liquefaction, sacchari‐fication, and fermentation parameters. The optimized procedure was reproducible with a coefficient of variation of 3.6% in ethanol yield. Five particle size distributions of ground corn were obtained using a cross‐beater mill equipped with five screens (0.5, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mm). Particle size had an effect on ethanol yield and on soluble solids concentration in thin stillage. The highest ethanol yield of 12.6 mL/100 mL of beer was achieved using a 0.5‐mm screen in the cross‐beater mill. Treatment using the 0.5‐mm mill screen resulted in soluble solids concentration of 25.1 g/L and was higher than soluble solids concentrations obtained with other screens. No differences in soluble solid concentrations were observed in samples of thin stillage obtained from 2, 3, 4, and 5‐mm screens which had a mean yield of 16.2 g/L. By optimizing particle size for maximum ethanol yield and minimum solids in thin stillage, dry‐grind corn plants could realize reduced capital and operating costs. 相似文献
3.
M. R. Wilkins R. L. Belyea V. Singh P. Buriak M. A. Wallig M. E. Tumbleson K. D. Rausch 《Cereal Chemistry》2006,83(2):121-126
In dry‐grind processing to produce ethanol from corn, unfermented solids are removed from ethanol by distillation and dried to produce distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), an animal food. Fouling of thin stillage evaporators has been identified as an important energy consumption issue in dry‐grind facilities. Using an annular fouling apparatus, four batches of thin stillage were analyzed to determine repeatability of fouling rate and induction period measurements. Dry solids, protein and ash concentrations, and pH were correlated to fouling rate and induction period to determine how variation in thin stillage from the same dry‐grind facility affects these fouling parameters. Effects of increasing Reynolds number (Re) in the laminar region on fouling rate, induction period, and fouling deposit protein and ash concentrations were also determined. Repeatability of fouling rate measurements was similar to other studies (CV < 7.0%) but repeatability of induction period measurements was high relative to other studies (CV < 88.7%). Fouling rate increased with increasing dry solids concentration. Thin stillage at Re = 440 had shorter induction periods and greater fouling rates than at Re = 880. Fouling deposits collected from Re = 440 tests had similar protein concentrations and lower ash concentrations compared with deposits from Re = 880 tests. 相似文献
4.
Removal of the germ at the front end of the dry-grind ethanol process using the Quick Germ process reduces the amount of oil in thin stillage. Thin stillage with 4–6% solids is dewatered to 25–30% solids by evaporation. Thin stillage evaporators in a dry-grind ethanol plant foul and have to be periodically taken down for maintenance and cleaning. Fouling caused by thin stillage containing different amounts of oil was studied using an annular fouling probe. It was determined that the rate of fouling in a drygrind ethanol plant is three times higher when compared with that in a wet-milling ethanol plant. The addition of oil to wet-milled thin stillage significantly affected the rate of fouling. Fouling resistance increased with an increase in oil concentration for wet-milled thin stillage up to a concentration of 1.41%. At a concentration of 1.47%, the rate of fouling decreased. As the concentration of oil increased in dry-grind ethanol thin stillage, the rate of fouling decreased. These results suggest that the Quick Germ process will reduce the rate of heat transfer equipment fouling in a drygrind ethanol plant, which will decease capital costs and maintenance costs. 相似文献
5.
M. R. Wilkins V. Singh R. L. Belyea P. Buriak M. A. Wallig M. E. Tumbleson K. D. Rausch 《Cereal Chemistry》2006,83(3):311-314
Dry‐grind corn processing facilities produce ethanol, carbon dioxide, and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). To produce DDGS, dry‐grind corn processors concentrate thin stillage in multieffect evaporators. Concentration of thin stillage uses large amounts of energy, and efficient operation is important for long‐term economic stability of the industry. Little data are available on fouling of evaporators during thin stillage concentration. We evaluated how thin stillage pH and acid type used during pH adjustment affected fouling as measured by induction period, fouling rate, and deposit composition. Using an annular fouling apparatus, fouling tests were conducted at pH 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5. In a second experiment, we used two types of acid, HCl or H2SO4, to adjust thin stillage to pH 3.5. Induction periods were shorter at pH 3.5 than at pH 4.0 or 4.5. As pH increased, fouling deposit protein decreased and ash increased. Concentrations of most elements, including P, Ca, Mg, Mn, and K, increased with an increase in pH. Phosphorus was the most abundant mineral element in fouling deposits. Induction periods were similar for the two acids. Thin stillage pH has an influence on deposit concentration, fouling rate, and induction period. 相似文献
6.
KeShun Liu 《Cereal Chemistry》2010,87(3):243-249
With increasing production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), both fuel ethanol and animal feed industries are demanding standardized protocols for characterizing quality. AOCS Approved Procedure (Am 5‐04) was used for measuring crude oil content in milled corn and resulting DDGS. Selected factors, including sample type (milled corn, DDGS), sample origin (ethanol plant 1, 2, 3), sample particle size (original matrix, <0.71 mm, <0.50 mm mesh opening; the last two materials were obtained by grinding and sieving), solvent type (petroleum ether, hexane), extraction time (30, 60 min), and postextraction drying time (30, 60 min) were investigated by a complete factorial design. For milled corn, only sample origin and extraction time had significant effects (P < 0.05) on crude oil values measured, but for DDGS, besides those two factors, sample particle size, solvent type, and drying time also had significant effects. Among them, the particle size of DDGS had the most effect. On average, measured oil content in DDGS ranged from 11.11% (original matrix) to 12.12% (<0.71 mm) and to 12.55% (<0.50 mm). For measuring the crude oil content of DDGS, particle size reduction, 60 min of extraction, and 60 min of drying are recommended. Regardless of the underlining factors, the method was very repeatable (standard errors <0.05). The observed particle size effect on crude oil analysis of DDGS suggests the need for similar confirmations using other analytical methods. 相似文献
7.
This study was conducted to improve yields and qualities of corn protein co‐products produced by the sequential extraction process (SEP), a process using ethanol to fractionate corn in producing fuel ethanol. A two‐stage extraction protocol was evaluated to recover zein and subsequently recover a glutelin‐rich fraction (GRF). After the simultaneous oil‐extraction and ethanol‐drying step of SEP, zein was extracted from the anhydrous‐ethanol‐defatted, flaked corn by using 70% (v/v) ethanol at 60°C for 1.5 hr in a shaking water bath. Zein was recovered by ultrafiltering and then drying in a vacuum‐oven. Zein yield was 65% of the available zein in the flaked corn. SDS‐PAGE band patterns of the recovered zein closely resembled that of commercial zein. After zein extraction, the GRF was extracted using 45% ethanol and 55% 0.1M NaOH at 55°C for 2 hr. The extract was concentrated by ultrafiltration and then freeze‐dried. GRF yield was ≈65% of the available protein. Freeze‐dried GRF contained 90% crude protein (db), which classified the protein as a protein isolate. As with the protein concentrate from the original SEP, the GRF isolate was highly soluble in water at pH ≥ 7, had good emulsifying and foaming properties, formed stable emulsions, and was heat‐stable. 相似文献
8.
Esha Khullar Jay K. Shetty Kent D. Rausch M. E. Tumbleson Vijay Singh 《Cereal Chemistry》2011,88(3):223-227
Effects of phytase addition, germ, and pericarp fiber recovery were evaluated for the E‐Mill dry grind corn process. In the E‐Mill process, corn was soaked in water followed by incubation with starch hydrolyzing enzymes. For each phytase treatment, an additional phytase incubation step was performed before incubation with starch hydrolyzing enzymes. Germ and pericarp fiber were recovered after incubation with starch hydrolyzing enzymes. Preliminary studies on phytase addition resulted in germ with higher oil (40.9%), protein (20.0%), and lower residual starch (12.2%) contents compared to oil (39.1%), protein (19.2%), and starch (18.1%) in germ from the E‐Mill process without phytase addition. Phytase treatment resulted in lower residual starch contents in pericarp fiber (19.9%) compared to pericarp fiber without phytase addition (27.4%). Results obtained led to further investigation of effects of phytase on final ethanol concentrations, germ, pericarp fiber, and DDGS recovery. Final ethanol concentrations were higher in E‐Mill processing with phytase addition (17.4% v/v) than without addition of phytase (16.6% v/v). Incubation with phytases resulted in germ with 4.3% higher oil and 2.5% lower residual starch content compared to control process. Phytase treatment also resulted in lower residual starch and higher protein contents (6.58 and 36.5%, respectively) in DDGS compared to DDGS without phytase incubations (8.14 and 34.2%, respectively). Phytase incubation in E‐Mill processing may assist in increasing coproduct values as well as lead to increased ethanol concentrations. 相似文献
9.
乙醇水溶液提取玉米胚芽油的工艺优化 总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0
为了解决水酶法提取玉米胚芽油生产成本高、提取时间长的缺点,该文采用乙醇水溶液作为提取剂提取玉米胚芽油。通过对粒径、料液比、温度、乙醇体积分数、p H值和时间等条件对油在油相、水相和渣相中分布的研究发现,物料粒径和乙醇体积分数对提高清油得率具有显著(P0.05)的影响,而提取时间对清油得率的影响最小(P0.05)。在单因素试验的基础上通过正交试验,得出乙醇水溶液提取玉米胚芽油的最佳工艺参数为:物料细粉4次(此时粒径为49.18μm)、料液比1∶7 g/m L、温度70℃、乙醇体积分数30%、p H值9.0、提取时间2 h。在该条件下,清油的得率为94.05%±0.32%,水相含油量为3.49%±0.77%,渣相含油量为2.55%±0.82%。分析乙醇水溶液提取的玉米胚芽毛油酸价、过氧化值和含水率等指标发现,该毛油的质量优于国标规定的玉米原油,并且和压榨一级成品油指标接近,只需要经过简单精炼就可以达到食用油要求。研究结果为乙醇水溶液工业化生产玉米胚芽油提供参考。 相似文献
10.
Effects of stripped (alpha-tocopherol < 5 mg L(-)(1)) corn oil on flesh firmness, skin color, acidity, soluble solids content (SSC), scald, and fruit volatiles during 6 months at 0 degrees C were studied using Golden Supreme and Delicious apples. Treatment with 10% oil emulsion reduced production of ethylene, alpha-farnesene, and major volatile esters in the first 3 months of storage, but this trend reversed after 5 months. After 6 months at 0 degrees C plus 7 days at 20 degrees C, oil-treated fruit were firmer and greener and had higher levels of titratable acidity than the controls. In addition, control fruit developed 27% and 42% scald in Golden Supreme and Delicious apples, respectively, whereas oil-treated fruit were free from scald. Soluble solids content and ethanol production were unaffected by oil treatment. 相似文献
11.
Christine Wood Kurt A. Rosentrater Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan Zhengrong Gu 《Cereal Chemistry》2013,90(1):70-79
Wider exploration of ethanol coproduct uses is necessary as the ethanol industry continues to face challenges. Currently, process streams such as thin stillage and condensed distillers solubles (CDS) are processed into distillers dried grains with solubles and used as animal feeds, but other higher value opportunities may exist. The objective of this study was to identify chemical components and quantify physical properties of CDS and thin stillage. Protein, organic acid, and sugar profiles were determined. Zein protein was identified, and glycerol was determined to have a concentration of 18.8 g/L in thin stillage and 63.2 g/L in CDS. Physical properties including density, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and rheological behaviors were also examined. Thermal conductivity of thin stillage and CDS was approximately 0.54 and 0.45 W/m°C, respectively. Quantification of the physical properties and identification of the chemical constituents pave the way for exploration of new value‐added uses for thin stillage and CDS. 相似文献
12.
Stimulation of carotenogenesis in carotenoid producing red yeasts, algae, or bacteria for enhanced carotenoid production has been achieved by mevalonic acid addition. Recently, carotenoid‐enriched feed was produced by Phaffia rhodozyma fermentation of inexpensive animal feeds. Because mevalonate improves carotenoid yield in P. rhodozyma in synthetic medium, this study tested whether a similar enhancement was possible in biobased substrates. Four concentrations, 0, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.1% of mevalonate as a precursor of P. rhodozyma production of astaxanthin and β‐carotene were evaluated in five substrates: defatted rice bran, full fat rice bran, wheat bran, corn whole stillage, and synthetic media. Additionally, four concentrations, 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5% of apple pomace and tomato pomace were also evaluated as precursors of carotenogenesis in P. rhodozyma fermentation of corn whole stillage and rice bran. Mevalonic acid, tomato pomace, and apple pomace enhanced carotenoid yields in all substrates in that order. However, the optimal concentration of precursor and the percent increase of carotenoid yield in each substrate were variable, potentially indicating substrate influence on carotenoid stimulation. Among animal feed substrates, mevalonic acid in corn whole stillage resulted in the best astaxanthin yield of 220 μg/g and β‐carotene of 904 μg/g. Tomato pomace resulted in 29% astaxanthin and β‐carotene enhancement in corn whole stillage, and apple pomace increased β‐carotene production by 26% in whole stillage. The use of expensive mevalonate is offset by the inexpensive process of producing carotenoid‐enriched DDGS. Optimization of tomato or apple pomace addition may further enhance the carotenoid yields. 相似文献
13.
Ping Wang Vijay Singh Li Xu David B. Johnston Kent D. Rausch M. E. Tumbleson 《Cereal Chemistry》2005,82(6):734-738
A new low temperature liquefaction and saccharification enzyme STARGEN 001 (Genencor International, Palo Alto, CA) with high granular starch hydrolyzing activity was used in enzymatic dry‐grind corn process to improve recovery of germ and pericarp fiber before fermentation. Enzymatic dry‐grind corn process was compared with conventional dry‐grind corn process using STARGEN 001 with same process parameters of dry solid content, pH, temperature, enzyme and yeast usage, and time. Sugar, ethanol, glycerol and organic acid profiles, fermentation rate, ethanol and coproducts yields were investigated. Final ethanol concentration of enzymatic dry‐grind corn process was 15.5 ± 0.2% (v/v), which was 9.2% higher than conventional process. Fermentation rate was also higher for enzymatic dry‐grind corn process. Ethanol yields of enzymatic and conventional dry‐grind corn processes were 0.395 ± 0.006 and 0.417 ± 0.002 L/kg (2.65 ± 0.04 and 2.80 ± 0.01 gal/bu), respectively. Three additional coproducts, germ 8.0 ± 0.4% (db), pericarp fiber 7.7 ± 0.4% (db), and endosperm fiber 5.2 ± 0.6% (db) were produced in addition to DDGS with enzymatic dry‐grind corn process. DDGS generated from enzymatic dry‐grind corn process was 66% less than conventional process. 相似文献
14.
Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), the major coproduct from the corn‐based fuel ethanol industry, is primarily used as livestock feed. Due to high protein, fiber, and energy contents, there is a high demand for DDGS. Flowability of DDGS is often hindered due the phenomenon of caking. Shipping and handling of DDGS has thus become a major issue due to bridge formation between the DDGS particles. The objective of this investigation was to measure flowability characteristics of DDGS samples from five ethanol plants in the north central region of the United States. Carr and Jenike tests were performed and the resulting data were mathematically compared with a previously developed empirical model. The largest particles had an average geometric mean diameter (GMD) of 1.19 mm, while the lowest particle size had an average GMD of 0.5 mm. Soluble solid levels were ≈10.5–14.8% (db). The effective angle of friction (δ) was 43.00–57.00°. Additionally, a few parameters exhibited fairly high linear correlations, including aerated and packed bulk densities (r = 0.97), geometric standard deviation and Carr compressibility (r = 0.71), geometric standard deviation and Hausner ratio (r = –0.70). Overall flowability assessment indicated that the commercial DDGS samples did have the potential for flow problems, although no samples exhibited complete bridging. Quantifying DDGS flowability is a necessary step toward overcoming this logistical challenge facing the fuel ethanol industry. 相似文献
15.
Ganti S. Murthy Devon E. Townsend Gavin L. Meerdink Gerald L. Bargren Mike E. Tumbleson Vijay Singh 《Cereal Chemistry》2005,82(3):302-304
Aflatoxins, like all mycotoxins, are toxic fungal metabolites that can have adverse health effects on animals and human beings. Aflatoxins are a major concern for the dry‐grind corn processing industry as it is believed that aflatoxins affect yeast and reduce its efficacy in producing ethanol. In the present study, aflatoxin B1 (100, 200, 350, or 775 ppb) was added to mycotoxin‐free corn and laboratory‐scale fermentations were conducted. No effect of aflatoxin B1 was observed on the fermentation rates or final ethanol concentrations. Mean ethanol concentration in the fermenter was 14.01–14.51% (v/v) at 60 hr for all the treatments. In the dry‐grind ethanol process, 55% of aflatoxin B1 was detected in wet grains and 45% in thin stillage. 相似文献
16.
Geun‐Pyo Hong Nicole Avramenko Andrea Stone Dawn Abbott Hank Classen Michael Nickerson 《Cereal Chemistry》2012,89(6):276-283
Extractability and molecular modifications of gliadin and glutenin proteins withdrawn from different stages of a commercial ethanol fuel/distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) process using a wheat feedstock were investigated. Materials were taken postliquefaction (PL), postdistillation (whole stillage), and postdrying (DDGS) during the process and then fractionated to separate the gliadins and the soluble high‐ and low‐molecular‐weight glutenins following a modified Verbruggen extraction method. Each fraction was characterized based on the extraction efficiencies within various aqueous alcohols of propan‐1‐ol, electrophoretic patterns, intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence, free and total sulfhydryl content, and total disulfide bond levels. Findings indicated significant changes to the composition of extracted proteins and modifications to the protein structure (i.e., surface properties and conformation) throughout the ethanol/DDGS process, beginning with the first step of production (PL, ≈83°C). Overall, processing resulted in a shift toward an unextractable gluten matrix, accompanied by increases in hydrophobicity, disulfide bridging, and excessive protein aggregation. 相似文献
17.
Bruce S. Dien Donald T. Wicklow Vijay Singh Robert A. Moreau Jill K. Winkler‐Moser Michael A. Cotta 《Cereal Chemistry》2012,89(1):15-23
Widespread epidemics of Stenocarpella ear rot (formerly Diplodia ear rot) have occurred throughout the central U.S. Corn Belt in recent years, but the influence of S. maydis infected grain on corn ethanol production is unknown. In this study, S. maydis infected ears of variety Heritage 4646 were hand‐harvested in 2010 from a production field in central Illinois and segregated into one of five levels of ear rot severity based upon visual symptoms. The concentration of ergosterol, a sterol produced by fungi but not plants, was observed to increase with the severity of ear rot (127–306.5 μg/g), and none was detected in the control corn. Corn test weight declined with progression of the disease and was 42.6% lower for the most severely rotted grain from ears infected early in their development. Accompanying changes in composition were also apparent. Crude fat and oil contents decreased (from 4.7 to 1.5%) and fiber increased (from 6.6 to 9.6%), but starch content remained largely invariant. Oil composition also varied among the infected samples. Control and infected corn samples were subjected to ethanol fermentation with a laboratory‐scale corn dry‐grind ethanol process. Ethanol yields for control and infected samples were similar on an equivalent weight basis (2.77–2.85 gal/bu). In comparison with the control, S. maydis infection altered the distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) properties, wherein the crude protein was significantly higher and oil significantly reduced, and ash, fiber, and yield per ton were not significantly different. Based upon these results, we conclude that Stenocarpella ear rot has the potential to affect DDGS composition but not ethanol yield on an equivalent weight basis. 相似文献
18.
F. Feng D. J. Myers M. P. Hojilla‐Evangelista K. A. Miller L. A. Johnson S. K. Singh 《Cereal Chemistry》2002,79(5):707-709
Sequential extraction processing (SEP) is a new approach to fractionating dried, flaked corn using 95% ethanol. In the original process, corn oil was extracted at 76°C in a countercurrent mode while simultaneously dehydrating the ethanol. This resulted in 20% of the protein (predominantly zein) coextracting with the oil. The process was modified to reduce the amount of coextracted protein. One modification (mSEP1) was to use a blend of 30% hexane and 70% ethanol at 56°C. A second modification (mSEP2) used a longer extraction column (L/D ratio 15) to replace the column with L/D 2 used in the original SEP system. To determine the effect of the modifications on oil quality, the quality of the crude corn oils produced from the modified SEP processes were compared with the quality of oil from the original SEP. To evaluate the quality of the three crude oils produced by SEP with the process typically used in industry, they were compared with the quality of laboratory hexane‐extracted corn oil. The results of the three SEP oils exhibited larger concentrations of fatty acids, phospholipids, and carotenoids, smaller concentrations of triacylglycerols, and darker red color than the hexane‐extracted oil. The oils from the two modified SEP processes contained smaller concentrations of free fatty acids and phospholipids and larger concentrations of triacylglycerols and carotenoids than the original SEP oil. In spite of the improvements to the oil through process modifications, the mSEP1 and mSEP2 oils exhibit greater refining losses than hexane‐extracted oil. 相似文献
19.
Keshun Liu 《Cereal Chemistry》2014,91(1):72-78
Fuel ethanol production from grains is mainly based on dry‐grind processing, during which phytate is concentrated about threefold in distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a major coproduct. To reduce phytate in DDGS, Natuphos and Ronozyme industrial phytase preparations were used to treat commercially made thin stillage (TS). Changes in phosphorous (P) profile were monitored, and effects of reaction temperature, time, and enzyme concentration were investigated. Results showed that at a temperature ≤60°C for Natuphos phytase (≤70°C for Ronozyme phytase) and a concentration ≤4.8 FTU/mL of TS for Natuphos phytase (≤48 FYT/mL for Ronozyme phytase), a complete phytate hydrolysis (phytate P decreased to 0) could be achieved within 5–60 min of enzymatic treatment. Reduction in phytate P was generally accompanied by increase in inorganic P, whereas total P remained relatively unchanged. When condensed distillers solubles (CDS), the concentrated form of TS, was used as the substrate, phytate hydrolysis by each of the two enzyme preparations was as effective as on TS. Because a previous study from the author's laboratory showed that all types of P are mostly concentrated in TS and CDS but much less in distillers wet grains, phytase treatments of TS and CDS described in the present study can be an effective means in producing low‐phytate DDGS. 相似文献
20.
Piling Dried Distillers's Grains with Solubles (DDGS) using gravity discharge is common in the corn‐ethanol industry. This study investigated the occurrence of particle segregation within piles of DDGS formed by gravity discharge and subsequent spatial nutrient variability. Particle segregation tests were performed in a laboratory study where piles of DDGS were formed using samples collected from two fuel ethanol plants (an “old” and a “new” generation plant), and a plant study performed on piles of DDGS formed at the same two fuel ethanol plants. In both the laboratory and plant studies, the piles were formed by gravity‐driven discharge and sampled at various categorized sections from the center of the pile to the periphery. Our results gave similar conclusions to a prior bench‐scale study and confirmed that particle segregation does result in significant differences in particle size at the sampled locations of the pile. Particle size expressed as the geometric mean diameter (dgw) increased from the core of the pile to the periphery. Of all the nutrient composition tested, only crude protein and moisture correlated with particle size. While the correlation of crude protein with particle size was not consistent and clearly discernible in all the piles sampled in both the bench‐scale and plant studies, the correlation of particle size with moisture showed a strong positive correlation. Based on these findings, we recommend the development of a standard sampling protocol following good sampling practices for bulk granular solids. 相似文献