Publication no. C-1997-0822-04R |  VIEW ARTICLE

Hydrocyclone Separation of Dry-Milled Corn (1).

L. C. Dickey (2), M. F. Dallmer, E. R. Radewonuk, N. Parris , M. Kurantz, and J. C. Craig Jr. (1) Cooperative, investigations, USDA, ARS, Eastern Regional Research Center, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038. Mention of brand or firm names does not constitute an endorsement by the USDA over others of a similar nature not mentioned. (2) Corresponding author. Phone: 215/233-6640. Fax: 215/233-6795. E-mail: <Ldickey@arserrc.gov> Copies of the input file for the hydrocyclone model, with or without product filtration and recycle of the liquid to the hydrocyclone inlet, will be E-mailed by the authors to interested readers on request. Cereal Chem. 74(5):676-680. Accepted May 27, 1997. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc., 1997.

Corn milled to <1 mm using a screen mill was sieved and the particles >590 µm were soaked for 1 hr in solutions with a range of glucose concentration providing liquid specific gravities above and below that of the lighter fraction (corn germ). A suspension of these particles was pumped through a hydrocyclone to separate the germ particles and to rinse water-soluble compounds from the corn. The specific gravity of the hydrocyclone streams (suspensions), as well as liquid phase (after solids settling) was measured, and product compositions and particle sizes were determined. This work shows that a germ-enriched fraction of corn ground to <1 mm, can be separated with a hydrocyclone. To enable computer simulation of the corn-treatment process, the experimental data was used to construct a two-component model of the hydrocyclone separation of the milled corn. In the model, the milled and sieved corn is virtually separated into germ and endosperm streams that are fed to paired hydrocyclone models. Hydrocyclone bypassing streams that simulate particles entrained to the contrary outlet (underflow for germ and overflow for endosperm particles) were included in the simulation to bring the model into agreement with the experimental product compositions.