Granulation: A Novel Method to Improve the Bulk Density and Flowability of Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS)

Table 2 shows the resistance to attrition; a measure of the granule ability to resist breakage during transport and handling was over 95% for the desired sizes, Group II and III. Some of the flowability indices measured, such as the compressibility index (CI), Hausner ratio (HR) and angle of repose (AoR), indicate that the granules produced have good flow characteristics.

In summary, a process for granulating DDGS to produce spherical pellets has been successfully developed and promises to alleviate some of the logistical and handling issues facing DDGS marketing. Additionally, the DDGS granules have been shown to potentially have prospects as carriers in fertilizer application which could open up a new value-added opportunity for DDGS. Work is still under way to scale up the process so that it could be brought to commercial use. Exploring these opportunities with the industry will be key to their successful deployment.