MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CORN STOVER GRIND

S. Mani, L. G. Tabil, Jr., S. Sokhansanj

ABSTRACT. Mechanical properties of corn stover grind are important because of the need for accurate input data in the
mathematical modeling of densification processes and the design of densification equipment. Mechanical properties of corn
stover grind such as particle size distribution, bulk and particle densities, compressibility, particle stiffness, wall friction, and
adhesion on steel surfaces were determined with two hammer mill screen sizes (3.18 and 6.35 mm) used in grinding at three
different moisture contents (7%, 11%, and 15% w.b.). Compression tests were conducted for each combination of hammer
mill screen size and moisture content to establish pressure−density data at different applied pressures. Mechanical properties
such as compressibility, initial bulk modulus, porosity index, and particle stiffness were determined from the pressure−density
data. Shear tests were conducted to determine the coefficient of friction between the steel plate and corn stover grind at
different moisture contents and normal pressures.
Keywords. Coefficient of wall friction, Compressibility, Corn stover grind, Initial bulk modulus, Particle stiffness, Physical
properties.

C
orn (Zea mays) stover is the most abundant field
crop residue in the U.S., comprising roughly 80%
of total agricultural residues (Kadam and McMil-
lan, 2001). Studies are underway to use corn stover
as a feedstock to produce chemicals, ethanol, and producer
gas from gasification processes. Handling and storage of
stover are major obstacles in bio−based energy production.
The low bulk density of loose stover (80 kg/m3) place this
ample feedstock at a disadvantage compared to wood chips
with a bulk density of 250 kg/m3 (Tripathi et al., 1998; De-
mirbaº, 2001). Densified pellets from wood are produced
commercially and used in furnaces and fuel stoves (Samson
et al., 2000). Conversion of low bulk density stover into a
densified form for energy conversion improves the efficiency
and cost of handling, transportation, and storage.
The physical properties related to corn stover grind
compaction are important because of the need for accurate
input data for mathematical models of the compaction
process. Flowability is a measure of the quality of powdered
materials that influences the end products in chemical,
mineral, and food industries. The three key parameters
required in assessing flowability are cohesive strength, wall
friction, and compressibility (Knowlton et al., 1994). Com-
pressibility of food powders and biomass grind was reported
by a number of researchers, as it is related to flowability of
Article was submitted for review in July 2003; approved for publication
by the Food & Process Engineering Institute Division of ASAE in
November 2004. Presented at the 2003 ASAE Annual Meeting as Paper No.
036090.
The authors are Sudhagar Mani, ASAE Student Member, Graduate
Student, and Lope G. Tabil, Jr., ASAE Member Engineer, Assistant
Professor, Department of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering,
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; and
Shahab Sokhansanj, ASAE Member Engineer, Distinguished Research
Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Corresponding author: Prof. Lope G. Tabil, Jr., Department of
Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering, University of Saskatchewan,
57 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada; phone: 306−966−5317;
fax: 306−966−5334; e−mail: lope.tabil@usask.ca.
the powder (Peleg, 1977; Moreyra and Peleg, 1981; Tabil and
Sokhansanj, 1997). A highly compressible powder is less
flowable, and vice versa. Tabil and Sokhansanj (1997)
reported that high−quality alfalfa grind had higher compress-
ibility than grind from low− and medium−quality alfalfa.
Bilanski et al. (1985) reported the stress−density behavior of
forages during compression. They found that the maximum
density and particle stiffness for alfalfa were 1415 kg/m3 and
29.1 MPa, respectively, at 12.5% moisture content. Particle
stiffness decreased with an increase in moisture content
because water in the compact acted as a damper.
In storage, flow, and handling, accurate knowledge of the
frictional behavior of corn stover grind is essential for the
efficient design of equipment and for the prediction of flow
behavior. The frictional behavior of biomass grind in all
engineering applications is described by two independent
parameters: the coefficient of internal friction, and the
coefficient of wall friction. The former determines the stress
distribution within particles undergoing strain, and the latter
describes the magnitude of the stresses between the particle
and the walls of its container (Seville et al., 1997). Factors
that affect wall friction include particle size and shape,
moisture content, temperature, storage time at rest, and
presence of waxy substances.
Wall friction is also important in the design of densifica-
tion equipment and modeling of compression behavior of
powdered materials. The classic law of friction states that
frictional force is directly proportional to the total force that
acts normal to the shear surfaces. Frictional force depends on
the nature of the materials in contact but is independent of the
area of contact or sliding velocity (Mohsenin, 1986). The
friction coefficient of many agricultural materials has been
reported by a number of researchers (Richter, 1954; Snyder
et al., 1967; Thompson and Ross, 1983; Chung and Verma,
1989; Puchalski and Brusewitz, 1996).
Based on our literature search, no information is available
on the mechanical and frictional properties of corn stover
grind. Therefore, the present work was undertaken to:
(1) determine the physical and mechanical characteristics of

Transactions of the ASAE

Vol. 47(6): 1983−1990 E 2004 American Society of Agricultural Engineers ISSN 0001−2351 1983
corn stover grind, and (2) determine the frictional character-
istics of corn stover on steel surfaces.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
MATERIAL
Round bales of corn stover of variety Garst 8550 was
received at moisture content of 20% from Iowa (Garst Seed
Company sells hybrid corn seed variety Garst 8550 in Iowa).
The bales were ground in a tub grinder (Haybuster H−1000,
Dura Tech Industries International, Inc., Jamestown, N.D.)
and further ground using a hammer mill (Glen Mills, Inc.,
Clifton, N.J.) with screen openings of 6.35 and 3.18 mm. The
hammer milled grind had equilibrated to a moisture content
of 7% when it was stored at room condition. A portion of the
grind at 7% moisture content was set aside for testing.
Another portion of the grind was further conditioned by
spraying a predetermined amount of distilled water over the
samples, agitated, and kept for 48 h at 5°C to obtain grind
samples with moisture contents of 11% and 15%.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Moisture Content
The moisture content of chopped stover was determined
according to ASAE Standard S358.2 for forages (ASAE
Standards, 2000). A sample of 25 g was oven dried for 24 h
at 105°C ±3°C. The moisture content was reported in percent
wet basis. The moisture content of the grind was determined
as per the procedure given in ASTM Standard D 3173−87 for
coal and coke (ASTM, 1998). One gram of pulverized sample
passing through sieve number 60 (0.25 mm) was taken and
oven dried for 1 h at 104°C to 110°C. A forced convective
electric oven (Blue M Thermal Products Solutions, William-
sport, Pa.) was used for moisture determination. The
moisture content of the grind was determined by weighing
the oven−dried sample and expressed in percent wet basis
(moisture content in this article is expressed as wet basis
unless otherwise stated).
Particle Size Distribution
Moisture content, particle size distribution, bulk density,
and particle density of corn stover were determined. The
particle size of the grind was determined according to ASAE
Standard S319.3 (ASAE Standards, 2002a). A 100 g sample
of grind was placed in a stack of sieves arranged from the
largest to the smallest opening. The sieve series selected were
based on the range of particles in the sample. For the grind
from the 6.35 mm hammer mill screen opening, Canadian
series sieve numbers 8, 12, 16, 20, 30, 40, 50, 70, and 100
(nominal opening of 2.36, 1.7, 1.2, 0.85, 0.59, 0.43, 0.30,
0.21, and 0.15 mm, respectively) were used. The sieves used
for the grind from the 3.18 mm hammer mill screen opening
were numbers 16, 20, 30, 40 50, 70, 100, and 200 (nominal
opening of 1.2, 0.85, 0.59, 0.43, 0.30, 0.21, 0.15, and 0.075
mm, respectively). The set of sieves was placed on a Ro−Tap
sieve shaker (Tyler Industrial Products, Mentor, Ohio). The
duration of sieving was 10 min, which was previously
determined through trials to be optimal for corn stover grind
because of its fluffy and dusty nature. After sieving, the mass
retained on each sieve was weighed. Sieve analysis was
repeated three times for each grind sample. The geometric
mean diameter of particles (dgw ) and the geometric standard
1984
deviation of particle diameter (Sgw ) for the sample were
calculated according to ASAE Standard S319.3.
The chop size of corn stover was determined according to
ASAE Standard S424.1 (ASAE Standards, 2002b) for
chopped forage materials. A screen shaker as described in
ASAE Standard S424.1 was built at the University of
Saskatchewan and used for the determination of corn stover
chop size. A sample consisting of 4 L chopped corn stover
(after tub grinding) was placed into the top screen of the
screen shaker. The material was screened for 5 min. The mass
retained on each screen was weighed to determine the
geometric mean size of the chopped material.
Bulk Density and Particle Density of Grind
The bulk density of the grind was measured using a grain
bulk density apparatus. The grind was placed on the funnel
and dropped continuously at the center of a 0.5 L steel cup.
Since the grind was fluffy and did not flow readily through
the funnel, it was stirred using a thin rod in order to maintain
a continuous flow of the material. The cup was leveled gently
with a rubber−coated steel rod and weighed. Mass per unit
volume yielded the bulk density of the grind, which was
expressed in kg/m3.
The particle density of the grind was measured using a gas
multipycnometer (Quantachrome Corp., Boynton Beach,
Fla.) by measuring the pressure difference when a known
quantity of nitrogen under pressure is allowed to flow from
a previously known reference volume (VR ) into a sample cell
(Vc ) containing the ground material. The true volume of the
sample (Vp ) was calculated from equation 1:
P 
V p = Vc − VR  1 − 1 (1)
P2 
where V is volume, P is pressure, and subscripts 1 and 2
represent the pressure readings after pressurizing the refer-
ence volume and after including VC , respectively. The
particle density of the sample is its mass divided by Vp and
is expressed in kg/m3. Each bulk and particle measurement
was repeated five times on the same sample.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Compression Test
The single pelleter unit used by Tabil (1996) in determin-
ing the compression characteristics of alfalfa grind was used
to determine the same for corn stover grind. The pelleter unit
was a plunger and cylinder assembly (fig. 1) attached to an
Instron universal testing apparatus (model 1011, Instron
Corp., Canton, Mass.). The Instron machine was fitted with
a 5000 N load cell and a 6.3 mm plunger. The pelleter die had
a diameter of 6.35 mm and a length of 135.34 mm. It had a
wooden handle, and a heating element was wound up on the
exterior wall of the cylinder and was insulated. Two type−T
thermocouples were placed close to the cylinder wall at both
ends. The thermocouple close to the base of the die was
connected to a temperature controller. The die was fitted on
a stainless steel base.
A compression test was conducted using the single
pelleter unit for corn stover grind with two particle sizes (6.35
and 3.18 mm) at 7%, 11%, and 15% moisture content. A
known amount of grind was pelleted in the single pelleter
unit. The die was constantly heated to 100°C to simulate the
commercial pelleting process. The sample was compressed
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASAE

Plunger
Die
assembly
Heating
element
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of a single pelleter unit.
after it reached 100°C. The preset loads used for the test were
150, 300, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4400 N, at a crosshead
speed of 50 mm/min. The sample was fed into the heated cyl-
inder, compressed up to the specified preset load, and held for
60 s before the plunger was withdrawn. The force−deforma-
tion data during compression and the force−time data during
stress relaxation were logged in the computer. The pellet
formed was removed by gently tapping the assembly. The
mass, length, and diameter of the pellets were measured to es-
tablish the pressure−density relationship.
Model Parameters Estimation
Empirical models are often used in determining the
compressibility of powdered materials (Peleg et al., 1973;
Moreyra and Peleg, 1980, 1981; Scoville and Peleg, 1981;
Tabil and Sokhansanj, 1997). Compressibility is defined as
the ability of a grind to decrease in volume under pressure.
Equation 2, used by Peleg et al. (1973), was used to describe
the pressure−density data. The slope (m) is defined as the
compressibility of corn stover grind:
γ = m log P + c
where γ is the density of compact (kg/m3), P is applied
pressure (MPa), m is the compressibility of the material, and
c is a constant.
Bilanski et al. (1985) proposed a stress−density model to
explain the particle stiffness of alfalfa. The model (eq. 3) was
developed based on both an elastic or recoverable component
and a plastic or irrecoverable component during compres-
sion. Model parameter K was used to characterize the
relationship between bulk strain and compressive stress.
Therefore, K represents the stiffness of the particles during
compression:
 −P 
γ max − γ  
= e K 
γ max − γ 0
Vol. 47(6): 1983−1990
where P is applied pressure (MPa), K is particle stiffness
(MPa), γ is the density of compact (kg/m3), γ0 is the initial
bulk density of the material (kg/m3), and γmax is the
maximum density of the material (kg/m3).
Faborode and O’Callaghan (1986) proposed a compres-
sion ratio model for fibrous agricultural residues, which is
given in equation 4. The model explains the compression
behavior of fibrous materials and yields the initial bulk
modulus and porosity index of the material. The constant A
explains the incompressibility of the material, and b
represents the material porosity index. The initial bulk
modulus, designated Aγ0, is also a function of initial bulk
density of the grind:
Aγ 0 b (r −1)
P= e[ −1] (4)
b
where P is applied pressure (MPa), γ0 is the initial bulk
density of the material (kg/m3), r is the compression ratio
(dimensionless), A is the model constant, and b is the material
porosity index.
Model parameters for stress−density and compression
ratio models were estimated using the PROC NLIN program
in the SAS software (SAS, 1999).
FRICTION MEASUREMENT
The coefficient of wall friction of corn stover grind was
determined using a Wykeham Farrance shear box apparatus
(Wykeham Farrance International, Ltd., Slough, U.K.). The
shear box apparatus (fig. 2) consisted of a 100 mm square
shear box and a motor assembly. A normal load was applied
to the stover by weight acting through a load hanger that
rested on the top plate. The bottom half of the box was pulled
at a constant speed of 0.4 mm/min in the horizontal direction.
A load cell was attached on the top half of the box to measure
the shear (horizontal) force. Two linear variable differential
transformers (LVDT) were attached to measure the horizon-
tal and vertical displacement of the shear box. The shear force
and the horizontal and vertical displacement were recorded
using a data logging system. To measure the friction
coefficient of grind on steel, a galvanized steel plate was
placed in the bottom half of the box, the top half was filled
with the sample, and the shear force was measured at four
different normal loads (100, 400, 2000, and 4000 N).
Interparticle friction was also measured using the same
apparatus. Due to the shear length (the maximum distance the
shear box could travel) constraint of the device, the
(2) interparticle friction measurement was not complete, and
suitable modification should be done to carry out this
experiment. The coefficient of wall friction was calculated
from equation 5 as the slope of the relationship between shear
stress and normal stress (wall yield locus). The adhesion
coefficient (Ca ) was calculated as the intercept (shear
resistance per unit area at zero normal force) defined by
Chancellor (1994) and Puchalski and Brusewitz (1996):
τ = µσ + Ca (5)
where τ is shear stress (kPa), σ is normal stress (kPa), µ is the
coefficient of wall friction, and Ca is the adhesion coefficient.
(3)
1985
 particles is usually associated with decreased flowability
LVDT (Johanson, 2000; Molenda et al., 2002). Therefore, corn
Normal
force stover grind from the 3.18 mm hammer mill screen size is
expected to be more highly compressible than grind from the
6.35 mm screen size.
Force
transducer The bulk density of corn stover grind increased with a
Corn stover decrease in geometric mean diameter of the grind. Since
25 mm grind
larger particles are reduced to small particle size, they occupy
less volume and finer particles occupy the void spaces,
Shear
resulting in an increase in bulk density (Mani et al., 2002a).
force
The particle density of corn stover grind also increased with
LVDT decrease in geometric mean diameter of the grind. This may
Shear box
135 mm be due to the reduction in the porosity of the grind when the
Steel surface particles are reduced to a smaller size.
Figure 2. Schematic diagram of the shear box apparatus.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Three compression models were fitted to the pressure−
density relationship data of corn stover grind to determine
compressibility, particle stiffness, initial bulk modulus, and
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION porosity index, which are given in table 2. The fit of the
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES pressure−density relationship for the two screens sizes is
The physical properties of corn stover grind (geometric presented in figures 4 and 5. Compressibility is a parameter
mean particle diameter, bulk density, and particle density) at that indicates the flowability of corn stover grind. Corn stover
7% moisture content with two different hammer mill screen grind at low moisture content (7%) had higher compressibili-
sizes are listed in table 1. The particle size distribution of corn ty than grind at high moisture content (15%) for both hammer
stover grind from two hammer mill screen sizes is shown in mill screen sizes. At high moisture, corn stover grind
figure 3. The particle size distribution depicts a skewness of exhibited high resistance to compression, perhaps due to the
the distribution, which was similarly reported for alfalfa incompressibility of water. Corn stover grind from the
grind (Yang et al., 1996), ground flour, soybean meal, and 3.18 mm hammer mill screen had higher compressibility
corn (Pfost and Headley, 1976). Corn stover grind from the than grind from the 6.35 mm hammer mill screen, except at
3.18 mm screen size had 66% of the particles retained on the 7% moisture content. But the compressibility of grind may
425 µm aperture sieve, whereas for corn stover grind from the also depend on the particle size distribution of the grind. If
6.35 mm hammer mill screen size, only 41.5% of the particles more fine particles are present in the grind sample, they will
was retained on the 425 µm aperture sieve. In practice, fill in the void spaces, resulting in higher compressibility.
particles with sizes below 400 µm are considered fine and Corn stover grind can be easier to compress than other straw
highly compressible. An increase in the amount of fine grind (Mani et al., 2002b) and high−quality alfalfa grind (Ta−

Table 1. Physical properties of corn stover chopped and grind at a moisture content of 7%.
Hammer Mill Geometric Mean Geometric Standard Bulk Particle
Screen Size Particle Diameter Deviation Density Density
(mm) (mm) (mm) (kg/m3)[a] (kg/m3)[a]
Tub ground chop 5.600 3.120 42.25 (2.5) −−
6.35 0.682 0.366 111.73 (0.28) 1085 (9)
3.18 0.407 0.349 130.30 (0.79) 1210 (4)
[a] Numbers in the parentheses are standard deviations (n = 3).

25
3.18 mm screen size
6.35 mm screen size
Percent mass retained

20

15

10

0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0

Geometric mean diameter (mm)

Figure 3. Particle size distribution of corn stover grind (average of three tests).

1986 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASAE

 Table 2. Mechanical properties of corn stover grind at three moisture levels and two particle sizes.
6.35 mm Hammer Mill Screen Size 3.18 mm Hammer Mill Screen Size
Mechanical Properties 7% m.c. 11% m.c. 15% m.c. 7% m.c. 11% m.c. 15% m.c.
Compressibility (m) 521.00 473.90 375.40 471.70 476.40 413.60
Particle stiffness (MPa) 16.03 12.63 9.67 14.12 14.37 11.15
Maximum particle density (kg/m3) 1120 1115 1112 1097 1120 1081
Initial bulk modulus, Aγ0 (MPa) 0.32 0.13 0.13 0.43 0.74 0.23
Porosity index, b 0.56 0.68 0.72 0.66 0.55 0.77

1400
15% (w.b.) m.c
1200 11% (w.b.) m.c
7% (w.b.) m.c

1000
Compact density (γ), kg/m3

γ = 375.4 logP + 339.03

800 R2 = 0.97

600 γ = 473.9 logP + 207.63

R 2 = 0.98

400
γ = 521.03 logP + 97.501
2
R = 0.99
200

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Log P

Figure 4. Pressure−density relationship for corn stover grind at the 6.35 mm hammer mill screen size (P = pressure applied, MPa).

1400
15% (w.b.) m.c
1200 11% (w.b.) m.c
7% (w.b.) m.c
Compact density (γ), kg/m3

1000
γ = 476.37 logP + 195.5
R2 = 0.98
800

600 γ = 471.68 logP + 184.55

R 2 = 0.99

400
γ = 413.64 logP + 296.28
R2 = 0.99

200

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Log P

Figure 5. Pressure−density relationship for corn stover grind at the 3.18 mm hammer mill screen size (P = pressure applied, MPa)

bil and Sokhansanj, 1996). Tabil and Sokhansanj (1997) re- stover grind from the 6.35 mm hammer mill screen size was
ported that high−quality alfalfa grind was highly compress- slightly higher than the particle density of the grind shown in
ible when compared to low− and medium−quality alfalfa table 1. This might have been due to the rearrangement and
grind. mechanical interlocking of some particles in the grind during
Particle stiffness and maximum particle density of corn heating and compression.
stover grind at different moisture contents and screen sizes The initial bulk modulus and porosity index of corn stover
are also listed in table 2. Particle stiffness of corn stover grind grind are also given in table 2. When a material is compressed
at low moisture content was higher than at high moisture by the application of axial pressure, the degree of volumetric
content due to the damping nature of moisture present in the incompressibility is measured by its bulk modulus (Faborode
grind. Similar result was reported by Bilanski et al. (1985) for and O’Callaghan, 1986). Therefore, the initial bulk modulus
grasses. The estimated maximum density of compacted corn represents the incompressibility of the material. Corn stover

Vol. 47(6): 1983−1990 1987

grind at high moisture content exhibited high incompressibil- normal pressure from 10 to 200 kPa. This is in agreement with
ity when compared to the grind at low moisture content. The the results of Thompson and Ross (1983) and Zhang and
initial bulk modulus increased significantly with an increase Kushwaha (1993), who explained the phenomenon with the
in initial bulk density, but the variation was highly non−lin- Hertz equation for grains. The Hertz equation states that a
ear. The presence of void spaces in an unconsolidated corn reduction in the coefficient of wall friction occurs for an
stover grind is considered important to its mechanical increase in normal pressure. Tabor and co−workers (Bowden
behavior as it affects the processes concerned with air flow, and Tabor, 1955) explained the phenomenon using an
heat flow, and compressibility (Mohsenin, 1986; Thompson adhesion model requiring significant tangential force to
and Isaac, 1967). Constant b of the compression model break the bonds that formed between contacting surfaces. A
(eq. 4) is an index that expresses the porosity, or looseness, similar phenomenon was observed for chopped hay and
of the packing material before compression commences. It is straws (Richter, 1954), alfalfa (Menzies, 1976), mustard
thus expected that since the porosity will decrease as the seeds, glass beads, and polyethylene beads (Tüzün et al.,
material is compressed, b should increase with increasing 1988).
initial density (Faborode and O’Callaghan, 1986). As Figure 8 shows the effect of moisture content on the
expected, the porosity index of corn stover grind increased coefficient of wall friction at different grind sizes. As the
from 0.72 to 0.77 when the initial density increased from moisture content of the corn stover grind increased, the wall
111.3 to 130.7 kg/m3 for screen sizes 6.35 and 3.18 mm, friction increased significantly. This is due to the increased
respectively, at 15% moisture content. adhesion between the grind and the steel surface at higher
moisture content. Wieneke (1956) reported an increase in the
FRICTIONAL PROPERTIES coefficient of friction with an increase in the moisture content
The coefficient of wall friction and the adhesion coeffi- of chopped hay and straw on wet surfaces. Similar trends
cient of corn stover grind at different hammer mill screen were observed for grains and beans (Brubaker and Pos, 1965;
sizes and moisture contents are given in table 3. Equation 5 Snyder et al., 1967; Thompson and Ross, 1983; Chung and
was used to determine the coefficient of wall friction by Verma, 1989). The effect of moisture content and particle
fitting in shear stress and normal stress data. A typical size on wall friction was analyzed using ANOVA in the SAS
relationship between shear stress and normal stress for corn software package. There were significant effects of particle
stover grind at the 3.18 mm screen size and at three different size and moisture content on wall friction (P < 0.05). The wall
moisture contents is shown in figure 6. The wall yield loci friction and moisture content data for corn stover grind were
appear to go above or below the origin, which confirms that fitted to the second−order polynomial equation with high R2
there was an adhesion component of wall friction and the values (0.98).
dependence of wall friction on the magnitude of normal load.
The adhesion coefficient of corn stover grind varied between Table 3. Coefficient of wall friction (µ) and adhesion
3.07 and 0.37. The adhesion coefficient did not exhibit coefficient (Ca ) of corn stover chop and grind.
dependence on moisture content. Hammer Mill 7% m.c. 11% m.c. 15% m.c.
Figure 7 shows the coefficient of wall friction versus Screen Size µ Ca µ Ca µ Ca
normal stress. On a polished steel surface, the coefficient of Tub ground 0.18 2.55 0.18 1.54 0.26 3.07
wall friction was high at low normal loads. In other words, 6.35 mm 0.19 0.97 0.18 1.85 0.22 0.37
wall friction decreased from 0.35 to 0.20 for an increase in 3.18 mm 0.17 2.99 0.19 2.79 0.20 0.98

100

15% (w.b.) m.c

11% (w.b.) m.c
80 7% (w.b.) m.c
Shear stress (τ), kPa

60 τ = 0.18 σ + 1.8487
R2 = 0.99

40 τ= 0.22 σ + 0.3723
R2 = 0.99

τ= 0.19 σ + 0.9742
20
R2 = 0.99

0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Normal stress (σ), kPa

Figure 6. Typical relationship between normal stress and shear stress for corn stover grind at the 6.35 mm hammer mill screen size.

1988 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASAE

 0.4
15% (w.b.) m.c
11% (w.b.) m.c
7% (w.b.) m.c

Coefficient of Wall friction (µ)

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Normal stress (σ), kPa

Figure 7. Typical relationship between coefficient of wall friction and normal stress data for corn stover grind at the 3.18 mm hammer mill screen size.

0.3
tub ground sample
6.35 mm hammer mill screen size
3.18 mm hammer mill screen size
Coefficient of Wall friction (µ)

0.25
µ = 0.0025m2 −0.0466m + 0.3839
R2 = 0.98

0.2

0.15
µ = 0.0016m2 − 0.0316m + 0.3308
µ = −0.0002m2 + 0.0089m + 0.1155
R2 = 0.98
R2 = 0.99

0.1
5 7 9 11 13 15 17
Moisture content (m), (% w.b.)

Figure 8. Effect of moisture content on the coefficient of wall friction at different corn stover grind sizes.

CONCLUSIONS S The initial bulk modulus of the particles increased sig-

The following conclusions were drawn from this study: nificantly with a decrease in particle size. Increasing
S The bulk density of stover chopped to a mean particle moisture content reduced the initial bulk density.
size of 5.6 mm using a tub grinder was 42.5 kg/m3. The S The coefficient of wall friction of corn stover grind in-
bulk density increased to 111 and 130 kg/m3 when the creased from 0.18 to 0.26 when the moisture content in-
chopped stover were ground in a hammer mill creased from 7% to 15%. No clear trend was observed
equipped with screen sizes of 6.35 mm and 3.18 mm, for the adhesion coefficient.
respectively.
S The data in this work suggest that compressibility of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
grind from the 6.35 mm screen was higher than the The authors acknowledge NSERC − Strategic Research
compressibility of grind from the 3.18 mm screen when Project and Strategic Research Program of the Agricultural
the moisture content was low (7%). This trend reversed Development Fund of Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food, and
when the moisture content of the grind increased to Rural Revitalization. They also acknowledge the Agri−Food
15%. The overall compressibility of the grind de- Innovation Fund for Renovation of the Bioprocess Engineer-
creased with an increase in moisture content. ing Lab. Sincere thanks to Mr. Bill Crerar and Mr. Wayne
S Larger particles were stiffer than smaller particles at Morley of the Department of Agricultural and Bioresource
low moisture content (7%), but the trend reversed when Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, for their technical
the moisture content increased to 15%. assistance.

Vol. 47(6): 1983−1990 1989

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1990 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASAE