10/6/2011

LECTURE III
PRINCIPLES OF SIZE REDUCTION
•Methods used for processing and preservation

•Processing operations and equipment

• Raw materials often occur in sizes that are too large to be

• Learning objectives used
– therefore, they must be reduced in size.
– Know the definition of size reduction
• Size reduction is the means by which solid particles are
cut or broken into smaller pieces
– Know the procedures used for size reduction
• Size-reduction operation can be divided into two major
– Know the types of devices used for size reduction categories depending on whether the material is a solid
or a liquid.
– If it is solid, the operations are called grinding and cutting
– if it is liquid, emulsification or atomization

• Reduction is brought about by:

– mechanical means without change in chemical properties of
the materials.

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• Examples of size reduction includes: SIZE REDUCTION PROCEDURES

– Cutting – Fruit and vegetables are cut in preparation • The size of agricultural products is reduced by:
for processing (freezing or canning).
– Chopping or shearing – Fodders such as corn and – Cutting
silage are sometimes chopped to reduce their size. – Grinding
– Shredding – Some products are shredded to assist • crushing
with drying or mixing. E.g. shredding potatoes for
drying • shearing
– Crushing – Some produce is crushed to extract its • impact
juice or oil or to expedite drying.
– Grinding – Grain is ground to make livestock feed.
– Grinding limestone for fertiliser
– Milling – Flour is milled. E.g. milling cassava into flour

Cutting Grinding
• In the grinding process, materials are reduced in
• Cutting is used to break down large pieces of food
size by fracturing
into smaller pieces suitable for further processing

• Reduction is accomplished by: • Grinding is, achieved by

– forcing a sharp and thin knife through the material – mechanical stress followed by rupture and
– It results in minimum deformation and rapture of
material and new surface created is more or less – the energy required depends upon the hardness of the
undamaged material and also upon the tendency of the material to
crack - its friability.
• Example:
– vegetables and fruits are reduced by cutting
• The force applied may be
– compression, impact, or shear,

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Crushing Shearing

• Applying an external force on a material in excess • It is a process which combines:

of its strength. – cutting and crushing
– Failure results by rupture of the material in many directions.
• Its unit may consists of a knife and a bar.
– The particles produced after crushing are irregular in shape
and size. – If the edge is thin and sharp, performance nears that
of cutting
• Examples of crushing – whereas a thick dull edge performs like a crusher.
– meal ground feed for livestock are made by crushing process.
– Crushing is also used to extract oil from oilseeds and juice from
sugarcane.

Impact SIZE REDUCTION DEVICES

• Traditional Tools
• Subjecting a material to a sudden blow of force in – Of the traditional tools used in size reduction process,
excess of its strength. the most common are:
– It causes the material to fail, like cracking of nut with • Grinding stone
the help of a hammer. • Pestle and mortar

• Operation of a hammer mill is an example of

dynamic force application by impact method.

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SIZE REDUCTION DEVICES

• Modern machines
– They are based on the principles of achieving size
reduction either by shearing action or by an impact
action

• Crushers
• Jaw crushers
• Gyratory crushers
• Crushing rolls (smooth-roll crusher and serrated or toothed-
roll crushers)

• Modern machines Performance Characteristics of Mill

• Grinders • The performance of a machine for reducing the
– used to mill grain into powder size of material is characterised by
• Burr (or plate) mill
• Hammer mills – It’s capacity
• rolling compression mills – Minimum temperature rise during it operation
– yield a uniform size or pre-desired size and shape of
the resultant product
– minimum power requirement per unit of product
handled (type of material, moisture content, fineness of grinding, type
and condition of mill)
– Easy and trouble-free operation

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Determination of size and shape

• Reduced materials may be placed in three groups or
classes based on size.
– Dimension range: Particles or units which can be accurately
measured and easily seen with minimum measurement
approximately (>3.2 mm), for example, diced fruit and
vegetables, and chopped forage.
– Sieve range Particles with minimum dimension range of 3.2 -
0.07 mm approximately, for example, granular materials such as
ground feed and commercial fertiliser.

– Microscopic range: Particles with minimum dimension range

less than 0.07 mm, for example, chemical powders, dust, and
Portland cement.

• NB: sieve range is important since most agricultural products fall

within this group