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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Cotton Production and Processing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #121691
Title: PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES OF THE COST OF EXTRUSION PROCESSING OF COTTON GIN BY-PRODUCT AS A LIVESTOCK FEED

Author
item MIDDLETON, MARTY - TEXAS TECH UNIV
item ELAM, EMMETT - TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
item Holt, Gregory
item Laird, Joseph - Weldon

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2001
Publication Date: 3/15/2001
Citation: MIDDLETON, M., ELAM, E., HOLT, G.A., LAIRD, J.W. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES OF THE COST OF EXTRUSION PROCESSING OF COTTON GIN BY-PRODUCT AS A LIVESTOCK FEED. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BELTWIDE COTTON CONFERENCES. COTTON ENGINEERING-SYSTEMS CONFERENCE. CD-ROM. MEMPHIS, TN: THE NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL OF AMERICA. 2001. V. 1. P. 266-270.

Interpretive Summary: Processing cotton gin by-products (CGB) for use as a livestock feed has been a topic of research and an activity performed by industry for some time now. With the development of a patent pending COBY process, the application of an extruder to process 100 percent CGB is now a reality. In the past, the cost of processing had several factors that limited its implementation across the cotton belt. One of the largest cost factors was associated with wear of the processing equipment. Since the COBY process reduces wear, the question arises "What is the cost of a facility that can extrude CGB?" The initial steps to answer that question are addressed in this paper by focusing on the cost to build and operate such a facility. Overall, eight model facilities were evaluated ranging from one extruder to eight extruders. The costs associated with production ranged from a high of $27.50 per ton for the smallest (one extruder) plant to the lowest cost of $9.03 per ton for the largest (eight extruder) plant.

Technical Abstract: Extrusion processing can be used on cotton gin by-products (CGB) to produce livestock feed (roughage) products. Using the economic-engineering approach, preliminary estimates of unit processing costs for CGB feed products were developed. Preliminary estimates suggest economies of size, with in-plant process costs as low as $9/ton.