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ARS Home » Plains Area » Brookings, South Dakota » Integrated Cropping Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #243736
Title: Evaluation of Measurement Procedures Used to Determine the Bulk Density of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS)

Author
item CLEMENTSON, CLAIRMONT - Purdue University
item ILELEJI, KLEIN - Purdue University
item Rosentrater, Kurt

Submitted to: Transactions of the ASABE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2010
Publication Date: 4/30/2010
Citation: Clementson, C., Ileleji, K.E., Rosentrater, K.A. 2010. Evaluation of Measurement Procedures Used to Determine the Bulk Density of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS). Transactions of the ASABE. 53(2):485-490.

Interpretive Summary: Manufacturing of corn-based fuel ethanol has been dramatically increasing in recent years; so has the quantity of co-products, especially distillers dried grains with soluble (which is known as DDGS). DDGS is sold for animal feed, and like corn, its physical and chemical properties are important for sales and utilization. Consistency in product quality has been a cause for concern in the industry, and the lack of standard methods for property determination potentially confounds the issue. This study examined bulk density measurements of DDGS, using samples from six commercial ethanol plants (three from Indiana, and three from South Dakota); these samples were analyzed in two different laboratories. The effects of sample handling, container filling method, filling height, and container size were examined, and variations due to each of these factors were quantified. Filling height and measuring container size resulted in significant differences in the resulting bulk density values. We recommend the combination of a short drop height, using a 1 L measuring cup, with a sample obtained using a divider, as the appropriate methodology for determining bulk density of DDGS.

Technical Abstract: The production of corn-based ethanol in the U.S. has been dramatically increasing in recent years, and consequently so has the quantity of co-products, especially distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS), generated from this industrial sector. DDGS is sold as a commodity for animal feed, and like corn, its bulk physical and chemical properties are quality attributes that can be used in trading by merchandisers. Consistency in product quality has been a cause for concern in the industry, and the lack of standard methods for physical and chemical property determination does potentially confound the issue, especially when results of attributes measured by different methods have not been evaluated for method parity. Toward that end, this research examined bulk density measurements of DDGS, using samples from six commercial ethanol plants (three from Indiana, and three from South Dakota) and conducted in two different laboratories. The effects of sample handling, container filling method, filling height, and, container size were examined. Variations due to each of these factors were quantified; it was determined that filling height and measuring container size resulted in significant differences in the resulting bulk density values. As a guide for the standard method of determining bulk density for DDGS, we recommend the combination of a short drop height, using a 1 L measuring cup, with a sample obtained using a Boerner divider.