Process Systems for Marine Algae
Turning dead marine algae into a powdered animal feed product is an excellent example of full-circle sustainability. Grinding, mixing and drying of these algae results in a completely natural calcinated seaweed, containing lots of different minerals. This calcinated seaweed is enriched with magnesium oxide and suitable as an organic livestock feed in powder form. The resulting product works as an acid buffer, regulating the acid in a cow's stomach to aid digestion and – in addition to its health benefits – it also reduces the production of methane. An important requirement for the mixing process of calcinated seaweed and magnesium oxide is to minimize the amount of dust produced by the powdered end product, because this will cause problems for farmers, resulting in unnecessary product loss of the feed during the dosing process in silos, and also for the cattle because the fine powder can cause irritation in the nose/lungs.
Optimal Solution with Scale-Op Potential
Hosokawa's proven Flexomix technology forms the basis of the custom-designed process. The Flexomix continuous mixer/agglomerator is placed above a fluid bed dryer. It is provided with two powder feeders – one for the calcinated seaweed and one for the magnesium oxide – and then also a liquid feed for the spray-on binder. To reduce stuffing, a larger particle size is created – going from 5 microns to 200 microns. This improves the flow properties so that the powder doesn't produce too much dust. These larger particles then pass into the dryer where the excess water is dried off in a continuous process.
The overall agglomeration, mixing and drying process should be optimized to avoid underload or overload of the continuous system. The control system enables the operators to adjust the recipe for the ratio of magnesium oxide or liquid as necessary. Potential future scale-up is easy because another dryer can be added to the agglomeration machine without a problem. Safety considerations, including hazard analysis, anticipate them in the design process such as by using regulators or sensors.
Need help setting up your process?
Take advice from Hosokawa Micron, experts in processing technologies for the production of powdered animal feed from algae. Our development and engineering team is always on hand to help you explore new and innovative processes and applications. Testing is the foundation for a successful product or process.
Our Test Centre in the Netherlands offers outstanding opportunities to test ingredients, machinery, parameters and process flows, whether in the laboratory, as a pilot set-up or on an industrial scale, to ensure you achieve the necessary product quality and operating efficiency to generate the maximum return on investment for your business.
Common Algae Processing Challenges
If you're interested to discuss your interest in or production challenges in algae processing, get in touch with Hosokawa Micron. We can help you with a range of questions about this fast-growing sector, including:
- How to achieve the highest quality powders, for optimal absorption and digestion;
- The best mixing, drying and agglomeration techniques for algae processing;
- The advantages of Hosokawa technologies over traditional processing methods;
- How to plan, test and improve your algae processing line.
Talk to Our Experts
Let our process specialists help you develop the optimal solution for your powder and bulk solids processing – from the first trial in our test centre to a full-scale industrial production system.
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Sustainable Process Technologies
Hosokawa Micron B.V. is committed to sustainable and responsible process technology. Our ISO 14001 certification covers key environmental aspects such as air, soil, energy, waste, water, noise and hazardous substances. With an EcoVadis Silver Medal, we rank among the top 15% of EcoVadis-rated companies in the special machinery industry.
