Grinding
There are several reasons to grind raw materials. It improves
uniformity of mixing, increases absorption of steam and increases
digestibility of feed. In terms of pellet quality, grinding
reduces the amount of large particles which can reduce
pellet strength. It also increases surface area for feed particles
to adhere. In other words, a finer, even grind can result
in better pellet quality. The larger the particle of feed in the
ration, the greater the amount of time needed for heat to permeate
to the core of the feed particle. This is a factor which
must be considered when engineering the conditioner to gain
a specific amount of retention time.