RECOVERY OF ALEURONE CELLS FROM WHEAT BRAN

摘要

A method and apparatus for physical separation of aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles from commercial wheat bran, the method comprises removing from a fraction of aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa articles within the sieve mesh range of larger than about 130 mu m and smaller than about 290 mu m, obtained from commerical wheat bran by subjecting the bran to hammer-milling whereby the bran is broken and reduced into particles which consist predominantly of pericarp-testa particles and aleurone cell particles and then sized to the sieve mesh range, a fraction of particles which are smaller than about 40 mu m and electrostatically charging the remaining aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles. Passing electrostatically charged remaining aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles through an electrical field generated by an electrostatic separator, whereby the remaining aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles are fractionated by the differential of their electrical charges. Removal of the fraction of particles which are smaller than about 40 mu m and the electrostatic charging of the remaining aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles is preferably effected by air elutriation of the mixture of the particles and which indues trioelectrification of the particles. Apparatus comprising an air elutriator with associated electrostatic separator.