Regularity and mechanism of wheat straw properties change in ball milling process at cellular scale

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2017-10, Vol.241, p.214-219
• Main Authors: Gao, Chongfeng, Xiao, Weihua, Ji, Guanya, Zhang, Yang, Cao, Yaoyao, Han, Lujia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agglomeration; Ball milling; Correlation analysis; Physicochemical properties; Refuse Disposal; Triticum; Water; Wheat straw
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.04.115

•A multitechnique approach was used to analyze the variation of wheat straw properties.•Ball milling 0.5h decreased 90% of wheat straw particles to cellular scale.•The inversion of breakage to agglomerative regime in ball milling process was observed.•Correlation of wheat straw properties in ball milling process was analyzed. To investigate the change of structure and physicochemical properties of wheat straw in ball milling process at cellular scale, a series of wheat straws samples with different milling time were produced using an ultrafine vibration ball mill. A multitechnique approach was used to analyze the variation of wheat straw properties. The results showed that the characteristics of wheat straw powder displayed regular changes as a function of the milling time, i.e., the powder underwent the inversion of breakage to agglomerative regime during wheat straw ball milling process. The crystallinity index, bulk density and water retention capacity of wheat straw were exponential relation with ball milling time. Moreover, ball milling continually converted macromolecules of wheat straw cell wall into water-soluble substances resulting in the water extractives proportional to milling time.