Optimizing fish feed pellets production with X-ray
Challenge
Transportation is one of the tricky steps of the value chain for fish feed pellet manufacturers. In fact, oil - and the subsequently added nutrients - has a tendency to seep out of the pellets during transportation, causing manufacturers a loss of costly resources. Besides, the growing demand for high-fat products puts even more pressure on the pellets’ cabability to retain the oil phase
Collaboration
BioMar suspected that the porous structure of their pellets might play a key role in oil retention. The company engaged in a collaboration with the Imaging Industry Portal at DTU in order to gain insights into the porous structure of their fish feed pellets. A master student was appointed to carry out measurements and data analysis for the company, under the supervision of researchers from the University of Copenhagen and DTU
Results
The pellets were measured with and without oil, before and after coating and centrifugation, revealing the optimal pore structure and size to retain oil in the pellets.
