Granular Feed Supplement Reducing Dust and Electrostatic Charges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Powdered animal feed supplements face issues such as dusty work environments, segregation, and non-uniform ingredient distribution due to electrostatic charges, leading to variations in final product composition and potential health hazards.
Innovation Solution
A granular composition comprising silica, mineral clay, glucan, and mannans with a dispersion value of 20% or less at 2 minutes, ensuring at least 40% of particles are between 0.15 mm and 4.8 mm in size, which reduces electrostatic charges and improves handling and uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If powdered feed supplements are used, then the supplement can be easily administered to animals, but dust is created during handling and processing causing health hazards and equipment contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the feed supplement from powdered form to granular form. This parameter change eliminates dust creation during handling while maintaining ease of administration, as the granules are designed to disperse properly in animal feed or water without creating airborne particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite granular structures containing multiple supplement ingredients (minerals, vitamins, amino acids) bound together in a matrix material. This composite approach allows the supplement to be administered easily while preventing dust formation, as the ingredients are encapsulated within the granule structure rather than existing as loose powder particles.
2Stability of the object's composition
If very fine particles are present in the supplement composition, then the supplement can be well-mixed with feed, but electrostatic charges accumulate causing segregation and non-uniform ingredient distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the particle size parameter from very fine powder to granular size (typically 0.5-2.0 mm diameter). This parameter change reduces electrostatic charge accumulation while maintaining the ability to mix uniformly with feed, as the larger granular particles have lower surface area to volume ratios and thus generate fewer static charges during handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a matrix material as an intermediary substance that binds the supplement ingredients together in a granular form. This matrix acts as a mediator that prevents direct contact between fine particulate ingredients, thereby reducing electrostatic interactions and segregation while still allowing uniform distribution when the granules are dispersed in feed or water.
3Productivity
If the supplement is processed and conveyed through manufacturing systems, then the supplement can be produced efficiently, but electrostatic charges cause dust to become fugitive and adhere to equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical form parameter from fine powder to granules, which significantly reduces electrostatic charge generation during conveying and processing. This parameter change maintains manufacturing efficiency while preventing ingredient accumulation on equipment surfaces, as the granular form has lower triboelectric activity and does not become fugitive dust during normal handling operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The granular composition enhances animal health by augmenting the innate immune system, increasing milk production, treating diseases, and improving feed conversion rates, while minimizing dust and equipment contamination, and ensuring consistent ingredient distribution.
Implementation Method 1
The tendency of a material to experience a triboelectric effect is one of the primary causes of these difficulties. Electrostatic charges can accumulate on particles during conveyance and blending.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a feed supplement comprising silica, mineral clay, glucan and mannans, wherein each particle of the feed supplement comprises silica, mineral clay, glucan and mannans. The feed supplement may be a granular feed supplement, and the granules may have at least one dimension between 4 mesh and 100 mesh size. In some embodiments, at least 40% of the granular feed supplement has at least one dimension greater the 100 mesh. Administration of the feed supplement to an animal may increase expression of one or more immune system biomarkers in that animal relative to animals not administered the composition.