[Bioconversion] (Arnt) Balling Mill

[Jeff Davis]

Dear Arnt and list,

Had some time yesterday to try the balling mill (cement mixer plus rocks) on 
retted switchgrass. My rocks are not vary round and the mixer turns too fast 
and or the rocks are too large. Did not seem to do a vary good job for the 
amount of time/energy put into it. It did make some fibers but I had a poor 
setup.

Odd, the silly thing would spit these wafer like agglomerations out of the 
mixer. I think it is caused by the fact that the cement mixer is turning too 
fast and the rocks/balls fall from about 11 o'clock position to about 5 
o'clock position and smash into the fibered switchgrass.

Until I can post some pictures and or write an article for Tom M.; may the 
biomass be with you!

Jeff

P.S. Starting to think that a screw extrusion press may be my best option for 
switchgrass.
-- 
Jeff Davis
Somewhere 20 miles south of Lake Erie, USA
http://www.velocity.net/~jeff0124