Animal feed premixing
Since the early 1950s, pharmaceutical firms have made a substantial financial commitment to research and development of animal nutrients and disease-controlling drugs, both used as feed additives in animal feed premixes. The additives, frequently referred to as microingredients, may number up to 40 in a given formulation. Many are introduced in extremely small quantities- for instance, in milligrams per ton of feed batch- and are measured in parts per million. Because it's critical that these minute quantities of active ingredients be uniformly mixed throughout a batch, formulators of animal feed premixes are confronted with the necessity of maintaining tight tolerances throughout mixing, conveying, and storage
The methods used in processing animal feed premixes can be applied to many solids blending operations that require that organics be uniformly mixed and that the mixture be maintained without segregation. This paper focuses on the important role played by the material characteristics of premix ingredients in maintaining the mixture's integrity. It goes on to discuss some aspects of premix system design and system components.