| Abstract: | Methods for milling and separation of flour from seeds of a normal (wild‐type) and two mutant (lam and r) types of pea (Pisum sativum L.) into starch‐rich and protein‐rich fractions are described. The methods entail using combinations of mills (100AFG, 50ZPS and 100UPZ) together with an air‐classification system based on a 50ATP air‐classifier, all run under a range of conditions to optimise the separation. The efficiency of separation was assessed as well as the economic advantages of the different systems. The best route for separation and fractionation was 2×100UPZ + 100AFG + 50ATP, while the most economic system that also gave good separation and fractionation was 2×100UPZ + 50ZPS + 50ATP, which had an energy consumption of 226 kWh/t. A novel method for determining the starch content within the high and low starch fractions is described. The method is based on a comparison between the gelatinisation enthalpy of starch in starch‐rich and in protein‐rich fractions with that for pure starch produced from the same flour, using differential scanning calorimetry. Qualitative assessments of the starch contents of the fractions were also made using microscopy and particle size distribution analysis. It is suggested that the starch‐rich fractions could be used as a relatively cheap raw material for non‐food applications. |
