John Ezekiel A.

Resurreccion Journal Analysis and Critique (Sieving)

CHE132P-A01

The size distribution of particulate matter plays an important role in the consistency of products
manufactured from numerous industries such as food powders, additives, colorants, paints, and
pharmaceuticals. Screens and screens are composed of materials in the oldest and most commonly used
working components and are used to separate solid particles in proportion. They are used by
industrialists and lab technicians for particulate material classification. The term screening is generally
used to refer to a continuous sizing process, but the term sieving was used to refer to a batch sized
processing operation (Liu, 2009). In the journal article, “Some factors affecting sieving performance and
efficiency” by KeShun Liu evaluated that with a billion of tons of particulate material that are sieved, an
understanding of factors influencing sieving efficiency and performance is essential for the industrial
sector. It was found that a reverse sieve technique, such that, flour is sifted in a fine to coarse order by
multiple sieving steps with each step using a single sieve, provided a better sieving efficiency and
performance than the traditional stacked sieve method when separating barley flour and when certain
conditions were held the same.

As a brief summary of the journal article, this study presented a comparison of the two methods
for sieving performance and efficiency on soft white wheat flour, hard white wheat flour, hulless barley,
and medium grain rice. Additionally, the researcher examined other factors including the milling process
(impact vs. abrasive), flour moisture (7 percent vs. 11 percent), the period of sieving (60 min vs. 120
min), and the tapping (percussion during sieving). Mass frequency and protein content have been
measured for oversized fractions. A JMP program was used to measure means and standard deviation,
and to perform a one-way ANOVA to evaluate the effects of different variables and their interactions on
sieving efficiency and output. The Tukey HSD test was also used to evaluate pair by pair comparisons.

The objectives of the study are to make a systematic comparison between the stacked and
reverse sieve methods for separation of various types of flour, to investigate some additional factors
that govern sieving performance using the two methods, and to provide a scientific explanation for the
observed difference between the two methods.

The analysis of the results showed that all the variables and their interactions had significant
effects on sieving performance and efficiency. Of all these processes, tapping was most important,
followed by sieving length, sieving method, milling method, flour form and flour moisture. When
conditions were similar, the reverse sieving method still gave superior sieving efficiency compared to
the stacked sieve method. It also shows a significant effect of the reverse sieve on improving sieving
rates and final fraction mass, as well as reducing sieve loss under all conditions of this study. The
difference in sieving efficiency and performance and sieving loss observed can be due to the impact of
oversized particles because the presence of these particles can minimize sieve blinding caused by near
or sub-sieve particles. In the sieve process, particles are sorted in order from coarsest to finest. The
reverse sieve technique allows for small particles to be sorted in the finest to coarsest order. The
blinding effect, caused by near and sub-mesh particles, is maximized for finer bottom sieves. The
beneficial effect of particles is reduced due to their size. Although the sieving loss was generally
decreased, the sieving performance and efficiency were increased.

On my analysis, this journal article is accurate and reliable. The researcher used other articles to
support the claims made. The journal article represents an impartial, objective analysis or study of a
specific subject, listing both advantages and weaknesses of the study. Moreover, the article belongs to
an academic publisher, which is Elsevier. In line with that, the information of the journal was provided
which I checked on the internet and it is reliable since it is linked in usda.gov. USDA (U.S Department of
Agriculture) is an agency that ensure strong leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural
development, nutrition, and related areas of policy, using the best available research, and the best
available management practices.

The significance of this study is that by using the reverse sieve technique, not only the mass
frequency of finer particle groups is substantially improved but also the chemical composition of the
sieve fractions is greatly enhanced. In comparison to the reverse sieve method, the stacked method
exhibits certain disadvantages. In standard designs, the sieve plays dual functions as a go-no-go gauge
and as a means of supporting a powder substance. Over-loading with large particles would add more
strength requirements for the sieves with finer apertures. An example of a popular and widely abused
method of particle size analysis in the particle analysis industry is sieving. Sieving happens as a result of
multiple interactive variables and multidisciplinary concepts. Without taking into account all
considerations, incorrect and misleading findings may be produced.

Reference

Liu, K. S. (2009). Some factors affecting sieving performance and efficiency. Powder Technology, 208–
213.