Determining patterns in the separation of hemp seed hulls

The subject of this study is the technological processes of separation, the hull of industrial hemp seeds, an aspiration column, and whole kernels. The problem solved was determining the technical and technological solutions that could enable the intensification of production processes for separating industrial hemp seeds. The separation of hemp seed hull by linear dimensions on sieves with round and elongated holes has been investigated. It was found that the percentage of seed hulls retained by sieves with circular holes was 25.98 % for ø3.5 mm, 23.59 % for ø3.0 mm, and 40.28 % for ø2.0 mm, respectively. Sieves ø3.5 mm and ø2.0 mm made it possible to obtain seed hulls fractions with two components conditionally different in the «mass-size» ratio. Using sieves with elongated holes enabled obtaining fractions consisting of at least three components. Sieves with elongated working holes of 3.0×20 mm, due to their low ability (1.76 %) to retain hemp seed hull components, were ineffective. The clogging levels of kernels in seed hulls, separated by linear dimensions on combined sieves with round and elongated holes, were as follows: separation option No. 1 – 48.70 %, option No. 2 – 45.74 %, option No. 3 – 60.25 %, option No. 4 – 49.32 %, respectively. It was established that the use of an aspiration column made it possible to remove up to 32.1 % of clogging in the form of a light fraction. The application of the aspiration column reduced the content of seed coating in separation option No. 1 by 3.0–5.7 times, option No. 2 by 1.35–3.7 times, option No. 3 by 1.9–11.2 times, and option No. 4 by 1.5–4.8 times, respectively. The quantitative and component composition of seed hulls fractions obtained under conditions of using an aspiration column with set rational values of the air damper opening angle α=53° and the vertical tilt angle of the air channel β=6°, was as follows: Stage I – «heavy» fraction – 51.78 %, 27.56 % – waste, up to 20 % – «light» fraction of Stages II and III