Go with the\nFlow: Additives to Improve the Flowability\nof Crumbled Corn Stover

Magnesium stearate (MgSt), a common flow additive and\nanticaking\nagent, was applied to corn stover feedstocks with three particle sizes.\nThe material handling properties of dry, 15%, and 30% moisture content\ncorn stover were measured with a Freeman FT-4 powder rheometer and\nmass flow hopper calculations. While hydrated biomass typically exhibits\npoor flowability, introducing MgSt led to a significant increase in\nflowability for dry and 15% moisture content feedstocks, with less\nimpact at 30% moisture content. Inverse gas chromatography showed\na decrease, up to 40%, in the surface energy of MgSt-coated corn stover.\nWhile MgSt may not be ideal for biofuel or chemical production, this\nstudy highlights the potential of flow additives to reduce adhesive\nand cohesive forces, improving biomass feedstock handling.