What is a Pellet Binder and Why is it Important in Animal Feed?
Introduction
Pellet feed is one of the most important advances in the feed industry, providing better physical quality, reduced waste, and improved digestibility for animals. To produce durable and stable pellets, the use of a pellet binder is often necessary.
A pellet binder is not a single specific additive, but rather a group of substances with adhesive properties that help hold feed particles together.
A suitable pellet binder is not actually the name of a specific additive used in livestock and poultry feed mills, but the properties of the nutrients that make up the feed.
Starch and some other types of polysaccharides, soluble sugars, and proteins in the feed can have binder pellet properties.
However, adding pellet binder to the pellet feed production formula is common in animal feed mills today due to the need to increase pellet consistency.
A pellet feed suitable for livestock, poultry, aquatic animals, etc. should have a strong structure to maintain its physical shape from production to consumption by the animal
Also, in some cases, it may be impossible to pellet the feed without a suitable pellet binder. Therefore, using a suitable pellet binder plays an important role in the success of the feed pelleting process.
Key Features of a Suitable Pellet Binder
An effective pellet binder should provide properties that improve pellet durability and quality:
-
Moisture absorption and bonding: binders absorb part of the steam moisture during conditioning and help particles stick together.
-
Support during compression: in the pellet press (die and roller) or extruder, binders act like “cement,” holding feed particles firmly.
-
Improved durability: binders prevent pellet breakage during handling, transport, and feeding.
-
Facilitation of pelleting: in certain formulations, pelleting is almost impossible without a proper binder.
Pellet binders have properties that help to put food particles together in the pellets. The most important of these properties are the ability to absorb water and create bonds between the particles that make up the feed.
In fact, pellet binders play their role in two stages of the pelleting process. First, when the mixed feed enters the condenser, they increase the feed moisture by absorbing the injected moisture in the form of steam.
This action is effective in the ductility of the feed mixture as it passes through the die.
The second stage is when the feed is compressed between the die and the roller in the pellet press machine or between the screw and the lattice plate in the extruder machines, which hold the pellet binder materials together like a strong cement of the feed particles.
That’s why barley and wheat feeds, which contain higher levels of NSP, form stronger pellets.
Bentonite – The Most Common Pellet Binder in Iran
In many feed mills in Iran, bentonite is the first choice due to its abundance and low cost. Bentonite is an aluminosilicate mineral widely used as a pellet binder.
Advantages
-
Low cost and easy availability
-
Good water absorption capacity
-
Helps increase pellet density
Limitations
-
Deposits in die holes, leading to reduced efficiency and higher maintenance
-
Increased machine wear and energy consumption
-
Reduced feed palatability when used in higher doses
-
Possible reduction in absorption of certain micronutrients in the intestine
Although bentonite is widely used for economic reasons, it is not always the most suitable option for producing high-quality pellets.
Alternatives to Bentonite as Pellet Binders
-
Starches (especially corn starch):
-
Corn starch, rich in amylopectin, provides excellent binding capacity.
-
-
Gluten:
-
Composed of gliadin and glutenin, gluten forms a strong protein network.
-
When combined with starch under heat treatment, it creates strong binding effects.
-
-
Gums and resins:
-
Both natural and synthetic forms can be used, but care must be taken to avoid harmful effects on animals or consumers.
-
Re-evaluate your pellet binder
Bentonite is actually an aluminosilicate mineral that is mined. Existence of many sources of bentonite in Iran has caused this mineral to become popular as the cheapest and most common binder pellet in animal feed production plants.
Bentonites in different types, processed or not, in different brands have been widely used in feed mills.
But it is time to answer this question; Is bentonite, in addition to being the cheapest, also the most suitable pellet binder for use in the feed industry?
To get closer to the answer to this question, it is necessary to address some of the effects of bentonite on the production and quality of pellet feed. You know that minerals increase the depreciation of the feed production process with their strength.
Bentonite with sedimentation in the die pores gradually causes the holes to close or so-called cape, which in the long run reduces the efficiency of the pelletizing process or unusable die and the need for repair.
Because the resistance created by them causes more pressure on the pellet press machine and in addition to increasing depreciation, energy consumption also increases.
Also, minerals are generally malignant and increasing them in food reduces palatability.
Bentonite can be effective in reducing the palatable taste of food because a relatively significant amount of it must be added to food to be effective. This also seems to be a limitation in foods such as poultry starters or super-productive animals that require high concentrations of energy, protein and other nutrients.
Cases of combining bentonite with micronutrients and reducing their absorption in the intestine have also been observed.
Conclusion
Pellet binders play a crucial role in the feed pelleting process. While bentonite is the most common and cheapest binder in Iran, it has several drawbacks, including reduced feed palatability and increased machine wear.
Alternative binders such as starch and gluten can improve pellet quality and production efficiency. Choosing the right pellet binder not only enhances feed processing but also improves animal performance and overall profitability.