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Neue Publikation: Physical surface modification of solid particles for enhanced triboelectric separation of food materials
The increasing demand for sustainable protein ingredients has stimulated the development of efficient and environmentally friendly dry fractionation technologies. This study aimed to improve protein enrichment by triboelectric separation through physical surface modification of food particles. Multiple impact treatments were applied to legume raw materials to remove surface-adhered impurities and improve the particle purity of target particles. Laser diffraction and microscopic imaging were used to monitor changes in particle size and surface morphology, and triboelectric separation experiments were conducted to clarify how physical surface modification affects separation performance. Repeated impact treatment induced pronounced component liberation and progressively removed surface-adhered cotyledon tissue residues from native starch granules in yellow pea, mung bean, faba bean, and red lentil, and from protein-rich particles in lupin. Following particle surface modification, the protein content of the enriched fractions exceeded 35%, reaching a maximum of 47%. These findings demonstrate that physical surface modification of solid food particles can enhance triboelectric separation efficiency and provide a feasible pretreatment strategy for protein enrichment from food materials.