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Abstract

A method and apparatus for physical separation of aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles from commercial wheat bran, the method comprises removing from a fraction of aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa articles within the sieve mesh range of larger than about 130 .mu.m and smaller than about 290 .mu.m, obtained from commerical wheat bran by subjecting the bran to hammer-milling whereby the bran is broken and reduced into particles which consist predominantly of pericarp-testa particles and aleurone cell particles and then sized to the sieve mesh range, a fraction of particles which are smaller than about 40 .mu.m and electrostatically charging the remaining aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles. Passing electrostatically charged remaining aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles through an electrical field generated by an electrostatic separator, whereby the remaining aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles are fractionated by the differential of their electrical charges. Removal of the fraction of particles which are smaller than about 40 .mu.m and the electrostatic charging of the remaining aleurone cell particles and pericarp-testa particles is preferably effected by air elutriation of the mixture of the particles and which indues trioelectrification of the particles. Apparatus comprising an air elutriator with associated electrostatic separator.

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