fines and semi continuous ribbons the compacts were collected and screened using a sweco vibratory screener to u00bc u2033 the fines were recycled back to the compactor after about 20 lbs of compacts larger than u00bc u2033 were collected the material was milled in a fitzmill fitzpatrick co with knives installed and a u00bc u2033 perforated plate for classification after milling the granules were screened to u2212 u00bc u2033 30 mesh a sample of the granules was then expanded by adding water and mixing by hand until no palpable granules remained the expansion volume ratio was measured to be 3 25 1 versus the original compressed granules coir pith bricks of sri lankan origin were obtained from haymark spring tex the coir bricks were outturned using an extructor model re 12 manufactured by bepex minneapolis minn the coir was then milled using a pulvicron pc 20 bepex in order to reduce the length of fibers present with the pith the pulvicron is an air swept mill with and internal classifier use of this mill is effective at reducing the fiber length and adjusting the moisture content of the coir pith by controlling the temperature and or humidity of the air stream moisture content of the coir pith was typically between 10 and 15 by weight after milling the pith was then batch blended in a ribbon blender with pulverized dolomite lime to adjust ph and 15 15 15 fertilizer containing ammonium nitrate ammonium sulfate diammonium phosphate and potassium chloride the blended coir was compacted into ribbons using a model ms 75 compactor bepex.