PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOME RICE VARIETIES AS INFLUENCED BY MOISTURE CONTENT FOR DESIGN OF THRESHING MACHINE
Mechanization of machines for sowing, harvesting, processing, packaging and transportation have been limited by lack of data on physical properties of agricultural products to facilitate design of equipment for its postharvest processing. Therefore, in this study physical properties of three rice varieties were studied as a function of moisture content of grain at four moisture levels. The physical properties of rice considered were bulk density, true density, sphericity, porosity, angle of repose, angle of internal friction and coefficient of friction at 10, 12, 14 and 16% moisture content (wet basis). The average length, width, thickness and thousand grain weight of the three rice grains were, 6.94, 2.19, 1.98 mm and 22.00g respectively. Sphericity, aspect ratio, surface area, bulk density, true density, porosity and repose angle were 3.63, 30.04 mm2, 750.21 kgm-3, 1250.11 kgm-3, 43.5% and 33o respectively. The static coefficients of friction were 0.4425 and 0.3942 for plywood and galvanized iron sheet respectively. Higher friction coefficient values were observed on wood surface and the lowest on galvanized iron surface. It was recommended that galvanised iron sheet be used for construction of processing equipment due to its low friction coefficient.
Authors : Tashiwa, Y. I., Kadafa, M. K., Peter, E. B. and Genesis, I.
Category : Open Access Volume (Issue) : 7(1) Date Uploaded : 14th June 2021