DRYING OF CORN KERNELS IN A FIXED BED DRIER: PHYSICAL INJURIES
Abstract
This experiment was carried out in order to determine physical injuries caused by artificial drying of corn kernels using drying air temperatures of 40oC, 70oC and 100oC) and harvested at moisture contents of 18%, 25% and 35% and to correlate them to breakage susceptibility. A stationary fixed bed drier with an air flow of 15 m3/min/ m2 was used. Lots of 1,400 kg, using three replications, were dried for each combination of harvest moisture content and drying temperature level. Hectoliter weight, 1,000-kernels weight, percentage of kernels with one, two and multiple cracks, stress cracks index and breakage susceptibility were evaluated. Stress cracks index of corn kernels increases when harvest moisture and driyng temperature increase in a stationary fixed bed drier. Occurrence of broken kernels during pre processing is affected by stress cracks severity. Stress cracks index and percentage of kernels with multiple cracks are fairly correlated to breakage susceptibility.
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