Dielectric losses of mechanically activated grain crops during heat treatment

Abstract

Biochemical and electrophysical characteristics of grain crops vary significantly on changes in temperature and humidity conditions. The choice of the way and method of drying provides a significant role on the consumer properties of grain. A study of the dependence of the dielectric losses of grain crops during heat treatment on the example of mechanically activated wheat on the frequency of the external electric field and temperature was conducted in the paper. It was found that the structural features of fine wheat samples as a result of mechanical activation and temperature changes affect the dielectric properties of grain crops. The value of the dielectric loss tangent correlates with the size of the crushed samples, temperature, humidity, and frequency of external electrical influence. Analysis of the results of calculating the dielectric loss tangent showed that the maximum growth of the dielectric parameters lies in the region of near the temperature range close to 100°C, this value also increases for fine structures. A significant impact on the dielectric losses of mechanically activated grain crops samples with different degrees of grinding is exerted by the frequency of the external electric field, which can be associated with a change in the structure of a finely dispersed nonequilibrium heterogeneous environment as a result of the procedure of mechanical activation.