Abstract
This study specifically seeks to find out the changes in moisture content (MC) on two maize varieties (Opeaburoo and Abontem) in relation to designated physical attributes during drying. Four designated MC within a range of 22.3 to 12.8% wb for Opeaburoo and 21.5 to 12.3% wb for Abontem were used. The mean length, width and thickness dimensions reduced from 12.67 to 12.54 mm, 9.19 to 9.12 mm, and 4.58 to 4.51 mm, respectively for Opeaburoo and 11.74 to 10.57 mm, 8.69 to 8.10 mm and 5.43 to 4.79 mm, respectively for Abontem with respect to decrease in moisture content. The symmetrical average diameter, surface area, thousand grain mass and angle of repose also reduced from 8.11 to 8.02 mm, 206.4 to 204.66 mm2, 340.06 to 288.28 g and 28.77 to 22.10°, respectively for Opeaburoo and that of Abontem also recorded similar trend of reduction. Average values for volume lessened from 278.82 to 270.10 mm3 and 290.10 to 214.76 mm3 for Opeaburoo and Abontem, respectively. A non-linear regression equation was found for volume, sphericity and bulk densities in relationship with moisture contents for both varieties. A linear decrease in coefficient of friction with decreasing moisture contents were observed for the three structural surfaces for both maize varieties. The maximum resistance to flow (coefficient of friction) of the grains occurred on the plywood surface. With the exception of the mean width and thickness for opeaburoo, some pairs of the means of the physical attributes for the two maize varieties studied were statistically different at the moisture content levels. Key words: Geometric mean diameter, sphericity, coefficient of friction, Opeaburoo, Abontem.
Highlights
The most cereal crop grown after wheat and rice in the world is maize (Plahar, 2006) and belongs to the family Poacea
The axial dimensions, geometric mean diameter, surface area, sphericity, volume, bulk density, angle of repose and coefficient of static friction were found to decrease with reduction in moisture contents for both varieties of maize
A reduction in axial dimensions for length, width and thickness was 12.67 to 12.54 mm, 9.19 to 9.12 mm, 4.58 to 4.51 mm, respectively for Opeaburoo and 11.74 to 10.57 mm, 8.69 to 8.10 mm, 5.43 to 4.79 mm, respectively for Abontem with respect to decreased in moisture content
Summary
The most cereal crop grown after wheat and rice in the world is maize (Plahar, 2006) and belongs to the family Poacea. Barbosa-Canovas et al (2006) observed that surface area and porosity are properties affecting the rate of heat conduction in a material and data on this attributes offer basis for design consideration of dehydrators Other engineering properties such as bulk density, porosity, coefficient of friction and angle of repose are needed during sizing of grain hoppers, flow of materials from silos, harvesting equipment, handling and processing machineries (Amin et al, 2004; Eşref and Halil, 2007). It is of these reasons that the study sought to analyse the effect of moisture content during drying on some physical attributes of Opeaburoo and Abontem maize varieties These consisted of geometric, gravimetric and frictional properties which were examined with respect to their application to equipment design for various pre-harvest and post-harvest operations
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