Moisture Content Of Product Research Articles

IMPROVEMENT OF THE PRODUCT COMPOSITION FROM NITRIC ACID PROCESSING OF KYZYLKUM CARBONATE PHOSPHORITES

The process of producing NP-fertilizers by nitric-sulfuric acid decomposition of phosphate rock (17.20% P2O5) under thickening slurry conditions has been studied. It was shown that the higher the recycle ratio, the lower the moisture content of the final product. Increasing the HNO3 dosage above 30% and H2SO4 above 70% is undesirable, as the product's moisture content exceeds 6.03% and it has increased acidity. To avoid issues during ammoniation, an optimal rate of nitric and sulfuric acid was proposed—73.5-91%, which produced products containing 9.34-10.61% -P2O5total; 3.04-4.54% N; P2O5 digestive:P2O5 total = 73.4-82.3%; pH = 3.3-3.6, and granule strength of 2.1-2.3 MPa. The process of producing NPK-fertilizers was also studied by adding nitrogen components such as K2SO4, KCl, and K2CO3 to the products of complete nitric acid decomposition of washed and dried concentrate (24.10% P2O5) and fine fractions (18.55% P2O5). The process includes decarbonization and decomposition of the phosphate raw material (simultaneously in one apparatus), neutralization to a pH not lower than 3.5, evaporation of the slurry to a density of at least 1750 kg/m3, the addition of potassium salts at N:P2O5:K2O ratios of 1:1:1, 1.5:1:1, and 1:1.5:1, product granulation, drying in the presence of recycle, and cooling.

Effect of Gradient Vacuum Pressure on Quality Parameters of Vacuum‐Fried Bananas Chips

ABSTRACTThe effect of vacuum pressure mode has not been studied depth yet. Effect of vacuum pressure on the quality of vacuum‐fried banana slices was studies in this work. Three vacuum frying processes were conducted and tested. Classically, two constant vacuum pressures 80 (CVF‐80) and 180 mmHg (CVF‐180) were applied in the frying process at 90°C. One novel frying method with gradient vacuum pressure (GVF) changed from 760 to 80 mmHg was conducted and adapted. The frying temperature was kept at 90°C. The frying processes were monitoring by moisture contents and 4% was generally accepted as moisture content of final product. Meanwhile, the frying times of CVF‐80, CVF‐180 and GVF were 50, 80 and 60 min, whereas the brightness values (L*) were corresponded to 71.07, 71.36, 67.25, respectively. The GVF samples were brightest with lowest hardness value (30.8 N) and the CVF‐180 was darkest with highest hardness value (36.87 N). The microstructure analysis showed that the GVF increase in both size and number of pores in comparison with CVF. Additionally, based on the paired comparison sensorial test the GVF fried banana slices were crisper than CVF samples. Our results revealed that the GVF method improves the quality of vacuum‐fried banana slices, thus it can be good alternative method for production of banana snack.

Hydrophobic regulation enhances the filtration and dehydration for coal preparation products, an experimental exploration

To enhance the filtration and dewatering performance while reducing the moisture content of coal preparation products, we conducted an investigation into the dehydration efficacy of various coal preparation products using different filter aids. The study involved examining the dehydration effects of both conventional hydrophobic filter aids and novel alternatives on flotation cleaned coal and coarse fine slime at the Huaibei Linhuan coal preparation plant. Our findings revealed a significantly superior dehydration performance of the new filter aids compared to conventional hydrophobic ones. Subsequently, we explored the dehydration efficacy of a specific new filter aid, designated as 1239, on four types of coal samples sourced from the Huainan mining area. The results demonstrated that filter aid 1239 exhibited remarkable effectiveness on both flotation cleaned coal and coarse fine slime, with a discernible impact on coal slime as well. By modulating the hydrophobicity of particle surfaces, hydrophobic filter aids effectively facilitated the dehydration of coal preparation products. These findings bear substantial significance for improving the dewatering and transportation processes of coal preparation products.

Screening and application of functional autochthonous starter culture from cured meat, which can reduce nitrite content.

Cured meat is a fermented meat product from the traditional Chinese culture made by natural fermentation. In this study, five bacteria strains were screened from cured meat using 16S rDNA technology, and a functional local starter was selected, which was applied to the production of cured meat to standardize the production of cured meat and improve the quality of cured meat. By studying the fermentation characteristics of strain these strains, this study found that the fermentation characteristics of L. mesenteroides and S. lactis are ideal. L. mesenteroides and S. lactis were used as starter cultures in fermented bacon. Then, this study compared the quality of fermented beef with Sichuan bacon, Hunan bacon, and Xinyang bacon. The results suggested that L. mesenteroides and S. lactis can improve the sensory and texture properties of the products and reduce the moisture content, water activity, pH value, and protein content of fermented beef products. More importantly, L. mesenteroides can significantly reduce the nitrite content (25.34%) and nitrosamine content (29.69%) in fermented beef, which provides an excellent guarantee for the safety of cured meat. In this study, a functional fermentation strain-L. mesenteroides could degrade the nitrite content of fermented meat products and improve their sensory and textural properties-was screened to provide some reference value for the later development of functional strains suitable for fermented meat products.

A physics‐constrained hybrid residual neural network for the prediction of moisture content in a closed‐cycle drying system

AbstractClosed‐cycle drying technology has the advantages of safety, energy saving, and environmental protection, and has a wide application prospect. Due to the multi‐physics and multi‐scale nature of heat/mass transfer in the closed‐cycle drying process, as well as the characteristics of drying medium circulation and energy integration, it is difficult to obtain the product moisture content prediction model in closed‐cycle process based on rigorous closed‐cycle drying process mechanism model. However, accurate monitoring of product moisture content in the closed‐cycle drying process is the key to improving drying quality and process optimization. Aiming at the challenges in predicting moisture content, this paper proposes a physics‐constrained hybrid residual neural network (PC‐HRNN) for soft sensor modelling within a designed closed‐cycle drying system. The characteristic of this proposed method lies in its effective fusion of physics, knowledge, and data. First, a hybrid residual neural network (HRNN) is constructed based on the integration of a physics model and a data‐driven model. The HRNN takes the knowledge from the physics model as its auxiliary features and learns the prediction residuals of the physics model through a neural network model. Then, a new loss function that takes into account physical laws is introduced into HPNN to standardize model training and improve the generalization performance of the model. The experimental results show that the PC‐HRNN model improves prediction accuracy and model robustness, reduces the demand for data, and demonstrates stronger extrapolation capabilities under limited data.

Development and integration of a continuous horizontal belt filter into drug production procedure

In the pharmaceutical industry, filtration is traditionally carried out in batch mode. However, with the spread of continuous technologies, there is an increasing demand for robust continuous filtration strategies suitable for processing suspensions produced in continuous crystallizers. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate a lab-scale horizontal conveyor belt filtration approach for pharmaceutical separation purposes for the first time. The newly developed continuous horizontal belt filter (CHBF) was tested under different systems (microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)/water, lactose/ethanol and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)/water) and diverse conditions. Filtration was robust using a well-defined unimodal particle size distribution MCC in water system, where the residual moisture content varied within narrow limits of 45–52% independently from the process conditions. Besides, the residual moisture content highly depended on the applied solvent and particle size. It could be reduced to below 2% by processing the suspensions of either a volatile solvent (lactose in ethanol) or an aqueous slurry of a large particle size ASA. Finally, the CHBF was connected to a mixed suspension mixed product removal (MSMPR) or a plug flow crystallizer (PFC). The residual moisture content of the CHBF-filtered ASA product and operation characteristics (onset of steady-state) were evaluated in both continuous crystallizer-filter systems. The MSMPR-CHBF system operated with a longer startup period. The size of the in situ-produced crystals was of a similar order magnitude in both systems, resulting in a similar residual moisture content (around 20%). Overall, the tested continuous filter was robust, did not modify the crystal morphology in the examined experimental range, and could be effectively integrated with continuous crystallizers.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of a Laboratory Spray Dry Scrubber for SO2 Removal in Flue Gas Desulphurisation—Effect of Drying Models

Spray dry scrubbing is widely used for SO2 abatement, but high removal efficiencies are required for economical operation. Whereas SO2 removal dependence on the drying rate has been investigated, available modelling work has not addressed the impact of selected drying models on the removal efficiency; instead, a single drying model is often assumed. In the present work, computational fluid dynamics is used to numerically model the SO2 removal in a laboratory-scale spray dry scrubber. The Euler–Lagrangian framework is used to simulate the multiphase interaction and two drying models are used: the widely used classical D2-law model and the mechanistic model. In addressing shortcomings from previous works, this study also provides a comprehensive model development and robust model validation with quantifiable metrics for goodness-of-fit, including R2. Also presented are key parameters associated with SO2-removal efficiency, including the exit product moisture content and droplet dynamics. The mechanistic model gave a better representation of the SO2-removal efficiency. The latter was found to be dependent on the inlet temperature, the calcium-to-sulphur and liquid-to-gas (L/G) ratios, with a high L/G ratio having the most significant impact on the removal efficiency, although resulting in a higher product outlet moisture content.

Variability in addictive and carcinogenic potential of smokeless tobacco products marketed in Mumbai, India: a surveillance study

India has the highest incidence worldwide of smokeless tobacco (SLT)-associated oral cancer, accounting for nearly 70% of all SLT users globally. Nicotine and tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNA) play critical roles in the addictive and carcinogenic potential, respectively, of SLT products. Our group has previously reported substantial variability in nicotine and TSNA levels across a small SLT product sample in India, calling for systematic surveillance. However, there is no information available on the current levels of these constituents in Indian SLT. We analysed 321 samples representing 57 brands of eight popular types of manufactured SLT products purchased from five local markets in Mumbai, India between August, and September 2019. The sampling locations were Mumbai Central, Kurla, Thane, Vashi, and Airoli. Product pH, moisture content, total and unprotonated (biologically available) nicotine, and TSNA levels were measured at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) in Mumbai. Total nicotine content ranged from 0.45 to 35.1mg/g across products. The unprotonated nicotine fraction contributed 0.1-100% of the total nicotine content. The carcinogenic TSNA levels ranged 0.06-76 ug/g for N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), 0.02-19.2 ug/g for 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and 0.01-6.51 ug/g for 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL). Consistent with our previous study, we observed substantial variations across different brands of the same product type. This is the most extensive and the first within-country study to report brand-specific nicotine and TSNA levels in SLT products marketed in Mumbai, India. Our results show that levels of these constituents remain extremely variable across Indian SLT and are strikingly high in many products. Enhanced public education and continued efforts to reduce SLT use prevalence in India are critical for reducing the global burden of SLT-associated morbidity and mortality. Regulation of nicotine and TSNA levels in SLT products should be considered. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (USA) grant R01-TW010651 and, in part, by grants R01-CA180880 and R50-CA211256. The LC-MS/MS analysis was supported in part by XII Plan project funding from the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.

Effect of foaming conditions and drying temperatures on total polyphenol content and drying rate of foam-mat dried banana powder: Modeling and optimization study

This study aims to optimize the parameters of the foam-mat drying to produce banana powder. Input parameters of the foam drying such as foaming agent (egg albumin) concentration used from 5 to 15 %, the foam stabilizer (maltodextrin) used from 1 to 3 % and the drying temperature varied between 60 and 80 °C. Factors with 3 levels are arranged according to the Box-Behnken design, which further modelled by RSM (response surface methodology) and ANN (artificial neural network), and optimized. The drying rate and total polyphenol content (TPC) of banana powder under the studied conditions were determined as the target output. The moisture, color, total polyphenol, antioxidant activity and some physical parameters of final fine powder were analyzed. Increasing temperature has increased the drying rate. In addition, increasing the concentrations of egg albumin and maltodextrin maintained the highest TPC and maximum drying rate. ANN model showed the higher forecasting capacity than that of RSM. Moreover, simultaneous optimization of two responses (TPC and drying rate) was selected to maximize the desired value at the concentration of albumin, maltodextrin and drying temperature of 11.86 %, 1.92 %, 74.94 °C, respectively, corresponding to the highest TPC value and drying rate of 1.31 mgGAE/g DW and 2.48 g water/g dry matter/min. At this condition, the drying time was recorded as 103 min. Validation of the optimal ratios showed that the experimental values of TPC and drying rate were in good agreement with the model predicted data. The moisture content and water activity of product were found to be 5.87 ± 0.07 % and 0.37 ± 0.01. The product had bright colors with L*, a* and b* values were measured as 86.4 ± 0.5, 1.75 ± 0.08 and 15.2 ± 0.3, respectively. The high DPPH radical scavenging activity was detected (53.5 %) with the water solubility index and water absorption index of banana powder was determined at value of 56.98 % and 5.17 g/g, respectively. Foam mat dried banana powder was well preserved in paper packaging with aluminum foil.

Design of Experiments-Driven Optimization of Spray Drying for Amorphous Clotrimazole Nanosuspension.

This study employed a Quality by Design (QbD) approach to spray dry amorphousclotrimazole nanosuspension (CLT-NS) consisting of Soluplus® and microcrystallinecellulose. Using the Box-Behnken Design, a systematic evaluation was conducted toanalyze the impact of inlet temperature, % aspiration, and feed rate on the criticalquality attributes (CQAs) of the clotrimazole spray-dried nanosuspension (CLT-SDNS). In this study, regression analysis and ANOVA were employed to detect significantfactors and interactions, enabling the development of a predictive model for the spraydrying process. Following optimization, the CLT-SD-NS underwent analysis using Xraypowder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and in vitro dissolution studies. The resultsshowed significant variables, including inlet temperature, feed rate, and aspiration rate,affecting yield, redispersibility index (RDI), and moisture content of the final product. The models created for critical quality attributes (CQAs) showed statistical significanceat a p-value of 0.05. XRPD and DSC confirmed the amorphous state of CLT in theCLT-SD-NS, and FTIR indicated no interactions between CLT and excipients. In vitrodissolution studies showed improved dissolution rates for the CLT-SD-NS (3.12-foldincrease in DI water and 5.88-fold increase at pH 7.2 dissolution media), attributed torapidly redispersing nanosized amorphous CLT particles. The well-designed studyutilizing the Design of Experiments (DoE) methodology.

Investigation of the influence of the processing method before drying on the organoleptic characteristics, the amount of weight loss and microbiological parameters of zucchini chips

Drying is one of the most popular ways to preserve plant materials by reducing humidity and preventing microbiological contamination and it is a promising direction in the food industry. The article presents the results of the research in the development of effective technologies for preparing zucchini for drying, ensuring acceleration of the drying process, as well as maintaining or improving organoleptic characteristics (for example, to prevent excessive darkening). The article describes the results of the influence of pre-treatment of zucchini before drying on quality indicators – organoleptic indicators (appearance, consistency, taste, smell, color, shape, size) and physicochemical indicators (weight of fresh raw materials and dried product, moisture content of the finished product) and microbiological safety (MAFAnM, coliform bacteria, mold, yeast). The types of pre-treatment of zucchini before drying were microwave treatment, C6 H8 O7 solution (citric acid), NaCl solution (saline solution), microwave treatment + C6 H8 O7 solution, microwave treatment + NaCl solution. During the organoleptic assessment, it was found that the best organoleptic indicators are provided by treatment with 5% NaCl solution (4.8 points) and 1% C6 H8 O7 solution (4.7 points). Microwave pre-treatment in various parameters led to the appearance of characteristic bitterness and an unpleasant aftertaste. Treatment with a solution of citric acid in various dosages imparts a sour taste and prevented darkening during drying. It was found that various types of pre-treatment do not affect the duration of drying of zucchini, which was, on average, 7 hours. Microwave treatment reduced humidity to 3.4%, citric acid – to 3.6%, saline solution – to 4.6%, while complex treatment did not affect the reduction in moisture content of the dry product and, in general, the duration of drying. As a result of the microbiological assessment, it was noted that the amount of MaFAnM and mold fungi were within acceptable imits, and the growth of coliform bacteria was absent, which corresponded to the indicators of regulatory documents.

Improvement of storage stability and bioaccessibility of microencapsulated black carrot (Daucus Carota ssp. sativus) anthocyanins using maltodextrin and sericin protein combinations as wall material

This study explores the potential of microencapsulation to enhance the stability and bioaccessibility of anthocyanins from black carrots (Daucus carota ssp. sativus). Anthocyanins, known for their health benefits, are often limited in their application due to poor stability and bioaccessibility. We investigated microencapsulation using maltodextrin alone (BAM) and in combination with sericin proteins (BAMS1, BAMS2, BAMS3), a novel approach. Spray drying was employed to encapsulate anthocyanins, with maltodextrin (20%) and varying concentrations of sericin protein (1%, 2%, 3%) as wall materials. Comprehensive analysis encompassed parameters such as production yield, moisture content, bulk and tapped density, encapsulation efficiency, particle size distribution, surface morphology, FTIR, amino acid profiling, storage stability under diverse temperature conditions (4 °C, 25 °C, 37 °C), and simulated gastrointestinal conditions to assess bioaccessibility. Results indicated a range of production yield (51.05%–59.13%) and encapsulation efficiency (87.68%–94.01%), with moisture content between 5.24% and 6.47%. Sericin incorporation notably influenced moisture content and particle density. Particle size varied from 74.14 μm to 160 μm, with discernible differences attributed to sericin concentration. SEM revealed smooth-continuous surface morphologies, indicating the influence of sericin on capsule structure. Preservation of essential amino acid profiles underscored the efficacy of the encapsulation process. Enhanced stability and degradation kinetic parameters of anthocyanins, particularly evident in BAMS3 microcapsules, underscored the protective role of sericin. In vitro digestion studies confirmed controlled release dynamics, highlighting the potential for improved anthocyanin bioaccessibility facilitated by the sericin-maltodextrin composite encapsulation approach.

Microbial Population and Physicochemical Properties of Miang Fermented in Bamboo Tubes by the Luar Ethnic Group in Lao PDR.

Miang is a traditional fermented food made from Assam tea leaves and consumed as a snack. This study investigated the underground Miang fermentation process practiced by the Luar ethnic group in Laos, specifically examining the nutritional composition and microbial dynamics. Lactic acid bacteria and yeast were dominant in the fermentation process, reaching 8.43 and 8.50 log CFU/g after one week before gradually declining, while the coliform bacterial count was at 5.31 log CFU/g in the initial week but became undetectable in the later stages of fermentation. Next-generation sequencing identified Firmicutes (75.02%) and Proteobacteria (23.51%) as the primary phyla. Bacterial genera included Lactobacillus (73.36%) and Acetobacter (21.06%), with fungi mainly represented by Pichia (85.52%) and Candida (13.45%). Fundamental microbes such as Lactobacillus and Acetobacter were predominantly present, alongside Pichia and Candida, in the fungal communities. Microbial activities played a crucial role in generating essential enzymes for Miang's transformation. The nutritional transformation appears to be complete at 5 weeks of fermentation. The moisture content in the final products was approximately 74% and correlated with a change in nitrogen-free extract (NFE) and crude fiber. The fat content showed a slight increase from 1.3% to 2.52%, but protein content slightly declined from 17.21% to 16.05%, whereas ash content did not change significantly. Key polysaccharide-degrading enzymes, particularly pectinase and β-mannanase, were revealed and peaked at 48.32 and 25.32 U/g Miang, respectively. The total polyphenols increased from 103.54 mg/g dry Miang to 144.19-155.52 mg/g during fermentation. The lowered IC50 value indicated an increase in antioxidant activity. A fermentation period of at least 3 weeks proved to be optimal for enhancing antioxidant properties and bioactive compounds, and mitigating the risk of coliform bacteria.

Modeling moisture change of packaged dry tablet dosage forms under consumer use condition

A simple mathematical model based on product’s moisture sorption isotherm and package’s moisture transmission was developed to predict moisture content of dry solid tablets during consumers’ use, which is useful for determination of in-use shelf life (ISL) or secondary shelf life. The moisture increase depending on amount of product remaining in the package was accounted for in the mass balance equation on the package. The model was first verified by literature data of desiccant canisters in a plastic bottle of high density polyethylene exposed to two environmental conditions (25 °C and 60% relative humidity (RH); 40 °C and 75% RH) simulating in-use of removing one canister each day. Then an experimental work was conducted on dry refresher candies in a polyethylene terephthalate bottle at 25 °C with two tablets taken out every day, which confirmed the model’s capability to predict the product moisture content during in-use storage of 76% and 90% RH. Its use can provide science-based accurate determination of ISL, which may work as consumer guideline. The model is also expected to be helpful for recommending management scheme of whole product life.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy imaging combined with convolutional long short-term memory neural network for In situ moisture reduction prediction of particle foods during pulsed fluidized bed drying

Fluidized bed drying (FBD), as a novel dehydration method, has been widely applied in drying various heat-sensitive high-value food products, in which the pulsed fluidized bed drying (PFBD) technique addresses the ineffective fluidized limitation of the traditional FBD when dealing with cohesive products. However, achieving in situ real-time monitoring of dynamic product moisture content (MC) change during both FBD and PFBD without sampling is still challenging. This paper presents an innovative integration of a whisk-broom terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) imaging system with a fluidized bed dryer, facilitating in situ, real-time monitoring of MC reduction of products without process pausing for sampling. The reliability, and robustness of the established system and prediction models were tested by drying peppercorn and sweetcorn under various drying settings, including different temperatures, flow patterns, and durations. Implementing the convolutional neural networks (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) for correlating terahertz time-domain image data with reference datasets in this research provided reliable MC reduction prediction results for the mixture dataset from peppercorn and sweetcorn drying. The successful application of this combined sensing and analytical method presents a promising approach for enhancing industrial processing control and expands the utility of THz-TDS in the agriculture and food industrial fields.

Exploring forced convective solar drying of henna (Lawsonia inermis) and its effect on the biological activities: Comparison with open sun dried product

The first focus of this study is to investigate the design and behavior of locally built solar dryer during processing henna leaves. This was performed through the determination of the most important parameters that effect drying process. Appropriately, it was found that solar radiation has a direct effect on the collector outlet air temperature and consequently the product moisture content. Accordingly, high radiations lead having high air temperature at the drying chamber and consequently, the moisture content will decrease rapidly. Similarly, lower radiations will still lead to decrease of the moisture content, however, the drying rate will be less important than at high radiations. On the other hand, air velocity has an inverse dissipative effect of the energy and its increase leads to the decrease of the outlet temperature of the solar collector. Indeed, the highest outlet temperature from the solar collector was around 32 °C at an air velocity of 2 m/s. At 5.5 m/s, this temperature dropped to around 27 °C. The second objective of this study is to present the effect of different drying methods (i.e. forced convective solar drying and open sun drying) of Lawsonia inermis on the content of secondary metabolites (phenolic and flavonoid compounds) and compare the results with fresh henna samples. The yield of phenolic compounds was determined, and the dry crude extracts were found to be richer than the fresh sample in all of the drying modes used. The best yields are obtained with convective solar dryer and open sun drying samples (28.6 and 13.93%), respectively. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of convective solar dryer product were 25 and 10% higher than open sun dried samples. Antioxidant tests (DPPH, ABTS, and ferric reducing power) revealed the scavenging and reducing abilities of the extract dried with the solar dryer. The values of antioxidant capacities measured by the three different methods were all consistent, appropriate, and highly correlative for assessing total antioxidant capacities. The solar dryer allows the preservation or even the increase of the antioxidant activity of the tested extracts.

Prospects for using screens with double vibration-impact excitation for size separation and dewatering of wet mineral raw materials that are difficult to classify

One of the most labor-intensive and energy-consuming processes is the process of particle size separation and removal of moisture from products of wide particle size classes with a high content of small classes less than 0.2 mm in size. Such raw materials are dehydrated by traditional methods to 18-22% and are practically not classified. A review of methods for intensifying these processes showed the promise of vibration impact, which can be applied to both the sieving surface and the processed raw materials. The designs of screens with double vibration-impact excitation for particle size separation and dewatering of wet mineral raw materials are considered. The influence of operating parameters and screening time on the technological performance of these processes was experimentally studied. It was established that the use of a disintegrator simultaneously with an activator and disintegrating elements made it possible, without the use of additional power, to reduce the moisture content of the over-grid product to 4-5% while extracting the -0.1+0 mm class into the under-grid product to 83-85%. The results obtained confirmed the prospects of using screens with double vibration-impact excitation for size separation and dehydration of wet mineral raw materials that are difficult to classify.

Analysis of the State of Moisture Control to Ensure and Regulate the Quality of Grain and Grain Products

The article discusses the methods for determining the maturity of grain and describes its behavior during harvesting, to optimize the selection of the grain moisture state, discusses the requirements for the choice of measurement method and the design of moisture control measuring devices, as well as its high accuracy and the possibility of measuring from field conditions, collection, storage, transportation, and industrial processing and release of finished products of granular materials. The purpose of the study is to improve the efficiency of control and management of complex technological processes and moisture control devices for granular bulk materials of plant origin through the development of systems for automatic and automated control of the electrophysical characteristics of grain products and to increase the reliability of quantitative and qualitative assessments of production and technological measurement information. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to conduct analytical and experimental studies of the possibility of creating an express method for controlling the moisture content of grain and products of their industrial processing and the development of a moisture meter for automated control of raw material parameters during acceptance and storage at grain processing enterprises. The article discusses the scientific and methodological foundations for measuring the electrophysical characteristics of grain products of agricultural production and the implementation on this basis of the functional subsystem of information support by the Automated Process Control System for Controlling the Mass Ratio of Moisture of Plant Origin Materials. A critical analysis of the current state of the theory and practice of automatic control of electrophysical characteristics of grain products and the identification of the trend of their further development and improvement are carried out. A mathematical model of the interaction of a high-frequency field with a granular material has been constructed, where the influence of the elastic properties of the grain on the electrical characteristics of the electromagnetic wave, which distinguishes its behavior in the field of a high-frequency wave from many other dielectrics, has been substantiated, and the influence of a large number of various disturbing factors has been studied, often the measurement results cannot be applied in the control of the technological process due to the uneliminated error, which is the cause of inaccurate information. Primary measuring transducers of electrophysical parameters of grain products are proposed, and their mathematical models are considered. A functional scheme of the measuring device based on the dielcometric method of moisture control of grain and granular materials has been developed, and metrological characteristics have been given.

Bплив ранньовесняних строків сівби насіння ромашки лікарської на польову схожість та виживання рослин в умовах правобережного лісостепу України

An important place in the effective technology of growing medicinal chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) is occupied by the early spring sowing period. Therefore, they provide a dense emergence of seeds, as evidenced by many conducted scientific studies in the field of plant breeding. The article presents the results of experimental research on the effect of early spring sowing dates of medicinal chamomile on field seed germination and plant survival. It was established that medicinal chamomile plants depended on weather and climatic conditions, sufficient amount of moisture in the soil, soil crust, which as a result led to variation in the passage of growth and development phases, and therefore, a question arose in the study of agrotechnical techniques aimed at the productivity of medicinal raw materials. The cultivation of tetraploid of medicinal chamomile variety Perlyna Lisostepu and Zloty Lan in the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine during the period of research (2018-2023) in the early spring sowing period was studied. It was established that the investigated varieties of medicinal chamomile had the highest field germination of seeds due to the content of productive moisture. The highest field seed germination rates of 74.16% were recorded during the early spring (15-18.04) sowing period of the Perlyna Lisostepu variety, and the Zloty Lan variety was 72.68%, respectively. According to six-year research data, the highest field seed germination of 68.00% on the control variant (1-3.04) according to the sowing dates was noted in the Perlyna Lisostepu variety, and the lowest 67.00% – in the Zloty Lan variety. The maximum rate of plant survival at the end of the growing season was 88.96%, which was obtained in the variant of the early spring (15-18.04) sowing period of the Perlyna Lisostepu variety, the minimum rate was 69.15% in the control (1-3.04) of the Zloty Lan variety. The germination rate on average over six years exceeded the control by 6.14%, and the survival of chamomile plants on average over the years of research exceeded the control option by 1.5%. The difference in factors was insignificant (2-3%)

Determining Moisture Content of Basil Using Handheld Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Accurate and rapid determination of moisture content is essential in crop production and decision-making for irrigation. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been shown to be a promising method for determining moisture content in various agricultural products, including herbs and vegetables. This study tested the hypothesis that NIR spectroscopy is effective in accurately measuring the moisture content of Genovese basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), with the objective of developing a respective calibration model. Spectral data were obtained from a total of 120 basil leaf samples over a period of six days. These included freshly harvested and detached leaves, as well as those left in ambient air for 1–6 days. Five spectra were taken from each leaf using a handheld NIR spectrophotometer, which covers the first and second overtones of the NIR spectral region: 950–1650 nm. After the spectral acquisition, the leaves were weighed for fresh mass and then put in an oven for 72 h at 80 °C to determine the dry weight and calculate the reference moisture content. The calibration model was developed using multivariate analysis in MATLAB, including preprocessing and regression modeling. The data obtained from 75% of the samples were used for model training and 25% for validation. The final model demonstrates strong performance metrics. The root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) is 2.9908, the root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) is 3.2368, and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) reaches 2.4675. The coefficients of determination for calibration (R2C) and cross-validation (R2CV) are consistent, with values of 0.829 and 0.80, respectively. The model’s predictive ability is indicated by a coefficient of determination for prediction (R2P) of 0.86. The range error ratio (RER) stands at 11.045—highlighting its predictive performance. Our investigation, using handheld NIR spectrophotometry, confirms NIR’s usefulness in basil moisture determination. The rapid determination offers valuable insights for irrigation and crop management.