High Initial Moisture Content Research Articles

The effect of microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment on physicochemical and functional properties of wheat, barley, and rye flours

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of microwave-assisted hydrothermal process on color, solvent holding capacity, damaged starch content, resistant starch content, gelation and textural properties of wheat, barley, and rye flours. The hydrothermal treatment was conducted by adjusting the moisture content of the flours to 20, 25, 30, 35% following drying of the hydrated flours using a modified microwave oven until the moisture content fell below 8%. As a result, a general increase was observed in solvent (water, lactic acid, sucrose, and sodium carbonate) holding capacity, damaged starch content, b* value, chroma (saturation), redness, ΔE value, and gelatinization temperature of the flours regardless of the cereal type. The variations were more pronounced at higher initial moisture contents. On the contrary, the resistant starch content, L* value, whiteness, and breakdown viscosity decreased as a result of the treatment. The hydrothermal treatment resulted in an increase in maximum viscosity, setback viscosity, and gel hardness for wheat flour, whereas it led to a decrease in these parameters for treated barley and rye flours. Moreover, the impact of the treatment varied depending on the initial moisture content, with a more significant effect observed at moisture contents exceeding 25%.

Determination of deep bed drying rates for abattoir paunch waste using revised co-efficients for the Hukill equation

Abattoir paunch waste offers a site-specific, viable waste-to-energy stream for the global red meat processing industry. While the literature highlights numerous end uses for dried paunch, the undried paunch, with its high initial moisture content, is considered a waste product of limited to no value. However, if the initial moisture content of paunch can be reduced in a cost-effective manner, it can become a useful biomass for industrial uses such as co-combustion, pyrolysis, or gasification. Thus, the aim of this paper is to refine the Hukill deep bed drying equation specifically for paunch waste, optimizing drying time and deep bed drying equations to enhance the re-use of paunch as a biomass. A solution to the Hukill deep-bed drying equation predicting moisture ratio as a function of bed depth and drying time has been derived, with new coefficients. This contributes to a novel fundamental understanding of paunch, informing dryer design for the global meat processing industry.

Lipid extraction of high‐moisture sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) stones by supercritical carbon dioxide

AbstractBACKGROUNDSour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) stones are the major byproduct of the cherry industry and the efficient management of this biowaste can lead to achieving the food processing sustainability aimed at by the modern food industry. Despite its significant content of lipids, the valorization of cherry stone waste as feedstock for lipid extraction appears to be limited due to the high moisture content. This study explores the primary factors that affect the yield of lipid extraction using Soxhlet, Randall and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction methods, with a particular emphasis on yield optimization for green extraction technologies (scCO2).RESULTSThe investigation revealed an increased lipid extraction yield for scCO2 from 7.4 for dry crushed stones to 20.6 g per 100 g dry weight when the cherry kernels are separated. The high initial moisture content affected all three extraction methods, but mostly impacted the scCO2 extraction, resulting in the co‐extraction of an aqueous phase. Lipid and aqueous yield could be manipulated by time, temperature and pressure. However, no observable influence on the composition of fatty acid methyl esters was detected.CONCLUSIONNumerous approaches are shown to enhance the lipid yield from cherry stone waste, depending on the desired outcome. When dealing with wet samples, Randall extraction proves to be the most effective method. On the other hand, scCO2 extraction presents distinct advantages, such as the extraction of food‐grade lipids and the co‐extraction of a unique aqueous phase, which comes at the expense of a reduced lipid yield. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Nitric Acid and Organic Acid Mixture Show Less Deviation in Extractability of Potassium Between Field-Moist and Air-Dried Soil

ABSTRACT Air-drying of soils for testing can cause fixation/release of potassium (K), showing a K status different from that of the field. We compared different extractants to find one with the least deviation in K-extractability between field-moist and air-dried soils. We chose two treatments (No-K and 150% of recommended K fertilization) of a field experiment (maize-wheat) for the study. Field-moist soil (0–15 cm) was collected at 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 23, 24, 25, and 26 days after the irrigation (DAI) from each replicated plot at the flowering stage of the 2018–19 wheat crop. Soil K, before and after air-drying, was extracted with 1 M ammonium acetate (NH4OAc), 0.1 M nitric acid (HNO3), 0.01 M calcium chloride (CaCl2), and 0.01 M organic acid mixture (OAM, mixture of 0.0025 M each of citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, and oxalic acid). Air-drying significantly (P < .05) affected the soil K for all methods except HNO3 in plots without K fertilization. However, air-drying’s effect on K release was more pronounced in No-K soils with high initial moisture content (>10%). Averaged over K-fertilization and initial soil moisture, the K-extractability using HNO3 and OAM showed the least deviation (9.6% for both) by air-drying. It was significantly (P < .05) lower than NH4OAc or CaCl2, which showed as high as 21.1–23.0% deviation due to air-drying. Hence, one should use 0.1 M HNO3 or 0.01 M OAM instead of 1 M NH4OAc to get an available K status closer to that in the field.

Influence of Curing Time and Initial Moisture Content on Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer-Stabilized Soft Soil

This study thoroughly investigated the impact of initial moisture content and curing time on metakaolin (MK)-based geopolymer stabilized soft soil. The stabilized soft soil was characterized with an unconfined compressive strength test, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and compaction test. The geopolymer was used at different concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15% of the dry weight of the soil), and the soft soil was prepared at its initial moisture content, which ranges from 0.75 LL to 1.25 LL. The results of the test indicate that there was an increase in yield stress at low initial moisture content. Conversely, the yield stress experienced a decrease at high initial moisture content. Furthermore, the strength of geopolymer-stabilized soil increased as the curing time increased, regardless of the binder and initial moisture contents. The microstructure analysis confirmed that the stabilized soil had a denser microstructure, the formation of homogeneous gel, and fewer microcracks and pores. As the automatic compaction test revealed, the maximum dry density increased at higher binder contents while the optimum moisture content decreased. This research demonstrates that stabilizers made with metakaolin can efficiently stabilize soft soils. It is worthwhile to conduct further studies on the durability, shear tests, and cost of using geopolymer for soil stabilization under varying environmental conditions.

Heat consumption and modeling of corn seeds intermittent drying

AbstractBackgroundCorn seed is produced on a large scale, and as production is carried out seasonally, the storage is needed to supply uninterrupted demand. To carry out the storage, as the material from the harvest has a high initial moisture content, it is necessary to carry out the drying process. In order to reduce energy consumption, an alternative is intermittent drying. The purpose of this article is to fit the mathematical model of intermittent drying by distributed parameters, based on experimental data of temperature and moisture content of corn seeds submitted to intermittent drying, to determine the diffusivity value and to assess heat consumption.ResultsFor samples dried to the final moisture content of 16.0% on dry basis (d.b.), the condition of intermittent drying at a temperature of 40°C and 10 min of tempering period led to the lowest heat consumption, in comparison to conventional drying and to intermittent drying under higher temperatures. In addition, to obtain a final moisture content of 14.0% (d.b.), the conventional drying condition at 55°C resulted in the lowest heat consumption, compared to the other drying conditions. The distributed parameter model can predict the experimental data with a global deviation lower than 10.0%.ConclusionAnalyzing the moisture distribution profiles for the corn seeds, it was verified that there was a difference in the moisture content along the position inside the material, being necessary to evaluate the influence of moisture distribution along the position inside the material in kinetic drying models.

Influence of initial moisture content on creep and shrinkage of concrete at constant and cyclic ambient humidity

Creep and shrinkage are strongly influenced by the moisture content of concrete and by the ambient humidity. The effect of the latter is currently considered in models and design codes such as the fib Model Code 2010 by time-average considerations, thus totally neglecting cyclic changes in ambient humidity normally observed in outdoor structures. However, the influence of the cyclic ambient humidity on the long-term deformations of concrete compared to the constant mean humidity has barely been investigated. Therefore, the developments of creep and shrinkage of a normal-strength concrete C30/37 with three initial (before testing) moisture contents at constant humidity as well as cyclic humidity were investigated. Results demonstrate that the drying shrinkage and drying creep, but also the basic creep, are higher with higher initial moisture contents at constant ambient humidity conditions. Additionally, creep strains sharply increased up to plus 60% due to cyclic humidity compared to those due to corresponding average constant humidity. The influence of cyclic ambient humidity is more pronounced for concretes with lower initial moisture contents. Those strong deviations in the creep behaviour (compared to existing design models) may cause severe safety risks in prestressed concrete constructions. Therefore, existing creep models should be modified considering the influence of cyclic changes in humidity and the combined influence of the initial moisture content.

Dynamic resilient modulus of heavy-haul subgrade silt subjected to freeze-thaw cycles: Experimental investigation and evolution analysis

To investigate dynamic resilient modulus (MR) of heavy-haul subgrade silt, especially in seasonal frozen regions, a series of dynamic triaxial tests were performed after various freeze-thaw (FT) cycles. The specifically designed loading sequence was proposed for determining MR, which reflected the stress characteristics of subgrade induced by heavy-haul traffic load. Furthermore, the effects of numbers of FT cycles, initial moisture content, freezing temperature, deviator stress and confining stress were comprehensively considered as state variables. The results revealed that MR showed a decreasing trend with increase of numbers of FT cycles, where the attenuation stages for dynamic resilient modulus were divided into three stages, namely, rapid attenuation, slow attenuation and gradual cessation of attenuation. Then, the increase of initial moisture content and decrease of freezing temperature led to a decrease in MR, where the higher initial moisture content was, the more obvious deterioration effect was. Meanwhile, when the freezing temperature decreased to −15 °C, the appearance of the freeze shrinkage effect inhibited the damage to the soil skeleton, and the attenuation trend of MR was alleviated. The ensuing discoveries were that confining stress and deviator stress had hardening and softening effects on the thawed silt, respectively, leading to the increase and decrease in MR. In particular, when the initial water content was higher, the softening effect caused by deviator stress was more significant. To enhance the practicability, the predicted model for determining MR was proposed that included the coupled effects of the above variables. Furthermore, the fatigue life of typical asphalt pavement structures was calculated considering the damaged dynamic resilient modulus of silt subgrade duo to the freeze-thaw cycles. The outcomes illustrated that fatigue life of pavement structures with semi-rigid and flexible base reduced by 17.5% and 22.5%, respectively, via adopting the dynamic resilient modulus values under maximum attenuation state. This study could supply meaningful reference for safe and sustainable design of heavy-haul subgrade and asphalt pavement in seasonal frozen regions.

A review of test Methods, issues and challenges of Large-Scale fire testing of concrete tunnel linings

This article provides a summary of substantial aspects pertaining to the design of concrete tunnel linings subjected to serious fire exposure. Compared to building fires, the air temperature rise of tunnel fires is more significant within a few minutes due to the confined space. This is of concern to tunnel designers as rapid temperature rise has shown to be a dominant factor in relation to concrete spalling. The dramatic European tunnel fires that occurred in 1999 and 2001 led to the development of new regulations and recommendations, including new guidelines recommended by the European Federation of National Associations Representing producers and applicators of specialist building products for Concrete (EFNARC 132F r3:2006) and Efectis R0695:2020. These regulations were intended to offer tunnel designers some scope on how to test for concrete spalling with particular focus on explosive spalling of concrete given that, in general, tunnels are at greater risk than other structures. This is principally due to the high heating rate and the high initial moisture content present. To date, full scale experimental works have been limited and not as extensive as those of small to medium scale unloaded specimens exposed to elevated temperatures. This paper summarizes recent research on large scale concrete tunnel lining tests exposed to fire conditions. The methodologies, questions, and challenges regarding large-scale fire tests on tunnel lining concrete and the current design guidelines are highlighted. First, this review examines published large-scale testing including unloaded and loaded applications. Secondly, a discussion surrounding the issues faced in testing, including the effects of loading, size reduction, boundary conditions, inclusion of polypyrene fibers and steel reinforcement is presented. Finally, current design guidelines for tunnel fire safety are reviewed and recommendations for future structural fire testing of full-scale tunnel elements was presented.

Feasibility of one-time drying for manufacturing bamboo scrimber: fresh bamboo bundle at high initial moisture content impregnated by PF

Optimization of drying process can increase the efficiency of bamboo scrimber manufacture, and remarkably reduce the energy consumption, which contributes to the sustainable development of bamboo in agricultural planting. In this work, fresh bamboo bundles with different initial moisture content (40%, 55%, 70%) were directly impregnated by phenolic resin (PF) followed by a one-time drying method to prepare bamboo scrimber. The distribution of PF, the pore structure of impregnated bamboo bundle, and bonding interface, the properties of bamboo scrimber were studied systematically. The results showed that effective penetration of PF into cells in fresh bamboo bundle was found with high initial moisture content, hence excellent dimensional stability of bamboo scrimber was achieved. MOR and MOE were 140.98–172.09 MPa and 14.58–16.06 GPa, respectively, which all met the outdoor requirements of GB/T 30364–2013. The drying time and energy consumption were decreased by 15–21% and 38–44% respectively compared with traditional two-time drying process. The one-time drying method reported was benefit to prepare bamboo scrimber in an energy-saving and efficient way.

Impact of built-in moisture on the design of hygrothermally safe cross-laminated timber external walls: A stochastic approach

In terms of hygrothermal performance, solid wood panels composed of cross-laminated timber (CLT) are sensitive to moisture. However, to the best of our knowledge, no clear indications of critical initial moisture conditions for CLT envelopes regarding the dry-out of built-in moisture have been provided. Therefore, our main objective was to set critical limit values for CLT external wall design in terms of their initial moisture content (built-in moisture) and dry-out capacity (vapour resistance of wall layers) using a stochastic approach. The focus is on five types of CLT external walls that differ in their dry-out capacity. The key factors in the hygrothermally safe design of the CLT external envelope are sufficient dry-out capacity and control of the CLT initial moisture content level during the construction phase. The results of our stochastic analysis confirmed that a high initial moisture content in CLT causes a high mould growth risk when CLT is covered with vapour tight layers. Therefore, the limit values for critical initial moisture content of CLT and the water vapour resistance of the wall layers that ensure dry-out capacity of different external walls to prevent the risk of mould growth on the CLT surface in a cold and humid climate were determined. These limit values take into consideration the weather conditions during the construction phase and classes of material sensitivity to mould growth.

Effect of steam curing on pasting and textural properties, starch structure and the quality of a local aromatic rice variety

Steam curing is a process that is used to improve the quality of freshly harvested rice in the shortest time. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of initial moisture content (IMC) and steaming time on the marketability of rice. The results indicate positive and more impressive effects of prolonged steaming (30 min) on head rice percentage (HRP), grain hardness, and elongation in the sample with IMC of 20% (w.b) compared with the sample with IMC of 17% (w.b). The results also showed a decreased peak (PV) and breakdown (BD) viscosity in both IMC. The highest decrease was observed in the samples that were steamed for 30 min. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the steaming of paddy for 30 min could not create a completely smooth surface in the grain. These observations indicate the inadequacy and uneven distribution of moisture for complete gelatinization even in grains with higher IMC. Practical applications Steam curing at atmospheric pressure is an applicable and effective method to reduce losses during milling process even for short time due to the structural changes. For high quality aromatic rice, short time steaming has positive effect on cooking quality with no significant changes in aroma. In order to produce good quality and marketable product by this method, it is necessary to process paddy with minimal or no chalky kernels.

Concentration-dependent moisture diffusion coefficient estimation in peas drying considering shrinkage: An observer approach

Drying is a widely used process for the conservation of agricultural products. Usually, bio-products such as fruits and vegetables have high initial moisture content and present appreciable volume shrinkage during drying. Shrinkage of biological materials takes place simultaneously with moisture diffusion during drying and thus may affect drying rate. It is important to take in account the shrinking phenomena when determining the moisture diffusion coefficients. This work determined the effective moisture diffusion coefficient in peas ( Pisum sativum ). And its dependency on water concentration. The functional form of this dependency was found by applying a non-linear estimator and, subsequently, refining it through an optimisation procedure. The effect of the presence of deterministic perturbations in the experimental measurements on the estimation process was also analysed. This methodology could be equally applied to hydration processes that undergo swelling. • Water diffusivity at constant temperature determined with a non-linear estimator. • Model for the diffusion coefficient dependency on concentration determined. • Material shrinkage considered in the determination of the diffusion coefficient. • Robustness of the method in the presence of perturbed measurements analysed.

BACKGROUND FOR BUILDING A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE PUMPKIN SEEDS FILTER DRYING PROCESS

The main objective reason for holding back the spread of such a valuable crop as pumpkin is the lack of high-quality sowing material. This is due to the imperfection of technologies for post-harvest processing of seed products, namely drying and, to a lesser extent, the separation process. The successful implementation of the drying process depends on many factors, including the properties of the material and the methods and means of implementing the process. To create a mathematical model of the drying process for high-moisture pumpkin seeds, it is necessary to conduct a detailed review of the methods for presenting the theoretical foundations of the task. The layer of pumpkin seeds has increased cohesive and adhesive properties, a tendency to create conglomerates, sticking to the working bodies of machines. To minimize the negative effect of the physical properties of pumpkin seeds on the course of the drying process, it is advisable to apply a vibration action that increases the difference in the layer, which prevents the seeds from sticking to the working bodies. Another feature of pumpkin seeds, which complicates their successful drying, is their high initial moisture content (about 50%). Therefore, in order to reduce energy consumption at the first stage, it is advisable to remove free unbound surface moisture by the method of filtration drying. In the design practice of filtration drying, four main physical and mathematical models of filtration are used. The main disadvantage of these models is the uncertainty of individual values, in particular, the diameter of the capillaries, since a real porous medium consists of pores of different diameters and shapes. The use of vibration action significantly intensifies the filtration drying process.

Insight into Effects of Initial Moisture Content on the Heat-Up of Sewage Sludge Composting During Mesophilic Phase

The effects of initial moisture content (55%, 60% and 65%) on the heat-up of sewage sludge (SS) composting during the mesophilic phase were investigated. Monitoring results showed that low moisture content (55%) increased the heating rate, high initial moisture content (60% and 65%) significantly improved the activities of cellulase and peroxidase during the mesophilic phase. Furthermore, although high moisture content improved the diversity of bacteria during composting, there were no significant differences in the microbial structure during the process of succession. So, rather than inhibiting the activity of the bacterial population, the negative effect of high moisture content (60 and 65 per cent) on composting temperature heat up was attributable to the difficulty of heating produced by the specific heat capacity of water. The correlation index between initial moisture content and microorganisms was relatively low, while the temperature was the largest environmental factor affecting the bacterial community. This conclusion provided a hint to make an association between initial moisture content and composting temperature-rising stage.

Large‐scale biomass storage for electricity generation: a comprehensive field‐test campaign in southern Spain

AbstractBiomass is a renewable energy source that, due to its strong seasonality, needs to be stored, handled, and managed under suitable conditions for its optimal use. Storage is therefore a key process in which biomass can lose many of its qualities as a fuel, but which can also serve to improve the condition of the resource. This paper presents results from a study to assess the effect of large‐scale storage on a range of different biomass resources that was carried out at an electricity generation plant located in southern Spain. It included a series of field tests carried out with different types of biomass resources, to observe the behavior of these products during storage and the changes in their main characteristics. Based on these results, recommendations have been proposed for the optimal storage management of each of the products. The testing program confirms that the initial moisture content of the biomass, particle size, and the leafy content are critical aspects to consider to avoid self‐ignition and dry matter losses. Biomass with high moisture content should therefore be stored in small stockpiles and should be consumed immediately. This is especially important in the case of olive leaves and pine prunings when they have a high initial moisture content. Stockpiles of drier biomass, such as dried olive pomace, fruit tree pruning or dried olive pruning can reach up to 1200 t and be stored for up to 6 months, under adequately controlled conditions. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd

Hot air-assisted radio frequency drying of apricots: Mathematical modeling study for process design.

Conventional hot air and solar energy processes have been used for apricot. These processes had adverse effects on the quality due to the longer process times, and this indicates the need for an innovative approach. Radio frequency (RF) processing has innovation potential for drying with its volumetric heating feature, but an optimal process should be designed for process efficiency in industrial-scale applications. Therefore, the objective of this study was to confirm the RF process for industrial-scale apricot drying. For this purpose, a mathematical model was developed to predict temperature and moisture content change of apricots during drying, and experimental validation study was carried out. For the RF drying process, pre-dried apricots (0.58-0.75kg water/kg dry matter, db) by solar energy were used. The purpose was to start the RF process at a suitable moisture content level as this process was not feasible to apply directly due to the high initial moisture content of apricots (up to 4kg water/kg dry matter, db). RF drying experiments were carried out in a 10kW hot air-assisted (50-60°C) staggered through electrode system. Optimum electrode gap was 81mm with 2500V potential of the charged electrode. Final moisture content of the dried apricots was 0.25-0.33kg water/kg dry matter (db). Following the model validation for temperature and moisture content change, industrial-scale apricot drying scenarios were demonstrated to confirm the RF process for feasibility and process design. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: A comprehensive mathematical model was developed for radio frequency (RF) drying of apricots. This model was experimentally validated with respect to the temperature and moisture content change. Various process design studies were carried out for an industrial-scale apricot drying process to confirm the process feasibility. With this background, the results of this study can be directly used in an industrial drying for an optimal process design and energy efficiency.

Sewage sludge ash-incorporated stabilisation/solidification for recycling and remediation of marine sediments

Finding suitable disposal sites for dredged marine sediments and incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA) is a challenge. Stabilisation/solidification (S/S) has become an increasingly popular remediation technology. This study sheds light on the possible beneficial use of ISSA together with traditional binders to stabilise/solidify marine sediments. The performance of the binders on S/S of sediment 1 (clean) and sediment 2 (contaminated) was also compared. The results showed that the use of ISSA as part of the binder was effective in promoting the strength of the sediment with a high initial moisture content due to ISSA porous and high water absorption characteristics. The sediments treated with 10% cement and 20% ISSA attained the highest strength. Also, cement hydration as well as pozzolanic reactions between ISSA and Ca(OH)2 made contributions to the strength development. This was supported by the microstructural analysis, in particular the porosity results. In terms of environmental impacts, two leaching tests (toxicity characteristic leaching procedure and synthetic precipitation leaching procedure) found that all the S/S treated sediment by 10% lime and 20% ISSA resulted in the lowest leachate concentrations under the on-site reuse scenario or under simulative acidic rainfall conditions. Therefore, recycling waste ISSA with lime can be used as an appealing binder to replace cement to stabilise/solidify dredged marine sediments for producing fill materials.

Airtightness of cross-laminated timber envelopes: Influence of moisture content, indoor humidity, orientation, and assembly

Decrease in the relative humidity (RH) of the indoor air causes cracks in the cross-laminated timber (CLT) surface resulting in air leakages in the CLT panel. The effect of construction moisture on CLT air tightness properties is not clearly defined, which is important for moisture safe construction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high MC on CLT air tightness properties compared to conventional factors such as indoor RH change, insulation type and façade orientation. An air permeability test was carried out on 12 different test walls with CLT as the airtight layer exposed to indoor environmental conditions. Test walls were constructed from CLT panels with two different initial moisture content (MC) values, ≈13%, and ≈26%, and in addition, different insulation materials were used in the wall assemblies: mineral wool, cellulose wool and polyisocyanurate (PIR) plates. Air leakage measurements were carried out at two different times, first in mid-autumn and second at the end of winter. Based on the results of this research it was concluded that high initial moisture content in the CLT panels significantly weakens the airtightness of the external wall. CLT exposure to water and wetting the CLT panels during construction carries more than a risk of moisture damage, and the planning and implementation of moisture safety in the construction of CLT buildings is therefore essential if the CLT is to be considered as an airtight layer. The effect of a change in indoor RH is small on the air permeability properties of the CLT wall. Therefore the 5-layer CLT panel can be considered and used as an air-tight layer in external wall construction as long as its initial low moisture content (about 13%) is maintained during both construction and service life.

Three dimensional characterization of micronized soybean seeds using X-ray microtomography

The efficacy of critical processing techniques, such as micronization, relies on the microstructural changes that take place in foods as they go through the various unit operations. X-ray microtomography or computed microtomograhy (μCT) can serve as a means to non-invasively and non-destructively characterize the complex structure of food matrices. Herein, high resolution X-ray μCT was used to visualize and quantify the effect of micronization or infrared (IR) treatment on the microstructure of soybeans at different micronization durations (60, 90, and 120 s), and initial moisture contents (12, 16, 20, and 24% wb). The study includes a quantitative and qualitative analysis of soybean microstructure using 2D and 3D images to assess total porosity, volumetric changes, bulk and particle densities, drying rate, and colour. All of these parameters showed significant changes as micronization time and initial moisture content increased. Although higher initial moisture contents (20 and 24%) improved volumetric expansion and total porosity of soybean kernels, formation of large surface cracks and darkening due to IR heating rendered 24% moisture content unsuitable. Soybeans with an initial moisture content of 20%, subjected to 90 s and 120 s of micronization showed comparable lightness L*values (63.23 ± 3.9 and 61.1 ± 4.1, respectively) to the unprocessed soybean (67.22). These beans also showed the minimal increase in open porosity (5.72–6.06%) but an appreciable increase in total porosity (9.8–11%) was noticed. The results of this study on microstructure and qualitative parameters of micronized soybeans could be used to further optimize the microwave assisted roasting and drying processes of beans and pulses.