The Effect of Change in Moisture Content on Some Physical Properties of Grains (I) -Spericity, Weight, Volume-

含水率變化가 穀物의 物理的 特性에 미치는 影響(I) -球形率, 重量, 體積-

The Purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the change in misture content on some physical properties of grains, and some relations amont the properties. Materials included ere rough rice, brown rice, barley and wheat with the range of moisture content of 6~26 percent, 7~25 percent, 10~24 percent and 6~22 percent, respectively. Kernel dimension, sphericity, kernel weight, and volume were included as the physical properties of the grains. The results obtained are summarized as follows; 1. The ratio of grain length to the thickness was in the range of 3.59~4.16 for rough rice(Indica type), 2.98~3.27 for rough rice(Japonica type), 3.25 for brown rice (I.T.), 2.14~2.38 for brown rice(J.T.), 2.92~3.13 for barley and 2.10~2.21 for wheat, respectively. 2. The sphericity was found to be 42 percent for rough rice(I.T.), 48 percent for rough rice(J.T.), 52 percent for brown rice(I.T.), 62 percent for brown rice(J.T.), 45 percent for barley and 61 percent for wheat, respectively. 3. The kernel weight of grains was linealy increased with the increase of moisture content. At a specified moisture centent of 14 percent, the kernel weight was shown to be in the range of 4.72${\times}10^{-5}$~3.58${\times}10^{-5}$kg for wheat, 3.60${\times}10^{-5}$~3.12${\times}10^{-5}$kg for barley, 2.80${\times}10^{-5}$~2.35${\times}10^{-5}$kg for rough rice, and 2.24${\times}10^{-5}$~1.82${\times}10^{-5}$kg for brown rice, respectively. 4. The kernel volume was linearly increased with increase of moisture content. The rate of increase was significantly low for rough rice in comparison with the remaining grains. The kernel volume, at a specified moisture content of 14 percent, was in the range of 3.51${\times}10^{-8}$~2.76${\times}10^{-8}m^3$ for wheat, 2.84${\times}10^{-8}$~2.43${\times}10^{-8}m^3$ for barley, 2.93${\times}10^{-8}$~1.97${\times}10^{-8}m^3$ for rough rice, and 1.61${\times}10^{-8}$~1.29${\times}10^{-8}m^3$ for brown rice, respectively. 5. The kernel volume of grains was found to be related to the length, width, thickness and kernel weight as a exponential function. The kernel volume was shown to have correlation coefficient to the length factor rough rice and barley which were of low sphericity, while the width factor was predominant for brown rice and wheat which was of high sphericity.