The effect of moisture of organic chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grain on the physical and mechanical properties

Abstract

The physical and mechanical properties of organic chickpeas (cv. Kocabaş) grains were determined as a function of moisture content in the range of 11.31-25.03% dry basis (d.b.). The average length, width and thickness were 10.30, 8.41 and 8.33 mm, at a moisture content of 11.31% d.b., respectively. In the above moisture range, the arithmetic and geometric mean diameters and sphericity increased from 9.01 to 9.85 mm, from 8.96 to 9.80 mm and from 0.870 to 0.884, respectively. Studies on rewetted organic chickpea grains showed that the thousand seed mass increased from 432.22 to 640.00 g, the projected area from 58.30 to 71.50 mm2, the true density from 1000 to 1200 kg m-3, the porosity from 29.95 to 54.17% and the terminal velocity from 7.20 to 8.70 m sec-1. The bulk density decreased from 700.50 to 550.00 kg m-3 with an increase in the moisture content range of 11.31-25.03% d.b. The static coefficient of friction of organic chickpea grains increased the linear against surfaces of six structural materials, namely, rubber (0.4452-0.4986), aluminum (0.3939-0.4411), stainless steel (0.3541-0.3899), galvanized iron (0.4040-0.4557), glass (0.3057-0.3541) and Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) (0.2867-0.3249) as the moisture content increased from 11.31-25.03% d.b. The shelling resistance of organic chickpea grains decreased as the moisture content increased from 101 to 70 N. © 2008 Academic Journals Inc.