Related Fracture Resistance with Moisture Content in Different Grain Orientation of Paddy Grain

Abstract

The relationship between different levels of moisture content on rupture force at different grain orientation was determined for paddy grain. The rupture force is the minimum force required to break the sample. An Instron testing machine was used to perform a compression test on paddy grain.  The result showed that strong relationship between rupture forces of the grain and moisture content for both orientations. The rupture force decreases 38.5822 N to 11.7777 N as increasing moisture content from 11.3% to 29% in vertical orientations (Y-Y). The results also show that in horizontal (X-X) orientation, rupture force decrease from 150.8382 N to 90.1287 N as increasing moisture content from 10% to 29%. It was found that the rupture force values of paddy at the X-X load orientation were higher than those at the Y-Y load orientation for the entire range of moisture content. Implications of the results will be important for millers and end users of paddy industry for milling and post-milling processes.

Keywords: Paddy grain, fracture resistance, moisture content and grain orientation.