Efeito da temperatura do ar de secagem sobre a contração volumétrica dos grãos de trigo.

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the moisture content variation and the drying air temperature on the wheat grain shrinkage and to adjust different mathematical model to the experimental data. Wheat grains with initial moisture content of 0.32 d.b. were used and the drying process was conducted under controlled environmental conditions of temperature of 35, 45 and 55°C and Relative Humidity of 55 ± 1%. The size of the grains were determined by the volume variation where was obtained through the measurement of the three orthogonal axis of the wheat grain. The unitary grain shrinkage was determined by the relationship between its volume for each moisture content and the its initial volume. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the moisture content reduction influences on the wheat grain shrinkage. The linear model represented better the wheat grain shrinkage experimental data. Besides that it can be concluded that the drying air temperature promoted higher shrinkage of the wheat grain.