Physical properties of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) grains during convective drying

ABSTRACT Buckwheat is a prominent crop in present-day agriculture due to its nutraceutical properties; however, information on this crop regarding the post-harvest process is scarce, as well as the characterization of its physical properties and such information is essential for the development and improvement of machinery used in post-harvest processes. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the volumetric shrinkage, porosity, bulk density and true density of buckwheat grains throughout the drying process, as well as to fit mathematical models to the experimental values of true and bulk volumetric shrinkages. Buckwheat grains of the cultivar IPR 91 - Baili with an initial moisture content of 0.250 (decimal, dry basis.) were used. The samples used to determine the physical properties were subjected to oven drying with forced air circulation stabilized at 40 ± 1 °C. The mass of the samples was periodically weighed, so that when the product reached predetermined values of moisture content, the samples were removed and their physical properties were determined. It is concluded that the reduction in moisture content during drying causes increase in bulk density, true density and porosity. The reduction of the moisture content influences bulk volumetric shrinkage and true volumetric shrinkage of the grains, causing reductions in their values of approximately 14.47 and 14.70%, respectively, and a linear model can represent both variables satisfactorily. RESUMO O trigo mourisco é uma cultura de destaque na agricultura atual devido às suas propriedades nutracêuticas; no entanto, informações dessa cultura referente ao processo pós-colheita são escassas, assim como a caracterização de suas propriedades físicas, sendo que tais informações são essenciais para o desenvolvimento e aperfeiçoamento de maquinários utilizados nos processos pós-colheita. Deste modo, objetivou-se com o presente trabalho determinar a contração volumétrica, a porosidade, as massas específicas aparente e unitária dos grãos de trigo mourisco ao longo do processo de secagem, bem como ajustar modelos matemáticos aos valores experimentais da contração unitária e da massa. Foram utilizados grãos de trigo mourisco da cultivar IPR 91 – Baili, com teor de água inicial de 0,250 (decimal, base seca). As amostras utilizadas para determinação das propriedades físicas foram submetidas à secagem em estufa com circulação forçada de ar estabilizada à temperatura de 40 ± 1 °C. A massa das amostras fo