Mechanical strength and rheological behaviour of barley kernels

Basic mechanical and rheological properties (stress relaxation behaviour) of single barley kernels under uni-axial compression were studied. The mechanical properties studied were the modulus of elasticity, yield and ultimate compressive strength, and the modulus of toughness as influenced by the moisture content. The stress relaxation experiments also included the effect of deformation rates and strain levels.
Results indicated that with an increase in moisture content, the strength of the barley kernels decreased while the energy required to cause rupture in the kernel increased initially and then decreased. The stress relaxation behaviour of barley kernels was described by a threeterm Maxwell model with a Maximum Relative Difference (MRD) ≤5%, when compared with one- and two-term Maxwell models. The elastic component (E¹) and relaxation time constant (τ¹) of the first term of the three-term Maxwell model decreased linearly with increase in moisture content. Of the different variables studied, moisture content had a significant influence on both of these parameters.