Selected engineering properties of tiger nut as a function of moisture content and variety

Abstract

Some physical and mechanical properties of two tiger nut varieties (Sarışeker and Balyumru) were determined at fourmoisture contents. Physical properties including length, width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, mass, 1000-tuber mass, bulkdensity, tuber density, surface area, terminal velocity, angle of repose, porosity, and friction coefficient were affected by moisture contentat a 1% probability level, excluding sphericity. All parameters decreased with a decrease in moisture content except tuber density,porosity, and firmness. Variety only had a statistically significant effect on width, geometric mean diameter surface area, and terminalvelocity at different probability levels. Force, deformation, firmness, energy absorbed, and power requirement, which were investigatedas mechanical properties, were also affected by moisture content at a 1% probability level. It was also found that the variety and loadingposition had no significant effect on firmness and energy absorbed, respectively. Varieties showed differences in terms of 1000-tubermass, sphericity, terminal velocity and angle of repose, length, geometric mean diameter, surface area, porosity, force, and energyabsorbed at different probability levels.