Effects of Moisture Content on Physical Properties of Black Kabuli Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Seed

Abstract

The physical properties of black kabuli chickpea seed were determined as a function of moisture content in the range of 9.29 to 16.82 % dry basis (d.b.). The average length, width and thickness were 6.85, 5.08 and 4.72 mm, at a moisture content of 9.29 d.b., respectively. In the moisture range from 9.29 to 16.82 % d.b., studies on rewetted black kabuli chickpea seed showed that the thousand seed mass increased from 100.18 to 110.44 g, the projected area from 0.163 to 0.251 cm², the sphericity from 0.799 to 0.821, the porosity from 39.90 to 40.48 % and the terminal velocity from 2.078 to 2.135 m s^-1. The bulk density decreased from 780.58 to 745.85 kg m^-3 and the true density from 1298.84 to 1253.15 kg m^-3 with an increase in the moisture content range of 9.29 to 16.82 %. The static coefficient of friction of black kabuli chickpea seed increased the linearly against surfaces of four structural materials, namely, rubber (0.336 to 0.416), aluminium (0.221 to 0.266), stainless steel (0.172 to 0.205) and galvanized iron (0.282 to 0.331) as the moisture content increased from 9.29 -16.82 % d.b.