Study of various mechanical properties of maize (“Zea mays”) as influenced by moisture content

Abstract

The mechanical properties of agricultural materials influence not only the loads occurring inside agricultural silos, but also the design of several types of post-harvest machinery. The loads generated by these materials inside silos can be predicted with silo calculation methodologies from their mechanical properties. It has been known for many years that these properties are highly dependent on the moisture content of the material. However, to date, there are not many studies focused on its determination. The goal of this research is the determination of the internal friction angle, apparent cohesion, angle of dilatancy and apparent specific weight of maize when different moisture contents are applied. The equipment used for this study consisted mainly of direct shear and oedometer assay apparatus. The maize samples used were moistened using a climatic chamber. Moisture contents applied to maize samples ranged from 9.3% to 17.4%. Results similar to those provided by other authors were obtained for the internal friction angle, apparent cohesion and apparent specific weight. On the other hand, the values obtained for the dilatancy angle of maize as a function of moisture content could not be compared because nothing has been published so far. The values obtained for this parameter overlap with those published for this material under ambient conditions. In addition, for the samples tested, these results did not allow confirming the existence of a direct relationship between the dilatancy angle and the moisture content. Finally, the increase in moisture content led to an increase in apparent specific weight, which differed from that published in the literature. The values provided here can be used for the optimization of storage and handling structures for granular agricultural materials.