Moisture Dependent Engineering Properties of Wild Apricot (prunus armeniaca L.) Pits

The physical and mechanical properties of apricot pit are the most important parameters for designing and development of handling, grading, sizing, processing, decorticating, oil expression and packaging equipments. Such as dimensions, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, bulk density, true density, porosity, thousand pit volume, thousand pit weights, angle of repose, angle of internal friction and cracking strength at two conditions of moisture content (wb) of wild apricot pits at 12% and 16%. The mean length, width and thickness at moisture content of 12% (wb) and 16% (wb) were found to be 22.60 mm, 17.71 mm, 10.55 mm and 22.61 mm, 17.73 mm, and 10.58 mm, respectively. Similarly, equivalent diameter 16.16 mm, 16.18 mm, spherisity 0.71 and 0.72, angle of repose 32.98º and 33.23º, angle of internal friction 30.25º and 30.35º, bulk density 0.5512g/mm³ and 0.5389 mm³, true density 1.0282 g/mm³ and 1.169 g/mm3, porosity 46.34% and 48.23%, thousand pit volume 2534 mm³ and 2957 mm³, thousand pit weight 1572.5 g and 1594 g, cracking strength 594.78 N and 568.96 N, respectively at 12% (wb) M.C and 16% (wb) M.C of pit. ANOVA indicated that length, width, thickness, equivalent diameter, sphericity, angle of repose and angle of internal friction of wild apricot pit were not significantly dependent on moisture content. But true density, bulk density, thousand kernel weight, thousand kernel volume and cracking strength varied significantly with moisture content at 5% level of significance.

Some important physical properties at two conditions of moisture content (wb) of wild apricot pits at 12% and 16%.

Length, width, thickness, equivalent diameter, sphericity, angle of repose and angle of internal friction of wild apricot pit were not significantly dependent on moisture content.

True density, bulk density, thousand kernel weight, thousand kernel volume and cracking strength varied significantly.