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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #143815
Title: NONDESTRUCTIVE MOISTURE DETERMINATION IN SMALL SAMPLES OF PEANUTS BY RF IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT

Author
item Kandala, Chari
item Nelson, Stuart

Submitted to: Transactions of the ASAE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2005
Publication Date: 5/11/2005
Citation: pp. 240-246. v.20.

Interpretive Summary: A method was developed earlier to estimate the moisture content in single peanut kernels. Using this method with parallel-plates having a large surface area, an attempt was made to estimate the moisture content in small samples (about 6 to 8 kernels) of peanuts. Capacitance, phase angle and dissipation factor were measured with an impedance analyzer on a parallel-plate capacitor holding small sample of peanut kernels between the plates. These values were plugged into a slightly modified equation and the moisture contents were predicted successfully.

Technical Abstract: A method was developed earlier to estimate the moisture content in single peanut kernels using RF Impedance measurements, made on a parallel-plate capacitor with a peanut held between the plates, in an empirical equation. Using this method but with parallel-plates having a larger surface area, an attempt was made to estimate the moisture content in small samples (about 6 to 8 kernels) of peanuts. Capacitance, phase angle and dissipation factor were measured with an impedance analyzer at 1 and 5 MHz on a parallel-plate capacitor holding small sample of peanut kernels between the plates. These values were plugged into a slightly modified empirical equation and the moisture contents were predicted successfully within 1% of their air-oven values for over 85% of the peanut samples with moisture contents ranging between 6 and 20%.