A Centrifugal Impacter for Damage Susceptibility Evaluation of Shelled Corn

ABSTRACT A centrifugal impacter for damage susceptibility evaluation of shelled corn was developed. The tester employs a specially designed impeller for accelerating corn kernels toward a smooth cylindrical impact surface. The effects of sample size, feed rate, kernel moisture, and impeller speed on the breakage results were studied using a V factorial experiment. The analysis of results showed that the effects of sample size and feed rate were insignificant in the ranges tested. Corn breakage increased as impeller speed increased or kernel moisture decreased. When compared to the Stein tester, the centrifugal impacter was able to detect damage susceptibility in corn highly resistant to breakage.