Some physical properties of spinach (<i>Spinacia oleracea</i> L.) seed

Abstract

The physical properties of spinach seed were evaluated as a function of moisture content. Average length, width and thickness were 4.03, 3.51 and 2.44 mm, respectively, at 11.93% dry basis (d.b). moisture content. In the moisture range from 11.93 to 21.52% d.b. studies on rewetted spinach seed showed that the thousand seed mass increased from 11.55 to 13.53 g, the projected area from 6.28 to 7.81 mm2, the sphericity from 0.807 to 0.821 and the terminal velocity from 6.10 to 6.58 m s-1. The static coefficient of friction of spinach seed increased linearly against surfaces of four structural materials, namely, rubber (0.341 to 0.470), wood (0.318 to 0.391), stainless steel (0.271 to 0.364) and galvanised iron (0.321 to 0.388) as the moisture content increased from 11.93 to 21.52% d.b. The bulk density decreased from 538.9 to 893.1 kg m-3, the true density from 893.1 to 784.6 kg m-3 and the porosity from 39.65 to 36.67% respectively, with an increase in moisture content from 11.93 to 21.52% d.b.