Int.

Agrophysics, 2008, 22, 221-224

INTERNATIONAL
Agrophysics
www.international-agrophysics.org

Some physical properties of date fruit (cv. Dairi)

M. Keramat Jahromi, S. Rafiee, A. Jafari, M.R. Ghasemi Bousejin*, R. Mirasheh, and S.S. Mohtasebi
Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Faculty of Biosystems Engineering, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Received December 4, 2007; accepted April 28, 2008

A b s t r a c t. Most of the date fruit processing methods solids must be known for accurate modelling of heat and
employed are still traditional. It becomes imperative to characte- mass transfer during cooling and drying. Porosity, which is
rize the fruits with a view to understand the properties that may the percentage of air space in particulate solids, affects the
affect the design of machines to handle their processing. Objectives resistance to air flow through bulk solids. Airflow resi-
of this study are to present basic principles of physical properties of
stance, in turn, affects the performance of systems designed
date fruit (cv. Dairi) in order to facilitate the design of some machi-
nes for its processing. Dry-basis moisture content of date fruit was
for force convection drying of bulk solids and aeration sy-
found to be 10.45% (10.88% for pitted dates and 7.87% for their stems used to control the temperature of stored bulk solids.
pits). Other results showed that linear dimensions varied from 29.8 Knowledge of frictional properties is needed for design of
to 40.2 mm in length, 15.7 to 20.2 mm in width, and 15 to 19.7 mm handling equipment. Many researchers have conducted
in thickness. Mean mass and volume of fruit were measured as 5.30 g experiments to find the physical properties of various fruits
and 5.49 cm3, respectively. The projected areas along length (PL), and crops. Owolarafe and Shotonde (2004) determined
width (PW) and thickness (PT) were 262.71, 498.1, and 513.1 mm2, some physical properties for okro fruit at a moisture content
respectively. The fruit density and pitted fruit density were of 11.42% (wet basis). Akar and Aydin (2005) evaluated some
measured as 0.97 and 1.18 g cm-3, while bulk density and porosity physical properties of gumbo fruit varieties as functions of
were 0.49 g cm-3 and 49.14%, respectively. The geometric mean moisture content. Kashaninejad et al. (2006) determined
diameter, sphericity and surface area were obtained as 22.38 mm,
some physical and aerodynamic properties of pistachio nut
0.63, and 1577.84 mm2, respectively. The mean coefficients of
static friction were measured as 0.27, 0.32 and 0.4 on plywood,
and its kernel as a function of moisture content in order to
galvanized iron steel, and glass surfaces, respectively. design processing equipment and facilities. Topuz et al.
K e y w o r d s: date fruit, dimensions, physical properties, (2005) determined and compared several properties of four
post-harvest processing orange varieties. Also, Keramat Jahromi et al. (2007) ob-
tained some physical properties of date (cv. Lasht).
INTRODUCTION The objectives of this study were to determine physical
properties of date (cv. Dairi) to develop appropriate tech-
Design of machines and processes for harvesting, hand-
ling and storage of agricultural materials and for converting nologies for its processing. The development of the techno-
these materials into food and feed requires an understanding logies will require knowledge of the properties of this fruit.
of their physical properties.
Size and shape are most often used when describing MATERIALS AND METHODS
grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Shape and physical
In this study, the date fruit samples were selected from
dimensions are important in sorting and sizing of fruits, and
Dairi cultivar (Fig. 1) at random from a local market in
determine how many fruits can be placed in shipping con-
tainers or plastic bags of a given size. Quality differences in Jahrom (an important city in date production located in the
fruits, vegetables, grain and seeds can often be detected by south of Iran). The fruits were transported individually to the
differences in density. When fruits and vegetables are trans- Physical Laboratory of Biosystems Faculty in the University
ported hydraulically, the design fluid velocities are related of Tehran. All experiments were carried out at a temperature
to both density and shape. Volumes and surface areas of range of 25-30°C in three days.

*Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] © 2008 Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences
222 M. KERAMAT JAHROMI et al.

– Sony photograph camera, model CCD-TRV225E,

– device for preparing media to picture taking,
– capture Card named Winfast, model DV2000,
– computer software programmed with visual basic 6.0.
Captured images from the camera are transmitted to the
computer card which works as an analogue to digital con-
verter. Digital images are then processed in the software and
the desired user needs are determined. Total error for those
objects was less than 2%. This method has been used and
reported by several researchers (Keramat Jahromi et al.,
Fig. 1. Date samples (cv. Dairi).
2007; Khoshnam et al., 2007). The L, W and T are
perpendicular dimensions of date fruit, namely length, width
and thickness, and PL, PW and PT are the projected areas
In order to obtain the moisture content, samples were taken along these three mutually perpendicular axes (Fig. 3).
kept in an oven for 3 days at 105°C. Weight loss on drying to Geometric mean diameter, Dg (g); sphericity index, F;
a final constant weight was recorded as moisture content by and surface areas, S (mm); were calculated by using the
AOAC (1984) recommended method. following equations:
Mass of individual fruit was determined using an ele-
ctronic balance with a sensitivity of 0.01 g. Fruit volumes Dg = ( LWT )1 3 , (4)
were measured by the water displacement method. Fruits
F= Dg / L , (5)
were weighed in air and allowed to float in water. Fruits were
lowered with a needle into a beaker containing water and the S = p Dg2 , (6)
mass of fruit in the water was recorded. Finally, fruit densi-
ties (g cm-3) were calculated by using the following Eq. (1) as reported by Kabas et al. (2006) and Mohsenin (1986).
(Mohsenin, 1986): The coefficients of static friction were obtained with
Ma respect to three different surfaces, namely galvanized steel,
rf = r , (1) plywood and glass surfaces, by using an inclined plane
Ma -Mw w
apparatus as described by Dutta et al. (1988). The inclined
where: r f – fruit density (g cm-3), r w – water density (g cm-3),
Ma – fruit mass in air (g), Mw – fruit mass in water (g).
Bulk density was determined using the mass/volume
relationship Eq. (2) (AOAC, 1984; Owolarafe et al., 2007)
by filling an empty plastic container of predetermined
volume and mass with fruits that were poured from a con-
stant height, and weighed:
M
rb = , (2)
V
where: r b – the bulk density (g cm-3), M – bulk mass of fruit (g),
V – the plastic container volume (cm3). This method was
based on the work of Fraser et al., (1978), Owolarafe et al.
(2007), and Suthar et al., (1996).
Porosity (e) was calculated as the ratio of the differences
Fig. 2. WinArea_UT_06 system.
in the fruit and bulk densities to the fruit density value and
expressed in percentages (Jain and Bal, 1997; Owolarafe et
al., 2007; Vursavus et al., 2006):
æ r f - rb ö
e =ç
ç r
÷100 .
÷ (3)
è f ø
Linear dimensions and also projected areas were
determined by the image processing method. In order to
obtain dimensions and projected areas, WinArea_UT_06
system (Mirasheh, 2006) was used (Fig. 2). The WinArea
_UT_06 system comprises the following components: Fig. 3. Three major dimensions and projected areas of date fruit.
 SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF DATE FRUIT (cv. DAIRI) 223

plane was gently raised and the angle of inclination at which obtained as 262.71, 498.1 and 513.1 mm2, with variation of
the sample started sliding was read off the protractor with 198 to 342, 365 to 632, and 396 to 633 mm2, respectively.
sensitivity of one degree. The tangent of the angle was Whole fruit density and pitted fruit density were measured
reported as the coefficient of friction (Dutta et al., 1988). and found to be between 0.82 to 1.09 and 1.17 to 1.19 g cm-3,
and with average values of 0.97 and 1.18 g cm-3, respecti-
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION vely. Bulk density and porosity obtained were found to be
0.49 g cm-3 and 49.14%, respectively. The geometric mean
Dry-basis moisture content of date fruit samples was
diameter, sphericity and surface area varied from 19.54 to
found to be 10.45% (10.88% for pitted dates and 7.87% for
25.03 mm, 0.58 to 0.69, and 1200.04 to 1968.26 mm2, while
their pits). Results showed that mass and volume varied
mean values were 22.38 mm, 0.63, and 1577.84 mm2, respe-
from 3.75 to 7.01 g and from 3.75 to 7.36 cm3, with mean
ctively. Also, values of mean coefficient of static friction on
values of 5.3 g and 5.49 cm3, respectively. Dimensions
plywood, galvanized iron steel, and glass surfaces were
varied from 29.8 to 40.2 mm in length, 15.7 to 20.2 mm in
obtained as 0.27, 0.32 and 0.40, respectively. Results of
width, and 15 to 19.7 mm in thickness, with average values
analysis showed that the surface of materials had a signi-
of 35.68, 18.07, and 17.42 mm, respectively. The impor-
ficant difference (p<0.01) on the static coefficient of
tance of dimensions is in determining the aperture size of
friction. The static coefficient of friction on galvanized iron
machines, particularly in separation of materials as discus-
steel was higher than that on plywood and lower than that of
sed by Mohsenin (1986). These dimensions can be used in
glass surface. This is due to the frictional properties between
designing machine components and parameters. For example,
the fruits and surface materials. These properties may be
they may be useful in estimating the number of fruits to be
useful in the separation process and the transportation of the
engaged at a time. The major axis has been found to be useful
fruits. A summary of results of the determined physical
by indicating the natural rest position of the fruit. The mean
parameters is shown in Table 1.
projected areas along length, width, and thickness were

T a b l e 1. Some physical properties of date fruit (cv. Dairi)

Number Values
of Standard
Properties
observations Minimum Maximum Mean deviations

Mass (g) 100 3.75 7.01 5.30 0.65

Volume (cm3) 100 3.75 7.36 5.49 0.79
Length, L (mm) 100 29.80 40.20 35.68 2.18
Width, W (mm) 100 15.70 20.20 18.07 0.97
Thickness, T (mm) 100 15.00 19.70 17.42 0.94
2
Projected area along, L (mm ) 100 198.00 342.00 262.71 27.14
2
Projected area along, W (mm ) 100 365.00 632.00 498.10 50.31
2
Projected area along, T (mm ) 100 396.00 633.00 513.10 51.84
Fruit density (g cm-3) 100 0.82 1.09 0.97 0.06
-3
Pitted density (g cm ) 4 1.17 1.19 1.18 0.01
Geometric mean diameter (mm) 100 19.54 25.03 22.38 1.07
Sphericity (%) 100 0.58 0.69 0.63 0.02
Surface area (mm2) 100 1200.04 1968.26 1577.84 149.67
-3
Bulk density (g cm ) 3 0.46 0.53 0.49 0.04
Porosity (%) 3 45.00 52.00 49.00 3.00

Plywood 3 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.02

Static coefficient of friction Galvanized iron steel 3 0.31 0.34 0.32 0.02
Glass 3 0.38 0.42 0.40 0.02
224 M. KERAMAT JAHROMI et al.

Kabas O., Ozmerzi A., and Akinci I., 2006. Physical properties
of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus India L.) grown wild in
CONCLUSIONS
Turkey. J. Food Eng., 73, 198-202.
1. Mass and volume varied from 3.75 to 7.01 g and from Kashaninejad M., Mortazavi A., Safekordi A., and Tabil L.G.,
3.75 to 7.36 cm3. 2006. Some physical properties of pistachio (Pistacia vera L.)
nut and its kernel. J. Food. Eng., 72, 30-38.
2. Dimensions varied from 29.8 to 40.2 mm in length,
Keramat Jahromi M., Jafari A., Rafiee S., Keyhani A.R.,
15.7 to 20.2 mm in width, and 15 to 19.7 mm in thickness.
Mirasheh R., and Mohtasebi S.S., 2007. Determining
3. Fruit density and pitted fruit density found to be
some physical properties of date fruit (cv. Lasht). Agric.
between 0.82 to 1.09 and 1.17 to 1.19 g cm-3.
Eng. Int.: the CIGR Ejournal. Manuscript FP 07 019, IX.
4. Bulk density and porosity obtained were found to be Khoshnam F., Tabatabaeefar A., Ghasemi Varnamkhasti M.,
0.49 g cm-3 and 49.14%. and Borghei A., 2007. Mass modeling of pomegranate
5. Geometric mean diameter, sphericity and surface (Punica granatum L.) fruit with some physical characteri-
area varied from 19.54 to 25.03 mm, 0.58 to 0.69, and stics. Scientia Hort., 114(1), 21-26.
1200.04 to 1968.26 mm2. Mirasheh R., 2006. Designing and making procedure for a machi-
6. The static coefficient of friction on galvanized iron ne determining olive image dimensions. M.Sc. Thesis,
Tehran University, Karaj, Iran.
steel was higher than that on plywood and lower than that of
Mohsenin N.N., 1986. Physical Properties of Plant and Animal
glass surface. Materials. Gordon and Breach Press, New York.
Owolarafe O.K., Olabigeand T.M., and Faborode M.O., 2007.
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