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Some moisture dependent thermal properties of Cashew kernel (Anarcardium

occidentale L.)

Article · January 2012

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AJAE 3(2):65-69 (2012) ISSN:1836-9448

Some moisture dependent thermal properties of Cashew kernel (Anarcardium occidentale L.)

Ato Bart-Plange1, Ahmad Addo1, Francis Kumi2, Abubakar Kamil Piegu1

1
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi,
Ghana
2
Department of Agricultural Engnieering, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Thermal properties of crops are very important in the design of drying, processing and storage equipment. The availability of such
relevant information on cashew nutwill aid in the design and manufacture of equipment for postharvest operations. The thermal
conductivity, specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity of cashew kernel were evaluated as a function of moisture content. Specific
heat was measured by the method of mixtures while the thermal conductivity was measured by the line heat source probe method.
Thermal diffusivity was calculated from the experimental results obtained from specific heat, thermal conductivity and bulk density.
The bulk density for nut and kernel decreased from 625.62 to 592.42kg/m3 and 559.60 to 505.06kg/m3 respectively with increasing
moisture content from 5.0% to 9.0% w.b. Specific heat increased linearly from 1586 to1756J/kgºC with increasing moisutre content.
The thermal conductivity ranged from 0.2103 to 0.2296W/mK and thermal diffusivity varied from 2.369×10-7 to 2.588×10-7m2/s.
Specific heat, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were found to increase linearly with increasing moisture content from 5.0
to9.0% w.b.

Keywords: cashew, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, moisture content, specific heat.
Abbreviations: ρb
bulk density, kg/m3; Cp: specific heat of sample, J/kgK; K:thermal conductivity; W/m K,
α :thermal diffusivity
2
m /s; Q: mass of water to be added, kg; Wi: initial mass of the sample, kg; Mi: initial moisture content of the sample, % w.b.
Mf :final moisture content of the sample, % w.b; Cc:specific heat of calorimeter, J/kgK; Cw:specific heat of water, J/kgK;
Mw:mass of water, kg; Ts:initial temperature of sample, K; Te:equilibrium temperature, K; Tw:initial temperature of water, K;
Qi: heat input, W/m; V:electrical voltage, volts; ti: initial time, s; t2:final time, s; T1:initial temperature, ̊C ; T2: final temperature, ̊C
Cn: cashew nut; Ck: cashew kernel.

Introduction
and Chaisawang(2007) for coconut milk and Nouri Jangi et
The cashew tree (Anarcardium Occidentale L.) is a native of al. (2011) for barley grains. A study on thermal properties of
Brazil and the Lower Amazons. It has been a valuable cash straw mushroom by Tansakul and Chaisawang (2007)
crop in the Americas, the West Indies, Madagascar, India and indicated that specific heat, thermal conductivity and thermal
Malaysia (Frankel, 1991). The tree is now widely distributed diffusivity increased with increase in moisture content.
throughout the tropics particularly in many parts of Africa Moisture dependency of engineering properties of some cash
and Asia. The five major producing countries are Vietman, and industrial crops have been studied by other researchers
India, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire and Brazil. Cashew nut is a high (Bart-Plange and Baryeh, 2003 for category B cocoa beans;
value edible nut and it ranks third among the edible tree nuts Yalcin and Ozarslan, 2004 for vetch seed; Kinsley et al. 2005
of the world with a current annual output of 28400 tonnes in for pomegranate seed; Yang and Zhao,2001 for radish and
Ghana (FAO, 2012). Nuts may be sold raw or as kernels and alfalfa seeds ; Gharibzahedi et al., 2011 for castor seed;
may be further processed into valued-added products such as Tarighi et al., 2011 for sunflower seeds . Engineering
fried, roasted, or chocolate-coated kernels and confectioneries properties of other biological materials affected by moisture
(Azam-Ali and Judge, 2001; Ogunsina and Bamgboye, 2007). content have been found by other researchers (Aviara and
Following the gradual increasing interest in cashew Haque, 2001 for sheanut kernel; Baryeh, 2002 for millet;
production in Ghana, there is the need to expand the Erica et al., 2004 for safflower seed; Aydin, 2006 for peanut
production base of the crop so as compete with the leading and kernel; Yalcin, 2006 for cowpea seed; Pliestic et al., 2006
producing and exporting nations in Africa (Ojolo and for filbert nut and kernel and Singh and Goswani, 2007 for
Ogunsina, 2007). Knowledge of thermal properties of food cumin seed Sayed and Maryam , 2007 for kiwi fruit). Many
and agricultural products, are essential for equipment design researchers have worked on cashew nuts (Nathakaranakule
and prediction of heat transfer operations (Viviana et al., and Prachayawarakorn, 1998; Balasubramanian (2001);
2007). Thermal properties of various foods and agricultural Kurozawa et al., 2008; Ogunsina and Bamboye, 2007) but
products have been studied by researchers such as Sherpherd very little research work on variation of moisture content
and Bhardwaj(1985) for pigeon pea, Dutta et al. (1988) for with thermal properties of cashew was found. The objective
gram, Aviara and Hague (2001) for shea nut kernel, Tansakul of the study was to determine the effect of moisture on the
thermal properties of the cashew kernel.

65
Results and Discussion Hobani and Al-Askar, (2000), found the thermal diffusivity of
Khudary and Sufri dates to increase linearly with increasing
Bulk Density moisture content. The average thermal diffusivity for Nosrat
and Kavir varieties of barley grains was found to be 14.67x10-8
Figure 1 shows the variation of bulk density of cashew nut and 15.70x10-8 m2/s respectively (Nouri Jangi et al., 2011).
and kernel with moisture content. The values of bulk density Other researchers such as Aviara and Haque (2001), Tansakul
of cashew nut and cashew kernel decreased linearly from and Lumyong (2008), Shyamal et al., (1994) reported a linear
625.62kgm-3 to 592.42kgm-3 and 559.60kgm-3 to 505.06kgm- relationship between thermal diffusivity and moisture content
3
respectively when the moisture content increased from for sheanut kernel, straw mushroom and wheat respectively.
5.0% to 9.0% w.b. This decrease is mainly due to the fact that
moisture gain in the sample was lower than accompanying Materials and methods
volumetric expansion of the bulk (Solomon and Zewdu,
2009). Ogunsina and Bamboye, 2007 in a study on the effects Materials
of pre-shelling treatment on the physical properties of cashew
nut found the bulk density to be 596.67kg/m3 which falls The materials were used for the experiment include cashew nut
within the range of values obtained in this study. samples, distilled water, digital electronic balance, calorimeter,
Balasubramanian (2001) also found the bulk density of raw DC power source, ammeter, voltmeter and a thermocouple.
cashew to decrease linearly with increasing moisture content.
The negative linear relationship of bulk density with Sample Preparation
moisture content was also observed by Kibar et al. (2010) for
rice, Seifi and Alimardani (2010) for corn and Gupta and Das The cashew nuts used in the study were purchased from a
(1997) for sunflower seed. Emperial equations were local market at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana
developed to describe the effect of moisture content on bulk in December 2009. The cashew samples were processed at a
density of cashew nuts and kernel. local cashew processing company and manually cleaned to
remove chaff. The moisture content of the samples were
Specific Heat determined using a standard oven method at 105°C for 24
hours (Dursun et al., 2006). In order Samples were
The variation of specific heat with moisture content is presented conditioned by adding calculated amounts of distilled water
in Fig. 2. The specific heat varied from 1586kJkg-1ºC-1 to to attain the desired moisture levels using equation (1)
1756kJkg-1ºC-1 in the moisture content range of 5.0 to 9.0 (Solomon and Zewdu, 2009, Ibrahim et al., 2006).
%w.b. The specific heat increased linearly with increasing W i(M − M i)
moisture content. The increasing trend in specific heat with in Q =
f (1)
moisture content correlates with work done by other 100 − M f
researchers. Nathakaranakule and Prachayawarakorn (1998) The samples were sealed in separate polythene bags and kept
also found a similar linear variation with the specific heat of in a refrigerator at 5°C for five days to ensure uniform
cashew nutsvaried linearly with moisture content. Hsu et al. moisture distribute throughout the sample. Before starting a
(1991) reported that the specific heat of pistachios varied from test, the required quantity of seeds were taken out of the
1.1 to 2.1kJ/kgK at within the moisture content range of 9.5- refrigerator and stored at room temperature for about two
39% w.b. Chandrasekar and Viswanathan (1999) studied the hours (Nimkar and Chattopadhyay, 2001).The moisture
thermal properties of two varieties of coffee beans in the content of cashew nut and /kernel was investigated at four
moisture content range of 9.9-30.05% w.b. and showed that moisture levels of 5.0, 6.5, 8.0, and 9.0% w.b. These values
specific heat increased linearly from 0.78 to2.36kJ/kgK with are within the range of moisture contents encountered for
increasing moisture content. However, other studies have cashew nut and kernel during postharvest operations.
reported non-linear relationships of some food and agricultural
products (Murata et al., 1995 for rice; Tang et al., 1995 for lentil Bulk Density Determination
seeds; Chakraborty and Johnson, 1999 for tobacco)
The bulk density of nuts and kernels was determined by
Thermal Conductivity pouring samples into a cylindrical container of known
volume while striking excess samples off the brim without
The variation of thermal conductivity with moisture content is compacting the nuts and kernel (Zewdu and Solomon, 2007).
shown in Fig. 3. The thermal conductivity of cashew kernel The bulk density was then determined by dividing the mass
varied from 0.2103 to 0.2296 W/m K with increasing moisture of samples with the volume of the cylinder. All experiments
content in the range of 5.0-9.0% w.b. Other researchers such were replicated four times at each moisture content
as Perusella et al., (2010) for banana, Bart-Plange et al., (2009)
for cowpea and maize, Nwabanni (2009) for cassava and Singh Determination of Thermal Properties
and Goswami (2000) for cumin seeds also reported the
existence of linear relationship between thermal conductivity All experiments in this study were repeated four times at four
and moisture content. Kurozawa et al. (2008) found thermal levels of moisture content (5.0-9.0%), four levels of bulk
conductivity to increase from 0.57 to 0.61 W/m °C with density (505.06, 535.25, 539.84, 559.60 kgm-3) and four
temperature in the range of 25 to 45 ºC for cashew apple . temperature levels (35,45,55,65 ̊C) for the cashew and kernel.

Thermal Diffusivity Determination of Specific Heat

Fig. 4 shows the existence of a linear relationship between The method of mixtures has been the most common
thermal diffusivity and moisture content. Thermal diffusivity technique reported in the literature for measuring the specific
increased linearly from 2.369×10-7 to 2.588×10-7 m2/s with heat of agricultural and food materials (Singh and Goswani,
increasing moisture content in the range of 5.0% to 9.0% w.b.

66
 Fig3. Variations of moisture content on thermal conductivity of
Fig1. Effects of moisture content on bulk density of cashew nut
cashew kernel.
and kernel.

Fig 2. Moisture content variation on specific heat of cashew Fig 4. Variations of moisture content on thermal diffusivity of
kernel. cashew kernel

2000; Aviara and Haque, 2001; Razavi and Masoud, 2007; bottom with wooden plugs. A constant D.C. power source of
Nouri Jangi et al.,2011). For the determination of specific 3V and a current of 1A were supplied to the Nichrome wire
heat in this study, the method of mixtures was used. cashew stretching between two ends of the plastic cylinder as the heat
kernel samples of known mass, temperature and moisture input source.The probe was inserted through the centre of the
content were dropped into a copper calorimeter containing sample mass to take the temperature readings (Kurozawa et
water of know mass and temperature. The calorimeter was al., 2008). During the heating process, the temperature of the
well insulated so as to prevent heat loss to the room in which sample was recorded as a function of elapsed time at the
the experiment was performed. The mixture was stirred interval of 30 seconds with the help of a digital time recorder.
continuously using a glass rod stirrer. A digital thermometer Recorded temperature values were then plotted against the
was used to monitor the temperature of the mixture. The natural logarithm of elapsed time and subsequently thermal
equilibrium (final) temperature was noted and the specific conductivity was calculated by using equations 3 and 4.
heat determined using equation (2) as used by Aviara and Q I n ( t 2 / t1 )
K =
Haque (2001). 4 π ( T 2 − T1 )
( M cC c + M w C w )(Te − T w ) (3)
Cp = (2)
M s (Ts − Te ) Qi = V I / L (4)

Determination of Thermal Diffusivity

Determination of Thermal Conductivity

The thermal conductivity of the cashew kernel samples were The thermal diffusivity of the cashew kernel was calculated
from experimental values of thermal conductivity, specific
determined using the line heat source method (Sweat and
heat and bulk density using equation (5).
Haugh, 1974 ). During the experiment, the samples at desired
moisture contents were t placed in a cylinder at a particular
bulk density. The plastic cylinder was sealed at the top and

67
 K
α = (5)
ρ bC p
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