Electrical Prope Rties of Popcorn Grains

Abstract This work contains the results of measuring the electrical properties of popcorn grains. Interest in electrical properties of biological materials resulted in engineering research in this field. The results of measurements are used for determining the moisture content, the surface level of liquid and grainy materials, for controlling the presence of pests in grain storage, for a quantitative determination of mechanical damage, in applications of dielectric heating, and in many other cases. Electrical measurements on these materials are of fundamental importance in relation to the analysis of quantity of absorbed water and dielectric heating characteristics. It is a well-known fact that electrical properties of materials, namely dielectric constant and conductivity, are affected by the moisture content of material. This fact is important for the design of many commercial moisture-testing instruments for agricultural products. The knowledge of dielectric properties of materials is necessary for the application of dielectric heating. The aim of this work was to perform the measurements of conductivity, dielectric constant and loss tangent on samples of popcorn grains, the electrical properties of which had not been sufficiently measured. Measurements were performed under variable moisture content and the frequency of electric field in the range from 1 MHz to 16 MHz, using a Q meter with a coaxial probe. It was concluded that conductivity, dielectric constant and loss tangent increased with increase of moisture content, and dielectric constant and loss factor decreased as the frequency of electric field increased.