Fracture Behavior and Mechanisms of Wheat Kernels Under Mechanical Loading.

ABSTRACT: Wheat milling efficiency and flour quality are fundamentally governed by kernel fracture behavior during mechanical processing. This study systematically investigated the fracture characteristics of wheat kernels through a multi-stage experimental approach. Rupture tests comparing shear and compression loading revealed that shear reduced fracture energy by 40%, with vitreous kernels (16.13 mJ) showing greater resistance than floury types (10.45 mJ) at 13% moisture. Microstructural characterization revealed distinct fracture modes: vitreous kernels fractured intercellularly, while floury kernels fractured intracellularly-quantified via fractal geometry (vitreous: fractal dimension D = 1.262; floury: D = 1.365). Controlled bran removal experiments demonstrated that outer bran layers provide

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12468816 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature