Effect of Moisture Content on Palm Nut Shell Fragmentation for Effective Separation of Kernel

Abstract:

The search to accomplish effective separation of kernels from cracked nut mixture necessitated this work. In this study, nuts of bone-dry mass were soaked in water at room temperature and then subjected to cracking at 3-hourly intervals. The shell fragments and kernels obtained were further subjected to impact in order to examine the cycles of impact that would produce low % split kernels and high % shell fragments that could be sieved out while retaining on the sieve a high % kernels. Result revealed that at moisture content of 8.31% wb, impact energy of 0.4 J, impact speed of 25.32 m/s and 2 – 3 impact cycles, an effective separation of kernel was possible through production of shell fragments sizes that was sieved out to leave behind high % of kernels.