Tensile Properties and Fracture Mechanisms of Corn Bract for Corn Peeling Device Design

Zhenye Li, Jun Fu and Xiwen Luo
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Zhenye Li: Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Jun Fu: Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Xiwen Luo: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: This paper describes the physical and tensile properties of corn bracts during a whole harvest period by using two corn cultivars, aiming to realize efficient peeling with minimum energy performance and decrease the incidence of ear damage. The value range and change rule of tensile properties were obtained by combining mechanical experiments and numerical statistics. Meanwhile, mathematical models were established for tensile properties depending on bract moisture content and bract thickness. The experimental results show that the tensile properties of leaf blade were affected by the orientation between pulling force and longitudinal vein, and that parallel orientation was greater than perpendicular. Further, the tensile properties of leaf sheaths depended on the angle between pulling force and natural growth direction of the bract in the following order: 0° > 90° > 180°. A larger pulling force angle can improve the probability of bract fracturing at the root of leaf sheaths, which helps reduce bract residue on the peduncle. In addition, the fracture mechanisms of leaf blades and sheaths were expressed from physiological and morphological perspectives. The experimental results are believed to be able to provide theoretical guidance by which to design and optimize corn-peeling devices.

Keywords: corn bract; tensile properties; fracture properties; mechanical peeling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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