SOME PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF JATROPHA FRUITS

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate some physical and mechanical properties of dried Jatropha curcas fruits cultivated in Egypt. The physical and mechanical properties were determined with a moisture content of Jatropha fruit 11.56 (%, d. b.). The results showed that the mean values of the %-ages by weight of fruit parts to whole fruit was 66.24, 33.76, 40.85 and 25.39 % for seeds, shells, kernels and husks, respectively. The results also includes the following properties; length, width, thickness, arithmetic and geometric mean diameter, sphericity, aspect ratio, mass and volume of individual fruit, thousand fruit mass, bulk density, surface area and specific surface area, their averages were found to be 26.84 mm, 20.73 mm, 19.45 mm, 22.34 mm, 22.10 mm, 82.55 %, 77.53 %, 2.61 g, 5.71 cm 3 , 2552.9 g, 0.304 g/cm 3 1539.1 mm 2 and 1.82 cm 2 /cm 3 , respectively. The mean value of angle of repose was 0.523 rad. For the coefficient of static friction; the galvanized iron sheet surface had the lowest value (0.453) followed by aluminum (0.491) while; the rubber surface had the highest value (0.655). For the rupture forces; the force required for rupturing of fruit in the horizontal loading position (90.56 N) was higher than the force required in the vertical loading position (39.70 N) of the fruit.