Material state diagrams for informed decision-making during drying of contemporary rice cultivars

Abstract

Improper drying of rice can cause significant kernel defects. A rice material state diagram consisting of glass transition temperature (T_g) at various moisture content (MC) levels is a tool that helps predict the appropriate drying temperatures to employ. The present diagrams were however developed for old rice cultivars which may be inadequate for predicting the drying behavior of contemporary cultivars. The objective of this study was therefore to develop material state diagrams along with updated T_g prediction models tailored to accommodate the contemporary rice cultivars presently grown. In the study, 23 rice cultivars were analyzed and revealed average T_g values of approximately 39, 41, 43, 45, and 47 °C at MC levels of 20%, 18%, 16%, 14%, and 12%, respectively. The updated material state diagrams developed from the results incorporated a T_g prediction model, indicating elevated T_g values and an improved R² value of 0.72, when compared to prior research findings.

Keywords:

• Glass transition temperature
• material state diagrams
• rice

Acknowledgments

Arkansas Rice Processing Program and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are immensely appreciated for their support and facilities. Special thanks to RiceTec for sample acquisition, Dr. Ya-Jane Wang of the Food Science Department, and all members of Dr. Griffiths Atungulu’s lab for their kind guidance and service in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.