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Several physical properties of chick pea seeds were evaluated as functions of moisture content. The average length, width, thickness, the geometric mean diameter, unit mass and volume of seed were 9·342 mm, 7·722 mm, 7·752 mm, 8·358 mm, 0·324 g and 0·238 cm3, respectively, at a moisture content of 5·2% d.b. Studies on rewetted seed showed that as moisture content increased from 5·2 to 16·5% d.b., bulk and kernel density decreased from 800 to 741·4 kg m−3 and from 1428 to 1368 kg m−3, respectively. With increasing moisture content, porosity increased from 43·97 to 45·8%, projected area from 1·16 to 1·42 cm2, angle of repose from 24·5 to 27·9° and terminal velocity from 8·3 to 9·8 m s−1. The rupture strength decreased as the moisture content increased and the highest rupture strength occurred while loading along the Z- axis. The static and dynamic coefficients of friction of chick pea seed against galvanized sheet metal, plywood and rubber surfaces increased with moisture content in the range from 5·2 to 16·5% d.b. The highest coefficient of friction was against a rubber surface, ranging from 0·44 to 0·76. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Physical properties of mahaleb (Prunus mahaleb L.) kernels were determined as a function of moisture content. In the moisture range from 2·9 to 10·2% d.b. the sphericity of mahaleb increased from 0·841 to 0·867, the 1000 kernel mass from 0·205 to 0·215 kg, the projected area from 0·866 to 0·997 cm2 and angle of repose from 25 to 30·5°. Bulk density decreased from 616 to 566 kg m−3, kernel density from 1250 to 1110 kg m−3, porosity from 0·507 to 0·490 and terminal velocity from 7·56 to 6·42 m s−1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]