Innovative Method for Determining Young’s Modulus of Elasticity in Products with Irregular Shapes: Application on Peanuts

Abstract

Accurate determination of Young’s modulus of elasticity in irregularly shaped products is quite challenging. This study introduces a novel method that can measure the elasticity in non-uniform products, such as peanuts. Variations of the contact surface between the peanut and a crosshead were precisely calculated using this technique based on kernels blueprints remaining on graph paper after compression. The elastic modulus was assessed by stress-strain tests using Hooke’s theory. The significance of the effects of water content and loading rate on the elastic modulus of peanuts was studied using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Results showed that the elasticity was mostly influenced by the kernel’s water content. It decreased from 3.75 to 0.10 MPa when the initial water content increased from 7 to 18% (dry basis). Water content had a significant effect on Young’s modulus (p < 0.05) at 95% confidence level with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 95.52%. Conversely, the effect of the loading rate on this response was minimal. The proposed approach takes into consideration the irregularities in shape, size, and surface characteristics of products in evaluating Young’s modulus. It offers valuable insights for further investigations in optimizing quality assessment in the food industry.