PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF EGYPTIAN ROUGH RICE (SAKHA 102) AS AFFECTED BY ITS MOISTURE CONTENT

Egyptian rice variety Sakha 102which characterized byresistantto Blast diseases (Pyricularia grisea),high yield and grain quality, was used to investigate some physical and mechanical properties in order to determine needed designing parameters for handling and storage facilities and milling (dimensions, density, coefficient of friction, compressibility,and shear strength) at different levels of moisture content in the range of 10 - 30% d.b. The statistical equations relating each parameter to the moisture content were obtained. The results of this study show that length, width, thickness, bulk density, particle density, coefficicient of friction are linear functions of moisture content, within the range of moisture content used. The least of the maximum compressive stress was found to take place at 15% moisture content (d.b). The shear strength and maximum compressive strength decreased with an increase of moisture content.