Mechanical characteristics and grinding studies of mango seed kernel

Abstract

Mango kernel seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acid, bioactive compounds and a potential source of butter production. This study explores the unit operation of size reduction which is a vital step in the production of mango seed kernel flour and hence, mango seed kernel oil. The mechanical property of mango seed kernel, its grinding characteristics using hammer mill and then particle size distribution (PSD) of its flour were evaluated. Comparison was made of the PSD using laboratory sieve shaker and laser diffraction technique. The Kick's model had the best energy efficiency followed by Bond's and Rittinger's models respectively. PSD by Laser diffraction method indicated higher mass relative span (RSm), Inclusive graphic skewness (IGS), kurtosis of PSD (Kg) and graphic means. Rosin-Rammler-Bennet (RRB) and Gaudin-Schuhmann (GS) models were effectively used to describe the statistical and model parameters of the particle size distribution data.