Physical properties of barley and oats cultivars grown in high altitude Himalayan regions of India

In this study, some selected physical properties of oats and barley viz seed size, shape, gravimetric properties, density characteristics, angle of repose, static coefficient of friction and terminal velocity were determined at a constant moisture content of 8.0 %. These properties are often required for designing of food processing appliances. The average of the principle diameters was found to be 4.96 +/- 0.50, 5.34 +/- 0.31, 6.00 +/- 0.26 and 5.41 +/- 0.44 mm and 1,000-grain weight was 41.9 +/- 0.2, 40.06 +/- 0.02, 36.66 +/- 0.01 and 36.51 +/- 0.02 g for hulled barley, hulless barley, Sabzaar oats and SkO-20 oats, respectively. The grains were narrow and elongated having an average sphericity of 50.55 +/- 3.7, 47.923 +/- 1.8, 32.578 +/- 1.3 and 35.69 +/- 2.1 %, respectively. The physical properties of the flours like angle of repose, flowability, bulk and true density were also determined. The value of angle of repose was found to be 50.44 +/- 0.27 degrees , 63.45 +/- 0.34 degrees, 46.86 +/- 0.25 degrees and 44.49 +/- 0.10 degrees for the flour of hulled barley, hulless barley, oats Sabzaar and SKO-20, respectively. The flours had poor flowability having a compressibility index of 33.69 +/- 0.12, 34.32 +/- 0.87, 27.94 +/- 1.23 and 27.5 +/- 0.74 and Hausner's ratio 1.58, 1.52, 1.38 and 1.37, respectively.