Fracture Behavior and Mechanisms of Wheat Kernels Under Mechanical Loading

Wheat milling efficiency and flour quality are fundamentally governed by kernel frac- ture behavior during mechanical processing. This study systematically investigated the fracture characteristics of wheat kernels through a multi-stage experimental approach. Rupture tests comparing shear and compression loading revealed that shear reduced fracture energy by 40%, with vitreous kernels (16.13 mJ) showing greater resistance than floury types ( 10.45 mJ) at 13% moisture. Microstructural...