The separation assessment of small-seeded mixtures of agricultural crops

Abstract

Abstract The paper confirms that the effective separation of small-seeded mixtures of crops can be achieved if we use electrical separation methods that take into account the difference in electrical conductivity and dielectric constant of the components, their ability to receive and give a charge etc. Having examined electrical conductivity and polarization properties of winter oilseed rape and Galium aparine seeds by the method of impedance spectroscopy, it was found out that the frequency dependence of the real part of their complex resistance is of the same type and has a decreasing character. The maximum capacity of winter oilseed rape is 50 % higher than the corresponding capacity of Galium aparine, and the maximum accumulation of charge by seeds is observed in the frequency band for which the real part of the complex resistance takes close values for both Galium aparine and winter oilseed rape. The revealed difference in electrical conductivity and dielectric constant of the studied seeds of winter oilseed rape and Galium aparine causes different charges, which is one of the main conditions for their effective separation in electric separators, which use an electric field of corona discharge as an additional working body.