Analysis of Maize Seed Germs by Photoacoustic Microscopy and Photopyroelectric Technique

作者：Dominguez Pacheco A; Hernandez Aguilar C; Cruz Orea A

来源：International Journal of Thermophysics, 2013, 34(5): 979-985.

DOI：10.1007/s10765-012-1361-3

• Photoacoustic microscopy
• Photopyroelectric
• Effusivity
• Maize seed

A knowledge about thermal parameters of structural components of maize seed is of great relevance in the seed technology practice. The objective of the present study was to determine the thermal effusivity of germs of maize (Zea mays L.) of different genotypes by means of the photopyroelectric technique (PPE) in the inverse configuration and obtaining the thermal imaging of these samples by photoacoustic microscopy (PAM). Germs from crystalline maize (white pigment), semi-crystalline maize (yellow pigment), and floury maize (blue pigment) were used in this investigation. The results show differences between germs of maize seeds mainly in the values of their thermal effusivities. The thermal images showed minimum inhomogeneity of these seed germs. Characterizations of thermal parameters in seeds are important in agriculture and food production and could be particularly useful to define their quality and determine their utility. PPE and PAM can be considered as potential diagnostic tools for the characterization of agriculture seeds.

• 出版日期2013-5