Effect of low current cold atmospheric plasma on grains surface structure and water absorption capacity

Abstract

The use of preparatory electrophysical methods of influencing food raw materials is one of the main trends in the development of innovative processes and technologies in the food and processing industry. Based on the physical effect of electron emission from a thermal emission source, a cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) was obtained, which was successfully applied to the grain material. Physical characteristics and evolution of low-temperature atmospheric plasma were considered as the main methods of analysis of electrophysical effects. To assess the effect of low-temperature plasma on grain material, measurements of water absorption capacity and analysis of surface modification by electron scanning microscopy were carried out. It has been experimentally established that CAP treatment contributes to a more intensive process of water absorption due to changes in the surface structure of the grain material. The total duration of the process of water absorption of grain material after processing of CAP decreased by more than three times until the equilibrium moisture content was reached. Scanning electron microscopy has shown that the processing of CAP leads to the appearance of a fine-mesh structure of the surface of the grain material. The effect of CAP treatment leads to modification of the seed surface, which consists in the manifestation of a fine-meshed structure on the surface of the seeds. Taking into account the advantages of CAP technology, namely the absence of the need for vacuuming and short processing time, the technology has a high practical potential.