Abstract:
Compressive and shear properties of
(
Aloe
v
era
L.
)
leaves were investigated for gel
extraction. This information is useful in the design of processing equipment and
improving gel production lines in order to decrease losses and enhance product quality.
Eff
ects of loading speed (10, 50, and 100 mm min
-
1
), temperature (20, 40, and 60 ̊C), and
diameter of the cylindrical loading head (70, 140, and 210 mm) on the leaf compression
properties, as well as the effect of loading speed on the shear properties were exa
mined.
The results showed that increasing the temperature would decrease the modulus of
elasticity. Loading head diameters had a significant effect on the required force for
crushing the leaves and extracting the gel. Based on the results, the best loading
combination for extracting
Aloe
v
era
gel from the leaf is 20 ̊C temperature, loading head
diameter of 14 cm, and loading speed of 100 mm min
-
1
. Shear forces of upper and lower
leaf surfaces increased with loading speed. However, speed of loading had no eff
ect on the
shear forces at the edges and center of the leaf. The shear force was similar at different
speeds for edge and center regions as well as for upper and lower surfaces of the leaf. Two
gel extraction machines were developed based on the shear and
compression properties of
Aloe
v
era
leaves.
Keywords:
Compression test, Modulus of elasticity, Processing equipment, Shear test
