PH—Postharvest Technology: Some Aspects of the Mechanical Properties of Shea Nut

Compression tests were carried out on pre-treated shea nuts to study the effects of moisture content, temperature and loading position on rupture force, deformation, toughness and firmness at the point of failure. All factors were examined and most of their interactions had significant effects on the measured para-meters at 0·05 level of significance. Rupture force and firmness decreased while deformation and toughness increased with increases in moisture content in both horizontal and vertical loading positions. The results provide useful data to be used by engineers in the design of suitable shea nut cracker.