Cereal Chem 54:847 - 854.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Electrical Conductivity of Flour Suspensions and Extracts in Relation to Flour Ash.

R. L. Clements. Copyright 1977 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Electrical conductivities of flour extracts were directly related to flour ash, and log-log plots of ash vs. specific resistance were essentially linear. Conductivities of flour suspensions were lower than of corresponding extracts due to electrolyte desplacement, but suspensions were studied to determine effects of time and temperature on equilibration rates. Conductivities equilibrated rapidly in aqueous sospensions of low-ash flours, but conductivities of suspensions of high-ash flours continued to increase after 90 min. Heat treatment (15 min at 100 C) accelerated equilibration, but increased conductivities of low-ash flours and decreased conductivities of high-ash flours. Enzymes might be involved in the steady increase in conductivities of suspensions of high-ash flours during incubation at room temperature. Conductivity measurements, which are convenient and rapid, might be a useful index of flour quality.