Cereal Chem 67:232-236   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Surface Oil Application Effects on Chemical, Physical, and Dry-Milling Properties of Corn.

A. J. Peplinski, R. A. Anderson, and T. L. Mounts. Copyright 1990 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Field-grown yellow dent corn from the Midwest was surface sprayed with 200 parts per million (ppm) mineral oil, 100 ppm soybean oil + 100 ppm lecithin, 200 ppm soybean oil, or 400 ppm soybean oil to suppress dust. We then examined chemical compositions (ash, fat, fiber, nitrogen, and starch), physical properties (kernel breakage susceptibility, test weight, flotation, flow rate, germination, harness index, stress cracking, and 100-kernel weight), and dry-milling response (degermer throughput, yield and fat content of fractions, and recoverable oil yield). All tests were performed after corn was first surface coated with oil. Tests were repeated after eight months' storage at 25 C. Oil treatment reduced test weight by 41-60 kg/m3 at the time of application, but there was little difference after eight months' storage. Floating kernels from oil- treated corn were decreased by 5 to 7 percentage points at time of application, and 2 to 8 percentage points after eight months. Kernel flow rate of oil-treated corn was decreased by 59-100 kg/hr at initial treatment time. Roller milling response was little affected by oil treatment or storage time. Compared with the control, degermer throughput of corn treated with 200 ppm soybean oil at zero time was increased 15%. Kernel chemical composition was not changed by oil treatment or storage time. Because of apparent decrease in kernel test weight of fresh oil-sprayed corn, care must be taken if tes t weight is used as a quality factor measurement.