ABSTRACT
This research presents values for some physical characteristics of coffee necessary for development of aerodynamic separation units and for design of driers and silos. The effect of moisture content on the values of unity and bulk density and porosity of coffee varieties Catuaí and Timor, was investigated. The coffee was harvested in two stages of maturation (green and cherry). The grains from cultivar Catuaí were harvested in two different periods. The harvesting period did not cause differences on the values of the densities. The behaviors of unity and bulk densities of coffee were different from those observed for most of the agricultural grains. The unity density of coffee increased with increases in moisture content, whereas the bulk density decreased. The unity and bulk density values for coffee are lower than those for others grains, but the values for porosity were found to be in the same range.
Key words:
unit density; bulk density; porosity; Coffee arabica L