Air Flotation Velocities and Physical Properties of Peanuts and Foreign Materials

Physical properties of size, thickness, length, specificgravity, and flotation velocity were determined for various separations of peanut pods, kernels, and foreign materials. Pods had overall thicknesses large enough to allow removal of an average of 22% of the raisins and 32% of the rocks from the pods by screening. More than 96% of the peanut vines, weed stalks, and taproots were over 1 in long. Rocks and soil clods has specific gravities 2 to 4 times greater than pods. Flotation velocities for all of the materials varied from 100 to 3000 ft/min with most of the materials having velocities of 1000 to 2700 ft/min.