The Optical Absorption Coefficient of Maize Seeds Investigated by Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Claudia Hernandez-Aguilar, Alfredo Cruz-Orea, Rumen Ivanov, Arturo Dominguez, Aquiles Carballo, Ivan Moreno, Ricardo Rico

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

The knowledge about a seed's optical parameters is of great relevance in the seed technology practice. Such parameters provide information about its absorption and reflectance, which in turn is related to its color, quality, and health condition. The objective of the present study was to determine the optical absorption coefficient β for maize seeds (Zea mays L.) by means of the photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS). Untreated seeds (I) and seeds dyed with methyl red (II) were used in this investigation. In addition, conventional reflectance measurements (obtained with the integrating sphere) were performed to validate PAS absorption measurements. The results show that the absorption spectra and reflection data of the seed samples are complementary. When used with thermally thick and optically opaque seeds, PAS may be considered as a potential diagnostic tool for the characterization of the seeds.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)481-486
Number of pages6
JournalFood Biophysics
Volume6
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2011

Keywords

  • Optical absorption coefficient
  • Photoacoustic spectroscopy
  • Reflectance
  • Zea mays L.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Optical Absorption Coefficient of Maize Seeds Investigated by Photoacoustic Spectroscopy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this