EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON THE SHEAR MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF LICORICE ROOT

The process of slicing is a vital component in the preliminary treatment of licorice roots.The physical properties and shear mechanical attributes of licorice root are of considerable importance for the development and optimization of machinery intended for slicing licorice root. In this research, four-year-old mature licorice roots were selected as the experimental specimens, and shear strength evaluations were conducted on these roots by means of a universal testing machine (Instron 3344 series). The experimental design utilizes a blend of univariate and multivariate orthogonal testing techniques. Within this design, moisture content, shear speed, and shear speed are identified as the independent variables, while the maximum cutting force is defined as the primary assessment criterion.The experimental results reveal that the primary and secondary factors influencing the shear strength of licorice root follow the order: moisture content > shear speed > shear angle. The optimal conditions for the slicing pretreatment process are identified as a moisture content of 50 ± 2%, a shear speed of 0°, and a shear speed of 90 mm·min-1.