Deformation and fracture of Macadamia nuts - Part 2: Microstructure and fracture mechanics analysis of nutshell

A study of the microstructure and mechanical properties of Macadamia nutshells subjected to various heat treatments is given in Part 2 of this paper. It is found that the nutshell has a three-dimensional, close-packed, cell structure. The cells have a diameter to length ratio of about 1 to 3, and the orientation of the cells is reasonably isotropic with no apparent variation with either position or direction. The material behaves in a very brittle manner under tension and compression. Based on the elastic stress analysis of a nut under diametrical compression and the mechanical properties of the shell, it is shown that cracks that cause the final fracture are initiated from the inner surface beneath the loading point. A theoretical model is proposed and predictions of the fracture load for Macadamia nuts are in good agreement with experimental results.