Relationship of the drying process of a corn grain with the thermal emissivity and optical interference in the mid infrared range

A study of the effect of the thin layer of free water in corn kernels on the emissivity and interference in the mid infrared range was performed. The emissivity was measured through thermal infrared images by direct method for 8 days, allowing observance that the thickness of free water modifies the quantity of emitted energy and emissivity; however, in the first days when the layer of free water is not optically thick the interference caused by the thin film of superficial water averts a correct measurement of the emissivity. This interference effect was studied and characterized, finding that the number of oscillations in the energy of the grain, observed and counted in a very small area, can be used to compute the thickness of the free water layer contained between the endosperm and the pericarp of the grain.