Microstructural Characterization of Cassava Flour Biscuit: Effect of Cassava Cultivar and Flour Particle Size
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2026.12137Keywords:
Cassava flour cultivar, Flour particle size, Biscuit microstructure, Surface roughness parameters, Granule and pore morphology, Element composition, Wheat flour substitutionAbstract
Cultivar and particle size of cassava flour are two important factors that greatly influence the characteristics of the resulting biscuits. This study proposes to evaluate the effect of cultivar and particle size of cassava flour on the microstructural characteristics of the biscuits it produces. Research was carried out using a 4×2 Factorial-Completely Randomized Design, with 4 cassava cultivars and 2 particle sizes. It was found that Kamling cultivar with 100-mesh sieve produced the smallest biscuit granules (18.99 µm), while Slenteng cultivar with 140-mesh sieve yielded the smallest biscuit pores (13.20 µm). Cassava cultivar, flour particle size, and their interaction significantly and distinctly affected biscuit granule diameter, pore diameter, surface roughness (Ra, Rq, Rz), topography (height distribution), and elemental content of carbon and oxygen, but showed no significant effect on nitrogen atom levels. The lowest roughness parameters were found in Slenteng cultivar with mesh 140, showing Ra (0.22), Rq (0.30) and Rz (2.52). The EDS analysis results of cassava biscuit indicated the presence of carbon (C) > oxygen (O) > nitrogen (N) in the majority of biscuit evaluated.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Modified cassava flour has enormous potential as a substitute ingredient in making biscuits
- Novel SEM and EDS analysis on biscuit microstructure and elemental composition
- Cultivar and mesh size significantly affect biscuit pore and granule diameter
- Surface roughness lower in finer mesh cassava flour
- Carbon > Oxygen > Nitrogen detected in cassava biscuit via EDS spectroscopy
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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