The Effect of Temperature on the Resistance of the Hen's Egg Shell to Fracture under Impact and Compression and to Deformation under Non-Destructive Forces

Precise measurements of the impact and compression force required to fracture egg shells at temperatures ranging from −5 to +45 C indicated that shell strength increases linearly with decreasing temperature. Similarly, shell deformation under non-destructive forces increases linearly with decreasing temperature. These findings have implications in both laboratory test procedures and commercial production systems: strict control of shell temperature and rapid cooling of eggs to promote shell strength.