Application of a Thin-Layer Equation to Drying Data of Fresh and Semi-dried Fruits
✍ Scribed by Vaios T. Karathanos; Vasilios G. Belessiotis
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1999
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 136 KB
- Volume
- 74
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0021-8634
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✦ Synopsis
A thin-layer model, such as the Page equation, was applied to air drying data of high sugar-containing agricultural plant products, such as currants, sultanas, "gs and plums. A good linear relationship was found and the two parameters of the Page equation were evaluated. The drying kinetics was evaluated for fresh material as well as for dried fruits. The Page equation was successful for the modelling of drying fresh fruits; it failed to predict the drying behaviour when the drying was continued for moisture contents below 15% (d.b.), which is the water content usually required to attain shelf stability of dried fruits. This was attributed to the Page equation being accurate only in cases where weight reduction is mainly due to water evaporation. Deviation from the Page equation occurs where there is a further reduction in weight due to the decomposition of sugars at relatively high drying temperatures and moisture contents lower than that typical of dried fruits (below 15% d.b.).