EVALUATION OF FREEZE-DRYING CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTAIN AND CARROT SLICES

Authors

  • C. O. Nwajinka Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Author
  • D. C. Okpala Department of Agricultural and Bioresources En.gineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Author
  • J. Ibuodinma Department of Agricultural and Bioresources En.gineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Author

Keywords:

Freeze-drying, Fruits, Plantain, Carrot, Drying Kinetics, modeling

Abstract

A study of the freeze-drying characteristics of, plantain and carrot chips was conducted. The process conditions were temperature of 32.1 plus or minus 0.98 oC and vacuum pressure of 67 plus or minus 2cm-Hg at primary level and temperature of 55 oC for the secondary. The slice thicknesses were 0.5725 cm, and 0.2125 cm for the two crops. Logarithmic and Newton’s thin layer drying models showed good predicting capabilities with high goodness of fit at 95% confidence interval. The drying constants were, 0.45 hr-1 and 0.33 hr-1 for, plantain and carrot respectively while moisture diffusion coefficients were 1.0643 x 10-06 cm2/hr  and 9.2803 x 10-06 cm2/hr  for plantain and carrot respectively. It was also observed that the drying rate of the crops fell in the range of -0.4 gwater/hr to 0.0 gwater/hr. 

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Published

2025-05-12

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 1 (2019): JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (JAET)

Section

Articles