Drying kinetics of crambe seeds

Drying kinetics is fundamental for mathematical and modeling widely used in the project and in the analysis of heat and mass transfer during drying. In this study it was sought to assess the capability of adjustment of nine mathematical models commonly used to describe the seed drying process of Crambe abyssinica Horts. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three replications. The treatments were five water contents (0.11; 0.13; 0.17; 0.25 and 0.28 decimal dry weight) and five drying temperatures (30; 40; 50; 60 and 70 degrees C). To determine the adjustment of the studied models a non linear regression analyses was performed according to Quasi-Newton method. According to the data obtained it was concluded that: the diffusion approximation method was the model that best adjusted to the drying data obtained; increases in drying temperature promoted higher rate of moisture removal from the seeds; the diffusion coefficient showed values of 0.19 x 10(-10) and 3.9 x 10(-10) m(2) s(-1); the activation energy for liquid diffusion during drying of Crambe abyssinica Horts was about 4.97 kJ mol(-1).