Investigation of geometric and gravimetric properties of pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita maxima) under tray drying

To design some processing equipment, for dried pumpkin seeds the knowledge of some engineering properties is necessary. In the present study, the effect of different drying temperatures in a tray dryer i.e., 40, 50, and 60 degrees C on the physical properties of pumpkin seeds are investigated. The geometric properties such as linear dimension and its dependent properties (Da, Dg, U, SA, Volume, and shrinkage) are found to be significantly affected by different drying temperatures in the 95% level of confidence. The maximum reduction in dimensions are obtained in thickness (29.56%) followed by width (12.82%) and length (7.44%) at 60 degrees C temperature. Similar trends are found in equivalent diameters, sphericity, surface area, and volume with the increase of temperature. It is found that the bulk density and true density were significantly decreased while porosity of seeds significantly increased after drying when temperature increased from 40 to 60 degrees C respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that the drying temperatures significantly affects the physical properties of pumpkin seeds. Copyright (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.