THIN-LAYER DRYING CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTAIN (MUSA PARADISIACA) CHIPS

Satimehin¹, A. A., Alakali², J. S. and Alabi¹, O. T.

¹Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria

²Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Thin-layer drying rates of plantain chips were determined experimentally as a function of drying air temperature. The plantain chips were fully exposed to convective air at constant temperatures of 40, 50, 60 and 75 °C, and velocity of 2.2 m/s.  The drying data obtained were fitted to the thin-layer drying model of Fick’s diffusion equation.  Results showed that plantain drying is a diffusion-controlled process. The rate of drying increased with temperature; and the characteristic drying constant also increased linearly with the product’s temperature. The activation energy of plantain drying was 14.298 kJ/mol within the temperature range of 40 to 75°C.

Keywords: Drying kinetics, thin layer, plantain, Musa paradisiaca