| ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to study the drying kinetics of pequi pulp by convective drying at different conditions of temperature (50, 60, 70 and 80 °C) and thickness (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 cm) at the air speed of 1.0 m s-1, with no addition of adjuvant. The experimental data of pequi pulp drying kinetics were used to plot drying curves and fitted to the models: Midilli, Page, Henderson & Pabis and Newton. Effective diffusivity was calculated using the Fick’s diffusion model for a flat plate. It was found that, with increasing thickness, the drying time increased and, with increasing temperature, the drying time was reduced. The Midilli model showed the best fit to the experimental data of pequi pulp drying at all temperatures and thicknesses,... |
