EPF 3104

TITLE:

DRYING PROCESS OF FOOD

LECTURER’S NAME:

DR.INTAN SYAFINAZ BT MOHAMED AMIN TAWAKKAL

NAME MATRIC NO. SIGNATURE

NURFATIN NABILA BT TAJUL ARIFIN 184787

SALINA BT SHAFIE 182462

NURAIN BT MOHD JAIS 182189
LEE YI YIK 182489
SHUKRY BIN JAMERI 183578
NURAKMA BT MOHD RADZUAN 182562
1.0 ABSTRACT
Objective for this experiment is to produce a drying rate curves for a wet solid dried with
air at fixed temperature. Samples that used in this experiment are cabbage and carrot. Methods
that used in this experiment are drying process using tray dryer and oven. In summary, drying rate
curve has three phases which are initial phase, drying rate period and falling rate period.

2.0 INTRODUCTION

Drying is a mass transfer process consisting of the removal of water or

another solvent by evaporation from a solid, semi-solid or liquid. This process is often used as a
final production step before selling or packaging products. To be considered "dried", the final
product must be solid, in the form of a continuous sheet, long pieces, particles or powder. A
source of heat and an agent to remove the vapor produced by the process are often involved. In
bioproducts like food, grains, and pharmaceuticals like vaccines, the solvent to be removed is
almost invariably water. Desiccation may be synonymous with drying or considered an extreme
form of drying.

In the most common case, a gas stream, for example, air, applies the heat by convection and
carries away the vapor as humidity. Other possibilities are vacuum drying, where heat is supplied
by conduction or radiation , while the vapor thus produced is removed by the vacuum system.
Another indirect technique is drum drying (used, for instance, for manufacturing potato flakes),
where a heated surface is used to provide the energy, and aspirators draw the vapor outside the
room. In contrast, the mechanical extraction of the solvent, e.g., water, by centrifugation, is not
considered "drying" but rather "draining".

The oven-dry test, combined with the prong or stress test, is a very useful tool for the kiln
operator to have at his or her disposal. Often the kiln operator is asked to defend the accuracy of
moisture meter measurements or a customer simply does not believe moisture meter readings. In
other situations, the operator may want to verify meter readings for his own piece of mind. For
situations in which moisture meters will give the same information more quickly and with little
effort, then they are the tools of choice.
The drying curve has three phases, the initial period, the constant rate period and the falling
rate period. The first phase, initial period is where sensible heat is transferred to the product and
the contained moisture. In some instances, pre-processing can reduce or eliminate this phase. The
second phase is the constant rate period. Usually, in this period, it is surface moisture outside
individual particles that is being removed. The drying rate during this period is mostly dependent
on the rate of heat transfer to the material being dried. The third phase, or falling rate period, is
the phase during which migration of moisture from the inner interstices of each particle to the
outer surface becomes the limiting factor that reduces the drying rate. This means that water
moves from zones with higher moisture content to zones with lower values, a phenomenon
explained by the second law of thermodynamics (Darren, 2012).
3.0 OBJECTIVE
To produce a drying rate curves for a wet solid dried with air at fixed temperature.

4.0 EQUIPMENTS
1. Small knife
2. Electronic weight balance (Model: Ohaus)
3. Moisture analyzer
4. Tray drier (Model: BP772)
5. An oven (Model: Memert)
6. Thermo hygrometer

5.0 METHOD AND PROCEDURES

Carrot and cabbage were chosen to be the experimental specimens. Carrot and cabbage
were cut to smaller pieces by using the knife. 7 samples of each carrot and cabbage were
successfully prepared. Electronic weight balance (Ohaus) was used to measure the weight of
cabbage and carrot to 5g each. Original moisture content of each sample was measured by using
moisture analyzer as the reference value. Tray drier (BP772) was used to dry three samples of
each cabbage and carrot while oven (Memert) was used to dry another three samples of each
cabbage and carrot. The temperature of tray drier was taken three times to obtain an average
temperature by using thermo hygrometer. With the time intervals of 10 minutes, samples in both
equipments was taken out to measure the current weight after dried up. Experiment was done
with a constant number of weight obtained from drying the samples in both equipments.

6.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

(A) Drying Carrots and Cabbages in Oven

Figure 1. Carrot after dried in oven.

 Figure 2. Cabbage after dried in oven.

Table 1. Average Weight and Water Removed of Carrots and Cabbage in Oven.
Time/h Weight of Water removed of Weight of Water removed of
Carrot/g Carrot/g Cabbage/g Cabbage/g
0 5.18 0 5.25 0
0.33 5.16 0.02 5.20 0.05
0.67 5.03 0.15 5.09 0.16
1.00 4.90 0.28 4.96 0.29
1.33 4.65 0.53 4.79 0.46
1.67 4.30 0.88 4.52 0.73
2.00 4.00 1.18 4.28 0.97
2.33 3.77 1.41 4.06 1.19
2.67 3.51 1.67 3.89 1.36
3.00 3.32 1.86 3.76 1.49
3.33 3.05 2.13 3.55 1.70

Sample Calculation of Drying Rate of Carrot in Oven:

Water removed
% of moisture loss= ×100
Initial weight
0.02
¿ ×100
5.18
¿ 0.39 %
% Moisture Loss
Drying Rate=
Time
0.39
¿
0.33
¿ 1.17 h−1
 Table 2. Percentage of Moisture Loss of Carrot and Cabbage in Oven
Moisture Loss/% Drying Rate /h-1
Time/h Carrot Cabbage Carrot Cabbage
0 0 0 0 0
0.33 0.39 0.95 1.17 2.85
0.67 2.90 3.05 4.35 4.58
1.00 5.41 5.52 5.41 5.52
1.33 10.23 8.76 7.67 6.57
1.67 16.99 13.90 10.19 8.34
2.00 18.54 22.86 9.27 11.43
2.33 22.78 18.48 9.76 7.92
2.67 32.24 25.90 12.09 9.71
3.00 35.91 28.38 11.97 9.46
3.33 41.12 32.38 12.34 9.71

14

12

10
Drying rate/h-1

6 Carrot
Cabbage
4

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Time/h

Figure 3. Drying rate of Carrot and Cabbage against Time in Oven

Based on Figure 3, the initial period of the drying curve shows an increase, not as
dramatic as theoretically drying rate curve. This could be due to the relative humidity inside the
oven. There is a sudden high steep increase in both Carrot and Cabbage indicated the end of the
first phase. The second phase, or the constant rate period shows a very little change in the curve
as there is only a gradual change in the temperature. Based on the graph, Carrot has higher rate
of drying in second phase than that of Cabbage. The last phase for drying rate would be falling
rate period. At this phase, the curve looks less steep as migration of water is by molecular
diffusion, following the concentration gradient from high to low.
(B) Drying Carrots and Cabbage in Tray Drier
 Figure 4. Carrot after dried in Tray Drier

Figure 5. Cabbage after dried in Tray Drier

Table 3. Average Weight and Water Removed of Carrots and Cabbage in Tray Drier.
Time/h Weight of Water removed of Weight of Water removed of
Carrot/g Carrot/g Cabbage/g Cabbage/g
0 5.07 0 5.11 0
0.33 4.88 0.19 5.00 0.11
0.67 4.61 0.46 4.64 0.47
1.00 4.37 0.70 4.37 0.74
1.33 4.11 0.95 4.06 1.05
1.67 3.87 1.20 3.76 1.35
2.00 3.34 1.73 3.48 1.63
2.33 3.13 1.94 3.27 1.84
2.67 2.94 2.13 3.04 2.07
3.00 2.72 2.34 2.82 2.29
3.33 2.58 2.49 2.63 2.48
Sample Calculation of Drying Rate of Carrot in Tray Drier:
 Water removed
% of moisture loss= ×100
Initial weight
0.19
¿ ×100
5.07
¿ 3.75 %
% Moisture Loss
Drying Rate=
Time
3.75
¿
0.33
¿ 11.25 h−1

Table 4. Percentage of Moisture Loss of Carrot and Cabbage in Tray Drier

Moisture Loss/% Drying Rate /h-1
Time/h Carrot Cabbage Carrot Cabbage
0 0 0 0 0
0.33 3.75 2.15 11.25 6.45
0.67 9.07 9.20 13.61 13.80
1.00 13.81 14.48 13.81 14.48
1.33 18.74 20.55 14.06 15.41
1.67 23.67 26.42 14.20 15.85
2.00 34.12 31.90 17.06 15.95
2.33 38.26 36.01 16.40 15.43
2.67 42.01 40.51 15.75 15.19
3.00 46.15 44.81 15.38 14.94
3.33 49.11 48.53 14.73 14.56

18
16
14
12
Drying rate/h-1

10
8 Carrot
6 Cabbage

4
2
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Time/h
Figure 6. Drying rate of Carrot and Cabbage against Time in Tray Drier
 Based on Figure 6, the phases of the drying rate of both carrot and cabbage can be clearly
seen compared to Figure 3. During the first phase, or the initial period, the drying rate increases
dramatically. Carrot has higher drying rate than cabbage. This shows that carrot has higher free
moisture compared to cabbage to be evaporated during the drying process. The second phase, or
the constant rate period shows a very little change in the curve as there is only a gradual change
in the temperature. Based on the graph, cabbage has higher rate of drying in second phase than
that of carrot. The last phase for drying rate would be falling rate period. At this phase, the curve
looks less steep as migration of water is by molecular diffusion, following the concentration
gradient from high to low.
Based on Table 1, it can be observed that there is a changing in the weight of the carrot
and cabbage after drying process. The weight is decreasing because the water is removed from
the moist carrot and cabbage. As moisture is removed, the carrot and cabbage become smaller.
From Figure 5 and 6, it can be observed that the drying rate of cabbage is higher than the
drying rate of the carrot because cabbage takes shorter times to dry and achieve constant value of
weight compared to carrot. Carrot has lower drying rate because it takes longer time to achieve
its constant value of weight.
In this experiment, there are two type of dryers that has been used which are oven and
tray drier. From theoretical, it was observed that food which dry using the oven will dry faster
compared to tray drier. But, based on Figure 3 and 6, the result of tray drier is drying faster than
the oven. This is due to some errors that occur during the experiment.
The error that occur in this experiment is during the process of weighing the initial
volume of the sample, the weighing balance is not completed cover so that the weight is
disturbed by the humidity of the surrounding. Moreover, the distance between the oven and the
weighing balance is quite far, so the sample is delay until caused them to hampered with the
humidity of the surrounding. Then, it also difficult to have a constant weight because the tray
drier and oven are opened and closed several times and become exposed too long to the
surrounding.

6.0 CONCLUSION
Drying rate curve has three phases, the initial period, constant rate period and falling rate
period. Based on the graph, we can conclude that the moisture content of the samples, carrot and
cabbage are decreasing with time during drying process and the weight become constant because
there are less water left in the sample. Nevertheless, the drying rates of the carrot and cabbage
are varying with time.

7.0 REFERENCES
1. Lozano, L. E., Rotstein, E. & Urbicain, M. J. (1983). Shrinkage, porosity and bulk density of
foodstuffs at changing moisture contents. Journal of Food Science. 48, 1497-1502.
2. Marousis, S. N., Karathanos, V. T. & Saravacos, G. D. (1989). Effect of sugar on the water
diffusivity in hydrated granular starches. Journal of Food Science, 54(6), 1496-1552.
3. Darren, A. T. (2012). Process heating, The drying curve. Retrived from http://www.process-
heating.com/articles/86586-the-drying-curve-part-1
8.0 APPENDICES

Figure 7. Oven Figure 8. Tray Drier

Figure 9. Electronic Weight Balance

Table 5. Raw Data of the Weight of Carrot and Cabbage Dried in Oven
 Weight of Carrot/g Weight of Cabbage/g
Time/min 1 2 3 1 2 3
0 5.30 5.10 5.14 5.25 5.40 5.10
10 5.28 5.09 5.12 5.20 5.34 5.07
20 5.13 4.95 5.01 5.09 5.22 4.97
30 4.98 4.82 4.88 4.93 5.08 4.86
40 4.71 4.59 4.65 4.79 4.90 4.68
50 4.29 4.30 4.32 4.55 4.61 4.40
60 3.96 4.00 4.03 4.35 4.37 4.11
70 3.61 3.94 3.77 4.14 4.12 3.92
80 3.38 3.56 3.58 3.96 3.99 3.72
90 3.17 3.39 3.40 3.81 3.83 3.63
100 2.86 3.15 3.13 3.59 3.61 3.45

Table 6. Raw Data of the Weight of Carrot and Cabbage Dried in Tray Drier
Weight of Carrot/g Weight of Cabbage/g
Time/min 4 5 6 4 5 6
0 5.05 5.02 5.13 5.07 5.15 5.11
10 4.75 4.85 5.04 5.02 5.05 4.92
20 4.53 4.49 4.80 4.63 4.76 4.54
30 4.30 4.26 4.54 4.40 4.47 4.25
40 4.00 3.99 4.35 4.09 4.18 3.92
50 3.74 3.76 4.10 3.81 3.86 3.61
60 2.63 3.54 3.85 3.50 3.62 3.32
70 2.40 3.34 3.64 3.29 3.41 3.10
80 2.23 3.14 3.45 3.04 3.20 2.87
90 2.06 2.95 3.16 2.85 2.96 2.64
100 1.92 2.91 2.91 2.63 2.77 2.50