Empirical Investigation of Thin-Layer Dehydration of Guava Slices

Abstract

The main aim of the study was to analyze the drying process utilizing the thin-layer models suggested by Lewis, Page, and Henderson and Pabis. The guava fruit was meticulously prepared and subsequently diced into small pieces measuring 0.4 cm, 0.6 cm, and 0.8 cm for the drying process. Three distinct temperatures—60°C, 70°C, and 80°C—were employed during this drying session. The graph of moisture ratio against time showed the falling rate period. It was observed that drying temperature and slice thickness had effect on the rate of drying. A three-model statistical analysis was crucial to guarantee the reproducibility of the drying behavior. In all temperature ranges analyzed, the page model consistently offered the most compelling explanation for the drying process of guava fruit with highest value of R2 was 0.9898, RMSE of 0.03077 and SSE value of 0.009466 at drying temperature of 80oC and slice thickness of 0.6cm.