Garlic: kinetic drying and thermodynamic properties

Abstract

: Dehydrated garlic is an importance spice in pre-cooked and processed food products, but studies of the drying variables of this product are scarce. Thus, this work aimed to model and study the kinetics of garlic drying at three different temperatures (40, 50 and 60 °C) and analyze the thermodynamic parameters during the process. The drying was analyzed using pre-established mathematical models for agricultural products and equations that describe the thermodynamics of product dehydration. The best mathematical adjustment for all drying temperatures was the Midilli equation. The moisture ratio was seen to decrease during the process for all situations. The effective diffusivity increased with increasing temperature. The enthalpy change was positive during the process and decreased with increasing temperature. The study entropy was negative, indicating a non-spontaneous reaction. In addition, the Gibbs free energy increased with increasing drying temperature. The thermodynamic standards were satisfactory and correctly described the moisture loss by the garlic samples.