Title: Experiment 5

INTRODUCTION TO DRYING PROCESS: DRYING A SOLID

Objectives:

To investigate the change of moisture content of a solid being dried at a constant temperature.

Apparatus & Materials:

Carrot, drying oven, glass plate/tray and knife.

Theory:

In industries, drying is normally the final step in a series of operations; after which, the product from
a dryer is often ready for final packaging. Drying a solid generally refers to the removal from a dryer
is often ready for final packaging. Drying a solid generally refers to the removal by thermal
vaporization of relatively small quantity of water or other liquid from the solid material to reduce
the content of residual liquid to an acceptable low value. Drying is normally performed by either
direct heating or indirect heating. In many commercial drying processes, drying are typically done by
direct heating where heated gas such as heated air or steam are brought into direct contact with
wet solids to be dried.

A wet solid is composed of a bone-dry solid and moisture. The moisture content in a wet solid is
present as free-moisture content and equilibrium-moisture content. Free moisture content refers to
the maximum possible amount of moisture in a wet solid that can be removed by drying. It is not
possible to completely remove all of the moisture content in wet solid by drying, because there will
be always a small amount of liquid that coexist in equilibrium with the solid. This liquid is called the
equilibrium moisture content. Thus in a drying, this phase equilibrium is the limit to the extent of the
removal of liquid. Degree of rehydration is dependent on processing conditions, sample preparation,
sample composition and extent of the structural and chemical disruption induced by drying (Singh et
al., 2006).

When a wet solid is heated in a dryer, its moisture content will decrease with time until it remains
constant at the equilibrium-moisture content after all the free moisture has been removed. The rate
at which the moisture content decreases is called the rate of drying or drying rate. Rate of drying
depends on how many factors such as air humidity, air velocity and temperature of drying. In drying,
two types of drying rates are typically observed namely the constant rate and the falling rate.
Different drying methods affect the compactness of the tissue structure. The fibers become more
disrupted resulting in coherent structure with hardly any spaces between the fibres (Dewi et al.,
2011).The constant rate is observed when moisture content decreases linearly with time. At this
constant-rate period, an equal amount of liquid is being vaporized per unit time. The falling rate
occurs when the moisture content is observed to decrease non-linearly with time. At this falling-rate
period, the quantity of liquid was being vaporized per unit times no longer equal.

1. A banana fruit was prepared and carefully sliced using a knife and weighed approximately to
25g using an electroic balance including weighing the crucible
2. The banana piece was sliced evenly and placed in the crucible and the crucible was
reweighed and the initial weight was recorded.
3. The crucible was placed inside the laboratory oven and the drying process was
started at a temperature of 90˚C
4. The crucible was reweighed at a 5 minutes interval until it is 60minutes in total and the mass
of crucible was weighed.
5. Step 1 to 5 was repeated by replacing the banana with a lemon, lettuce and tomato and the
data was collected.
6. All the apparatus were cleaned before leaving the laboratory.

Results:

Mass of empty tray = 56.605g

Time (minutes) Mass of tray + solid (g) Mass of solid (g)

0 63.030 6.425

5 61.600 4.995

10 60.300 3.695

15 59.520 2.595

20 58.500 1.895

25 57.950 1.345

30 57.720 0.915

35 57.200 0.595

40 57.150 0.545

45 57.100 0.495

Calculations:

Mass of dry solid = mass of final product – mass of equilibrium-moisture*

*assume that the equilibrium-moisture content is 0.05g water/g dry solid

% Moisture content at time t = [(mass of solid at time t – mass of dry solid)/mass of dry solid] X 100

Rate of drying = - (moisture content at time t2 – moisture content at time t1)/(t2 – t1) min

Given;

Mass of final product = 0.495g, Mass of equilibrium-moisture = 0.05g

Mass of dry solid = 0.495g – 0.050g = 0.445g

Time (minutes) Mass of tray + solid (g) Mass of solid (g) % Moisture content Drying rate

0 63.030 6.425 1343.82 64.27

5 61.600 4.995 1022.47 61.64

10 60.300 3.695 714.29 46.23

15 59.520 2.595 483.15 31.46

20 58.500 1.895 325.84 24.72

25 57.950 1.345 202.25 19.33

30 57.720 0.915 105.62 14.38

35 57.200 0.595 33.71 2.25

40 57.150 0.545 22.47 2.25

45 57.100 0.495 11.24 0

At time 0 min, %moisture content = [(6.425 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 1343.82

At time 5 min, %moisture content = [(4.995 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 1022.47

At time 10 min, %moisture content = [(3.695 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 714.29

At time 15 min, %moisture content = [(2.595 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 483.15

At time 20 min, %moisture content = [(1.895 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 325.84

At time 25 min, %moisture content = [(1.345 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 202.25

At time 30 min, %moisture content = [(0.915 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 105.62

At time 35 min, %moisture content = [(0.595 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 33.71

At time 40 min, %moisture content = [(0.545 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 22.47

At time 45 min, %moisture content = [(0.495 – 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 11.24

Rate of drying between t0 & t5 = - (1022.47 – 1343.82) / (5-0) = 64.27

Rate of drying between t5 & t10 = - (714.29 – 1022.47) / (10-5) = 61.64

Rate of drying between t10 & t15 = - (483.15 – 714.29) / (15-10) = 46.23

Rate of drying between t15 & t20 = - (325.84 – 483.15) / (20-15) = 31.46

Rate of drying between t20 & t25 = - (202.25 – 325.84) / (25-20) = 24.72

Rate of drying between t25 & t30 = - (105.62 – 202.25) / (30-25) = 19.33

Rate of drying between t30 & t35 = - (33.71 – 105.62) / (35-30) = 14.38

Rate of drying between t35 & t40 = - (22.47– 33.71) / (40-35) = 2.25

Rate of drying between t40 & t45 = - (11.24 – 22.47) / (45-40) = 2.25

Rate of drying between t45 & t50 = - (11.24 – 11.24) / (50-45) = 0

Discussion:

Based on the experiment, it shows that the water was evaporated from the sliced carrot as time
goes by with the constant temperature. Based on the graph, the change in moisture content and
drying rate decreased as the time goes by. After 45 minutes of the experiment, there was no
changes in mass as the water in the sliced carrot cannot be remove anymore because it has achieved
equilibrium with the solid.

The error that might be occur or made by students is that during the experiment the carrot is not
sliced properly. Apart from that, during the reweigh of sliced carrot at intervals, the drying oven was
being left open for a long period of time thus the temperature is not constant. Another, the sliced
carrot was exposed to the temperature surrounding in the laboratory during the reweigh at each
intervals.

As a precaution, make sure that the carrot is slice properly with a sharp knife. Make sure to use hand
gloves to prevent any burn as the temperature inside the oven is approximately 90˚C. On the other
hand, do not open the drying oven to long because the temperature will not be constant. And then,
do not expose the sliced carrot to the surrounding of the laboratory as it can affect the drying rate
and it moisture content.

Conclusion:

The change of moisture content of a solid being dried at a constant temperature can be
investigated by drying process.