Author(s)

Anicet Frédéric Binaki^1,2,3*, Feueltgaldah Christian Bopoundza¹, Bob Wilfrid Loumouamou^1,2,3, Gueko Séraphin Nguié¹, Eliane Thérèse Biassala^1,3, Thomas Silou^1,3

¹Multidisciplinary Food and Nutrition Research Team, Regional Center of Excellence in Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Science and Technology, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
²Process Engineering Laboratory, UNESCO-ENSP Chair, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
³CR2IE, Chemistry and Technology Platform, Higher School of Cataract Technology (EPrES), Brazzaville, Congo.

The aim of this work is to model the drying kinetics of Safou pulp with or without endocarp using a phenomenological approach. Oven-drying kinetics at 70˚C, 90˚C and 105˚C were monitored using the curves given by the reduced mass as a function of time, which are modeled according to the Avrami/page, Fick and Peleg models using OringinPro 2018 software. The results showed that parameters k and n of the Avrami/Page model vary very little with fruit size and drying temperature (0.0018 ± 0.0002 < k < 0.03328 ± 0.0079 and 0.82 ± 0.05 < n < 1.21 ± 0.02). These parameters, which are generally fitting parameters of the model during its numerical resolution, have no physical significance, especially at the macroscopic scale. For all 9 samples studied, the values of a (Fick model) and k (Avrami model/page) were virtually identical, while b (Fick model) and n (Avrami model/page) were virtually identical for the same sample. For the Peleg model, the parameter a, varies from 0.0018 ± 0.0002 to 0.03328 ± 0.0079, with a ratio of 18.6 for all experimental conditions studied. However, with 0.977 < R² < 0.995 and 0.00079 < χ² < 0.00002, we have a good fit of the model to the experimental data. The same applies to parameter b, which ranges from 0.82 ± 0.05 to 1.21 ± 0.02. Thus, drying modeling by these three models can be used to describe and predict the progress of oven-drying of safou pulp.

Drying, Modeling, Empirical Models, Dacryodes edulis, Congo Basin

Binaki, A. , Bopoundza, F. , Loumouamou, B. , Nguié, G. , Biassala, E. and Silou, T. (2024) Modeling the Kinetics of Moisture Desorption from Safou Pulp [Dacryodes edulis (G. Don) H.J.Lam] before the Oil Extraction Step. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 14, 2050-2064. doi: 10.4236/ojapps.2024.148135.