Desorption isotherms of green bell peppers and the energy involved in the process

Summary

This study aimed to obtain the desorption isotherms of green bell peppers and evaluate the thermodynamic properties of the moisture sorption of the fruit. The isotherms were obtained as a function of temperature (30°C, 40°C, 50°C and 60 °C) between 4.0 and 90.0% of relative humidity. The experimental data were fitted to the GAB, BET, Halsey, Henderson and Oswin mathematical models to describe their behaviour. The results showed that the GAB model described the sorption isotherms of green bell peppers with greater accuracy in the range of water activities (aw) selected, at a fixed temperature. The isosteric sorption heat (qst) could be determined from the moisture sorption data using the derivative of the Clasius-Clapeyron equation, to obtain the heat involved in the desorption process of the moisture of fresh green bell peppers. The enthalpy-entropy compensation or isokinetic theory was applied to the experimental data and suggested that the desorption process was driven by enthalpy.

Key words:
Isosteric heat; Drying; GAB model; Enthalpy-Entropy compensation