The thermo physical properties of foods required in the simulation of freezing processes include density, conductivity and specific heat. In this work, thermal diffusivities and thermal conductivities of fruit pulp models were measured using the hot wire probe method. Experiments were carried out from 0 to -25ºC with food models constituted by 0,5% K-carrageenan + 10% sucrose (weight/volume in water). Structural models were used for evaluating heat conduction combined with ice fraction predicted from the Heldman models for the samples, and were compared with the measurement of effective thermal conductivity. The structural models used were: series, parallel and Maxwell-Eucken models with ice as the dispersed phase. With all the samples tested, the model, which was composed of the dispersed ice phase, showed the best results (underestimated on 6,13% when compared with experimental measurements) and was chosen for predicting the effective thermal conductivity of frozen fruit pulp model-solutions. The values calculated for the thermal conductivity were fitted in terms of polynomial functions of temperature, divided into four temperature ranges and could be used in the resolution of heat transfer problems in the freezing process.
frozen foods; thermal conductivity; fruit pulp
