Authors : S.E. Agarry , R.O. Yusuf and C.N. Owabor
Abstract: Mass transfer was quantitatively investigated during osmotic dehydration of potato. Potato, containing a variety of individual soluble components was immersed in different concentrations of sugar solutions. Water and natural solutes flowed out of the sample into the solution while sugar solutes were taken up from the solution into the product this enriched the unstable final product of the process. An empirical model was developed to predict water loss and solid gain based on a first-order kinetic equation in which the rate constant is a function of the main process variables (solute concentration, size of vegetable (potato) and process temperature). The model was applied to experimental and its parameters were estimated using non-linear regression method. The results showed that all of the above process variables have significant impact on the mass transfer phenomena during osmotic dehydration.
S.E. Agarry , R.O. Yusuf and C.N. Owabor , 2008. Mass Transfer in Osmotic Dehydration of Potato: A Mathematical Model Approach. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 3: 190-198.