Drying Kinetics And Phytochemical Evaluation Of Picralima Nitida

ABSTRACT

The drying kinetics Picralima Nitida was conducted at Emery laboratory using an oven dryer at different drying temperature of 50 °C 60 °C, and 70 °C and with a microwave oven at different microwave powers (1000w, 670w, 330w). Fick's second law was used to calculate the moisture diffusivity and it was observed from the result that moisture diffusivity increases with increase drying temperature or microwave power. The drying characteristics of Picralima Nitida were satisfactorily described by logarithmic model. The drying rate Picralima Nitida decreases with decrease in moisture content. The estimated diffusivity constant and activation energy was estimated at 3.708 x 10 6 rn2/s and 27.797KJ/mol, 3.01 x 10 9 m2/s and 94.636w/g respectively for the oven drying and microwave drying. The effective diffusivity for the oven drying and microwave drying processes were found to range between 1.194 x 10'° m2s'- 2.19 x 1010 rn2s and 2.41 x -- 1.57 x i0 rn2s respectively.