BIXIN POWDER PRODUCTION IN CONICAL SPOUTED BED UNITS

Recent work has demonstrated that the red carotenoid bixin is easily extracted from Bixa orellana seeds by particle attrition and impact rather than by solvent extraction. This technique may require a previous step for drying seeds at a safe temperature to preserve pigment quality. A spouted bed (SB) with a draft tube is the most appropriate equipment to process both seed drying and bixin extraction at low operational costs. Operational parameters of the SB unit are optimized as a function of the powder production rate. The maximum air inlet temperature for drying the seeds is also specified. A high performance liquid chromatography method has been developed for the semi-quantitative determination of bixin content in the powder produced. Results show that this SB unit can be more competitive than ball mill equipment.     

Production of annatto concentrates in spouted beds

Annatto is composed of a natural reddish-yellow pigment, which is commonly used in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This pigment is easily extracted from Bixa orellana seeds by particle impact and attrition rather than by solvent extraction. Seeds must be dried at a safe temperature to preserve the pigment quality. Experiments show that the annatto powder produced in a non-conventional spouted bed has a high pigment content and is thus suitable for commercial use. A comparative analysis of the bixin extraction in different systems demonstrates that this spouted bed unit can be competitive for commercial applications. Hydrodynamic and drying parameters were studied to improve the powder production rate in this unit.     

DESIGN AND APPLICATION OF A DEHUMIDIFIER DRYER FOR DRYING PINE CONES AND POLLEN CATKINS

ABSTRACT

A critical issue for the plantation forest industry is the preservation and control of genetic material in order to facilitate the fertilisation process. This is best achieved by drying at low temperature and low humidity prior to extraction of seeds and pollen. For example, freshly picked green cones of Pinus radiata are best dried at 25°C, 20% relative humidity to avoid thermal damage and to prevent mould formation. Similar conditions are required for drying pollen catkins. These conditions can be met efficiently and reliably by the use of a dehumidifier dryer. This paper describes the design of such a drying system, including a review of the dehumidifier and the kiln design parameters necessary to achieve the required drying conditions. Performance data and commercial operating experience are also presented and analysed. The system is effective and reliable, and has increased both the speed of drying and the quality of the product.     

Drying of Pharmaceuticals: The Applicability of Spouted Beds

ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the performance of conventional spouted beds (CSB) with inert bodies in the drying of pharmaceutical pastes, based on the dry product quality. The powder obtained by drying annatto extracts shows properties comparable to one of the commercial products, indicating that the spouting is competitive with other industrial and lab-scale processes. The contents of bixin and caffeine in annatto and guarana dry powders demonstrated a strong dependence on the inlet air temperature. Also, the properties of indomethacin-containing microcapsules dried in CSB and spray dryers revealed that spouting is a promising technique to obtain pharmaceutical forms with unique drug release qualities.     

Composition Profiles and Functional Properties of Dietary Fiber Powder from Lime Residues: Effects of Pretreatment and Drying Methods

Lime residues after juice extraction have proven to be a potential raw material for producing dietary fiber (DF) powder due to their good functional properties. Compositions and antioxidant activity of DF powder from lime residues as affected by selected pretreatment (hot-water blanching and ethanolic soaking) and drying methods, viz. hot air drying, vacuum drying, and low-pressure superheated steam drying (LPSSD) at 60–80°C, were investigated. Fresh lime residues contained significant amounts of vitamin C, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids. Hesperidin was a major flavonoid and only one polymethoxyflavone (i.e., tangeretin) was detected in small amounts. A decrease in the amount of interested bioactive compounds and their antioxidant activity was noted at almost all steps of processing. Higher retention of bioactive compounds was noted when the residues were subject either to vacuum drying or LPSSD; the total antioxidant activities were 61–62% and 81–82% when being assessed by the β-carotene bleaching and DPPH assays, respectively. Vacuum drying at 80°C was the most suitable condition for preparing DF powder from lime residues due to its short required drying time and its ability to retain bioactive compounds. The in vitro analyses imply that DF powder prepared by vacuum drying at 80°C has the potential to reduce blood glucose and cholesterol levels by exhibiting high glucose retardation index (GRI) and bile acid retardation index (BRI).     

Effect of outlet drying temperature and milk fat content on the physicochemical characteristics of spray-dried camel milk powder

Abstract

A composite face-centered experimental design was used to investigate the influence of spray drying conditions on the physicochemical characteristics of camel and cow milk powders. Response surface methodology (RSM) was deployed to appraise the effects of these processing parameters (the outlet drying temperature and the milk fat content) on water activity (a_w), glass transition temperature (T_g), bulk density, and free fat quantity. According to RSM analysis, it was noticed that the a_w and the T_g were primarily influenced by the outlet drying temperature instead of by milk fat content. Our results highlighted the negative effects of milk fat content and of the outlet drying temperature on the bulk density as well as on the free fat quantity of camel milk powder. Likewise, our findings underlined the negative effect of the outlet drying temperature on the bulk density of cow milk powder. However, the increase of fat content has led to the overexposure of fat at the free surface of the cow milk powder. Our results suggested a marked similarity of the overall thermodynamic behavior of both milks, during drying. Nevertheless, some differences were highlighted regarding the structuring of the particles of camel milk powder.     

Industrial Trials of Paste Drying in Spouted Beds Under QDMC

Abstract

Spouted bed has been extensively investigated by many authors for years, but the issue of controlling its operation still remains in basic developing stages. The present work consists of the application of an advanced control strategy (QDMC—Quadratic Dynamic Matrix Control) to automate the operation of a large-scale spouted bed dryer. The work on control strategies for spouted bed was motivated by the lack of references on this subject and the encouraging results obtained by Corrêa et al. (Corrêa, N.A.; Freire, J.T.; Corrêa, R.G. Improving operability of spouted beds using a simple optimizing control structure. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering 1999 16 (4), 359–368; Corrêa N.A. Corrêa, R.G.; Freire, J.T. Adaptive control of paste drying in spouted bed using the GPC algorithm. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering 2000 17 (4–7), 639–648; Corrêa, N.A.; Corrêa, R.G.; Freire, J.T. Self-tuning control of egg drying in spouted bed using the GPC algorithm. Drying Technology 2002 20 (4), 813–828.) for a laboratory-scale apparatus. The industrial-scale spouted bed dryer has a height of 4 m and a diameter of 66 cm. The same configuration of data acquisition unit, sensors, and interface developed for the laboratory-scale unit was employed. The dryer is capable of processing up to 20 L/h of pasty material. The powder moisture content (Ys), inferred from measurements of temperature at the exhaustion of the bed bulk, and the powder production rate (Pr), measured on-line by an electronic balance, are the controlled variables. The manipulated variables are: the paste inflow rate (W), regulated by an automatic pump, and the electrical power supply for air heating (P), regulated by a thyristor. The bed pressure drop, the airflow rate, and the information from the environment are monitored by means of an interfaced microcomputer. Experimental runs of drying up to 400 kg/day of an Al₂O₃ 10% aqueous suspension were carried out. The results showed that the QDMC control is robust with respect to the main variables involved and is efficient in maintaining the operation of the bed under the constraints of the system. The major aim concerning the scale-up of spouted bed, which is the determination of the minimum amount of energy required to ensure spout stability, was accomplished by the constrained control strategy.     

Bioactive and Physicochemical Properties of Persimmon as Affected by Drying Methods

In this study, the effects of three different drying methods (freeze drying, oven drying, and vacuum oven drying) on bioactive (total phenolics, total flavonoids, condensed tannin and total hydrolyzable tannin contents, antiradical activity, and antidiabetic activity) and some physicochemical (dry matter, ash, water activity (a _w ), color, protein, hydroxymethylfurfural, glucose and fructose content) properties of persimmon fruit were investigated. Simplex lattice mixture design methodology was applied to determine the best solvent mixture for the extraction of phenolics from the samples. It was found that the mixture of acetone:water at the ratio of 50:50 % (v/v) was the best solvent mixture for the extraction. The persimmon powder sample obtained from freeze drying showed significantly (p <0.05) higher bioactivity values than oven- and vacuum-oven-dried samples. Antiradical activity changed significantly depending on the drying method employed and it was superior in freeze-dried samples than that of the other drying methods.     

Optimization of spray drying process of Sargassum muticum color extract

ABSTRACT

Sargassum muticum is categorized as a brown seaweed species which has been used as a dye fabric colorant in certain regions of Asia. The brown extracts of S. muticum also have antioxidant properties, which could enhance the color and nutrients in food products. However, the color extract is unstable, and also limits the application. This study was performed to encapsulate the color extract with maltodextrin and stabilize the color extract by spray drying technique using combinations of various levels of inlet temperature and feed flow rate. Initially, S. muticum powder was analyzed for moisture content, water activity, solubility, and color properties for optimization purposes. This study showed that the optimum inlet temperature and feed flow rate of the spray drying process to produce good-quality, stable, and acceptable powder properties were at 140°C and 3?rpm, respectively, with 4% of maltodextrin. Then, the powder was analyzed for density, compressibility index, hygroscopicity, particle size, and antioxidant properties. This study represents an interesting food additive to be incorporated in functional food due to the attractive brown colorant and the presence of antioxidants.     

Drying of Inorganic Particulate Compounds

ABSTRACT

Inorganic particulates are usually dried in a fixed bed, fluidized bed, or spray dryers. These compounds are easy to dry, once their physical structure, with high porosity, allows moisture content removal with low resistances. For fluidized bed of alumina particle evaluations, a laboratory-scale drying unit was built. The drying experiments were carried out with alumina particles with different diameters to evaluate temperature and air flow rate effects on drying kinetics and bed height. In another case, the dehydration of a mixture of rare-earth chlorides in a fluidized bed was studied, aiming at the production of anhydrous rare-earth chlorides, used to obtain mischmetal by electrolytic and metallothermic processes. The spray drying experiments were carried out in a pilot plant. Spray drying is a technique largely applied in industrial processes to dry solutions or suspensions, converting their solid parts into a dried powder. A set of rare-earth drying experiments was carried out, aiming at the development of techniques to obtain a powder that could satisfy international morphological requirements. The results allowed evaluating the effects of air flow rate, feed concentration, atomizer model, rotation velocity, and atomization pressure on powder density and particle size distribution.     

Cocurrent Downflow Fluidized Bed Dryer: Experimental Equipment and Modeling

ABSTRACT

Product damage, high energy consumption, and nonhomogeneous final properties are present in typical drying operations such as pneumatic drying, fluidized-bed dryers, and upward circulating fluidized-bed dryers. The downer bed has been shown to be a good technique for this processes. The objective of this work is to test an experimental downflow dryer and model its operation. The equipment consists of a 5-m-high stainless steel duct with 0.17 m i.d. Gas velocity was varied between 0.3 and 8 m/s in co-current solid flow varying between 0 and 50 kg/m²s. Drying rates, pressures, and total flux for solid and gas are determined. Temperature profiles for gas and solid along the radial and axial directions are determined and tested with model predictions. The solid particles were previously dried turnip (Brassica napus) seeds. The equipment shows good operational conditions and facilities for parameter determination, but must be complemented with better equipment for particle concentration determinations. The model's predictions of pressure, gas velocity, solid concentration, and temperature are compared with our experimental values or those reported in the literature.     

Ultrasound-assisted heat pump drying of pea seed

ABSTRACT

The work is for the purpose of studying the influence of drying temperature and ultrasound on drying kinetics, antioxidant enzymes, and germination performance of pea seeds. The drying experiments were performed at air temperature of 30, 35, and 40°C without ultrasound and with three ultrasonic levels of 28?kHz?+?60?W, 28?kHz?+?100?W, and 40?kHz?+?60?W. The antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) and the toxic substances such as malondialdehyde (MDA) of the dried seeds were determined, and germination percentage (GP), germination index (GI), and mean germination time (MGT) were measured. The result showed that high temperature and ultrasound application had significant (P?<?0.05) enhancing of pea seed drying kinetics, which shortened the drying time and improved the diffusion coefficient from 3.528?×?10^?11 to 5.668?×?10^?11?m²/s. Page model can well describe the drying curves under different experiment conditions. Ultrasound application significantly (P?<?0.05) improved the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT and reduced the MDA content. In addition, high ultrasonic power contributed to the increase in GP and GI and the reduction of MGT of seeds.     

THIN-LAYER DRYING CHARACTERISTICS OF ROUGH RICE AT LOW AND HIGH TEMPERATURES

Abstract

Thin-layer drying characteristics of rough rice were determined at temperature ranging from 11.8 to 51 °C and for relative humidities ranging from 37.1% to 91.3%, with initial moisture contents in the range of 24.7 to 41.6% dry basis. An oven, a self contain air conditioning unit, recently developed in Japan, was used for this experiments. With this apparatus, very smooth drying curves were obtained. The data of sample weight, and dry and wet bulb temperatures of the drying air were recorded continuously throughout the drying period for each test. The drying process was terminated when the moisture content change in 24 h was less than 0.2 % d.b. (weight change was less than 0.05 g). The final points were recorded as the dynamic equilibrium moisture contents.

The drying data were than fitted to the Page model. The model gave a very good fit for the moisture content with an average standard error of 0.294 % d.b? Both the drying parameters, K and N, are function of drying air temperature and relative humidity. The effect of variable initial moisture content was also described effectively by the empirical Page model. The drying time employed had a large effect on the K and N values. The results presented here, over typically 5 day drying, will be useful in the long term moisture transfer process occurring during ventilated storage.     

THE THERMO-IMAGE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY FOR THE OPTIMIZATION OF SEEDS DRYING

Abstract

Using the method of combining the two subjects of engineering thermophysics and physiology, this paper carried out the thermo-image experiments of drying Chinese cabbage seeds at both dynamic and static states in the infrared radiation vibrofluidized dryer that was made by us. Meanwhile the seed physiology experiments were also conducted. The results show that the critical drying temperature of seeds is the function of their drying time and moisture content. It is higher when the initial moisture is lower, or the drying time is shorter. This provided the theoretical basis for the optimization of heat and mass transfer of seeds drying.     

Heat pump drying of grape pomace: Performance and product quality analysis

Abstract

Grape is one of the most popular fruits and various types of grape have been cultivated by more than 100 countries around the World. The wine and juice industry produces large quantities of by-product, called grape pomace (GP) as an industrial waste and it consists of skins, seeds, and stems. Various processes such as separation, pressing, drying, and milling are applied to benefit from its health effects. In this study, the seeded black GP Kalecik karas? (Vitis vinifera) was dried in an assisted closed cycle heat pump dryer (HPD) designed for high-moisture products to investigate the drying behaviors of GP. The effects of drying air temperature on bioactive properties and the drying characteristics of GP, and performance of system have discussed. Experiments were carried out at two different temperatures (45 and 50°C) and air velocity of 1.0 m/s. It was seen that increasing temperature decreased the drying time, coefficient of performance of whole system (COP_ws), and specific energy consumption (SEC). The average values of COP_ws for temperatures 45°C and 50°C were calculated as 3.28 and 3.10, respectively. The drying efficiencies (DE) at drying air temperature of 45°C and 50°C ranged from 2 to 12% and from 2 to 15%, respectively. Additionally, result of analysis has indicated that using a HPD at lower temperatures increases performance of system despite of higher energy input. Bioactive properties of dried samples at drying air temperature of 45°C are better than 50°C. The results show that drying the GP at low temperature is more suitable for product quality. For this reason, heat pump may be preferred. It shows that this drying system with higher capacities in the future can be recommended as an alternative technique in terms of energy usage, drying time, and performance of system.     

COMBINED CONVECTIVE AND INFRARED DRYING OF A CAPILLARP POROUS BODY

Abstract

This work investigates the effect of spray drying conditions on some properties of tomato powder prepared by spray drying of tomato pulp. A pilot scale spray dryer (Buchi, B-191) with cocurrent regime and a two-fluid nozzle atomizer was employed. Sixty-four different experiments were conducted keeping constant the feed rate, the feed temperature, and the atomizer pressure, and varying the compressed air flow rate, the flow rate of drying air, and the air inlet temperature. Tomato powders were analyzed for moisture, solubility, density (bulk and packed), and hygroscopicity. Analysis of experimental data yielded correlations between powder properties and the above-mentioned variable operating conditions. Regression analysis was used to fit a full second order polynomial, reduced second order polynomials and linear models to the data of each of the properties evaluated. F values for all reduced and linear models with an R ² ≥ 0.70 were calculated to determine if the models could be used in place of full second order polynomials.     

Inert particles as process aid in spray-freeze drying

Abstract

Spray-freeze drying (SFD) is a novel and advanced drying technology in the production of high-value foods and pharmaceuticals. However, long drying time is still a disadvantage for the SFD applications. This constraint could be alleviated using inert particles. This article provides the experimental results on SFD of whole milk in an integrated spray-freeze and vacuum freeze drying equipment. The effects were quantified in terms of the SFD drying time and the properties of the obtained milk powder in relation to the size of stainless steel balls used as inert particles. It is shown that the drying time could be reduced to some extent due to inert particles embedded and the milk powder of reduced size has high porous microstructure.     

Optimization of the Extraction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alpinia oxyphylla</Emphasis> Essence Oil in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

The essence oil of the Alpinia oxyphylla seed has been used as a vasodilatatory and analgesic agent in pharmacology. The extraction of the essence oil in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) from Alpinia oxyphylla seeds was investigated. Small particles were obtained after breaking open, sieving, and drying from the Alpinia oxyphylla seeds. The small particles were placed in a 5-L extraction tank in a temperature-controlled system. The CO₂ flow rate of the system was set at 1 L/min in this study. Response surface methodology with a three-factor and three-level Box-Behnken experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of the reaction parameters such as extraction time (1, 2, 3 h), temperature (45, 55, 65 °C), and pressure (20, 30, 40 MPa), on the extraction yield of the essence oil from Alpinia oxyphylla seeds. The results indicate that the extraction pressure was the most important parameter affecting the yield of the essence oil. A model for the estimation of the yield was developed. Based on the analysis of ridge max, the optimal extraction conditions were established as an extraction time of 2.8 h, a temperature of 67.5 °C, and a pressure of 28.5 MPa, with an expected yield of 2.78%. Extraction of Alpinia oxyphylla essence oil in SC-CO₂ under these optimal conditions was conducted, and a yield of 2.77 ± 0.19% was obtained.     

Microwave-Vacuum Drying Kinetics of Pharmaceutical Powders

Abstract

The drying kinetics (maximum drying rate, drying constants) and center temperature of selected powder (aspirin, paracetamol, lactose, and maize starch)–solvent (water, ethanol, methanol, and acetone) systems were monitored during microwave-vacuum drying. An experimental microwave-vacuum system (650 W and 2.45 GHz) operated at 61–81 kPa was used. The drying rate profile did not vary with the powder–solvent system; an initial warming-up period was followed by a constant-rate stage and two falling-rate periods. However, the drying kinetics were found to be both powder and solvent dependent, with the drying times for acetone-, ethanol-, and methanol-wetted materials being considerably shorter (up to 89.8%) than those of samples containing water. Although the general form of the temperature profile (short warming-up period, constant-rate stage, and decreasing temperature phase) was similar for all systems, the maximum temperatures varied quite significantly with solvent type, ranging from highest to lowest in the order water-ethanol-methanol-acetone. For most powder–solvent systems, reduced operating pressure facilitated increased drying rates and thus shorter drying times.     

Aspergillus niger inactivation in microwave rotary drum drying of whole garlic bulbs and effect on quality of dried garlic powder

Abstract

Microwave rotary drum drying of whole garlic bulbs was investigated for the Aspergillus niger inactivation and moisture removal. The Weibull and Bigelow models were applied to microbial inactivation data. Garlic bulbs with initial moisture content in the range 1.95–2.14?g water g^?1?dry matter were dried up to 0.06?g water g^?1?dry matter. The microwave power density (PD) was varied from 1.03 to 2.67 Wg^?1 at 1.5 and 2.0 pulsation ratios (PRs). Effect of PD and PR on A. niger inactivation, product temperature, moisture diffusivity, moisture ratio, drying rate, color, and sensory parameters was studied. Page model was found to be a better fit for microwave rotary drying characteristics of whole garlic bulbs. Microwave rotary drum drying resulted in the average log reduction of A. niger between 1.12 and 1.60. Weibull model predicted A. niger inactivation better than the Bigelow model as it considered the nonlinearity associated with a microbial population in the sterilization process. Garlic powder prepared at 2.0 PR and 1.85 Wg^?1 PD was chosen as the best process based on sensory score. The cracking and peeling of garlic cloves were observed during microwave rotary drum drying. The SEM images confirmed the increase in the pore size of the microwave treated garlic sample than the untreated garlic which might be the reason for cracking and loosening of peel in garlic.