Thermal and Moisture Diffusion Properties of Amaranth Seeds

The physical characteristics, thermodynamic and transport properties of amaranth seeds relevant to the modelling and simulation of the drying processes of these seeds were studied. The water activity as a function of the temperature and moisture content was modelled by means of the Hendersonʹs expression from water activity experimental data. The desorption–vaporisation heat was also calculated. From the solution to Fickʹs second law for a spherical geometry and assuming equilibrium conditions at the solid–gas interface, an effective diffusion coefficient was evaluated from experimental drying curves obtained in a moisture chamber. The effect of taking into account more than one term in the Fourier series solution was analysed and it is concluded that the diffusion coefficient corresponding to two terms in the series leads to better agreement with the experimental results for short times.