Effect of Infrared Drying Power on Dehydration Characteristics, Energy Consumption, and Quality Attributes of Common Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) Leaves

In the present work, the effect of infrared drying power on dehydration and rehydration characteristics, energy consumption, and essential oil yield of common wormwood leaves was studied. Thin layers of the leaves were dried at power levels of 200, 300, 400, and 500W. Effective moisture diffusivity values for the leaves over the applied drying conditions were obtained to be in the range of 8.84×10^-8-2.76×10^-7 m² s^-1. Rehydration curves for the dried leaves were obtained at constant temperature of 80°C and fitted to Peleg model. Rehydration capacity of the leaves decreased with increasing infrared drying power. In comparison with the fresh levels, infrared drying caused both increment and decrement in essential oil yield. The highest and the lowest oil yields were obtained from the samples dried at the power levels of 200 and 500W, respectively. Specific energy consumption changed from 4.22 to 10.56 MJ kg^-1.