Vacuum Drying of Common Date Pulp Cubes

Abstract

Drying ability of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) pulp cubes from three Algerian common varieties (Mech-Degla, Degla-Beida, and Frezza) were investigated. Drying process was carried out under partial vacuum (200 mbar) at 60, 80, and 100°C. Compared to the Newton model, the Henderson and Pabis model better described drying kinetic of Mech-Degla and Frezza pulps at 60 and 80°C with a mean relative error (MRE) not higher than 6.07%. The same model fits experimental data at 60°C for Degla-Beida (R ² = 0.988; MRE = 6.07) as well as at 100°C for only Mech-Degla (R ² > 0.98, MRE = 8.61%).

Keywords:

• Date pulp
• Drying
• Mathematical model