KINETICS OF MASS TRANSFER IN OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION OF ALOE VERA GEL (ALOE VERA BARBADENSIS MILLER)
Authors: Carlos Hernán Herrera Méndez, Víctor Manuel Toledo López, María Vargas y Vargas, Gerardo Rivera Muñoz, José María Tamayo Manrique and Gustavo Rivera Solís
Carlos Hernán Herrera Méndez: Departamento de Ingeniería Agroindustrial, Universidad de Guanajuato, México.
Víctor Manuel Toledo López: Tecnológico Nacional de México/ IT Mérida, México.
María Vargas y Vargas: Tecnológico Nacional de México/ IT Mérida, México.
Gerardo Rivera Muñoz: Tecnológico Nacional de México/ IT Mérida, México.
José María Tamayo Manrique: Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Industrial y de Servicios, Mérida, México.
Gustavo Rivera Solís: Instituto de Investigaciones Silvio Zavala, Universidad Modelo, Mérida, México.
ABSTRACT
The mass transfer kinetics during the osmotic dehydration of sábila (Aloe vera barbadensis Miller) were analyzed. A gel-to-solution ratio of 3:1 was used over an 80-hour process. The Azuara and Peleg mathematical models were applied to describe the kinetics of moisture loss and solid gain at a constant temperature of 25 °C and fixed concentration. Although the experimental data fit both models, the Peleg model provided a better fit. Additionally, the effective diffusion coefficients were adjusted using the Arrhenius equation as a function of temperature.
Keywords: Azuara model, osmotic dehydration, Peleg model, sábila