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Abstract SCHIRACK, ANDRIANA VAIS. The Effect of Microwave ...

Abstract SCHIRACK, ANDRIANA VAIS. The Effect of Microwave ...

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Treatments 11NF, 8NF, and 5NF also had the highest surface temperatures,<br />

which exceeded 100 °C, and lower moisture peanuts (5 % and 7 % MC) had higher<br />

surface temperatures in Set 2. Boldor et al. (2005) found that more convective<br />

cooling will occur at the surface <strong>of</strong> peanuts during drying when more water is being<br />

evaporated, thus treatments with the most moisture loss will have a greater cooling<br />

effect at the surface. This agrees with the trend seen in the peanuts in Set 2, in<br />

which all peanuts were treated for the same period <strong>of</strong> time, but the higher moisture<br />

content peanuts had lower surface temperatures. Surface temperatures have been<br />

previously correlated to internal temperatures in microwave processing <strong>of</strong> peanuts<br />

(Boldor et al., 2005).<br />

Change in moisture content. <strong>The</strong> final moisture content <strong>of</strong> the peanuts was<br />

significantly affected by treatment (p < 0.0001), although replicate effects were<br />

significant in Set 1 only (p = 0.02). In Set 1, as processing times increased, internal<br />

peanut temperatures increased, and more moisture was lost (Fig. 4). Treatments<br />

8NF and 11NF had significantly lower final moisture content (approximately 4.0 - 5.5<br />

%) than other treatments (p < 0.05). Unlike conventional heating, microwave energy<br />

is absorbed throughout the volume <strong>of</strong> the wet solid, and the temperature <strong>of</strong> the solid<br />

can reach the boiling point <strong>of</strong> the liquid component. As the moisture evaporates, a<br />

pressure gradient is formed from the vapors and will drive the moisture from the<br />

interior <strong>of</strong> the solid (Metaxas and Meredith, 1983).<br />

Despite the variations in initial moisture contents and energy absorption, all<br />

peanuts in Set 2 reached a similar moisture content <strong>of</strong> approximately 4.1 % (Fig. 4).<br />

This moisture content appears to be the final equilibrium point at which the peanuts<br />

101

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