Modelagem matemática da contração volumétrica das espigas de milho durante a secagem.

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate and adjust mathematical models of ear corn volumetric shrinkage during drying. The ear corn with an initial water content of 0.45 d.b. were used, droughts until a final moisture content of approximately 0,12 d.b., for temperatures of 35, 45, 55 e 65 ºC. The grain volumetric shrinkage has been determinated by the relation between the volume for each water moisture content and the inicial volume. Six models were fitted to shrinkage phenomenon representation. The results obtained allowed to conclude that the ear corn volumetric shrinkage varied between 11,40% for 35ºC up to 19,53% for 65ºC, being that the bigger drying temperature, the bigger product shrinkage. The best model to evaluated the ear corn volumetric shrinkage phenomena during the drying process has been the Bala and Woods adapted.