Title: Experiment 5

INTRODUCTION TO DRYING PROCESS: DRYING A SOLID

Objectives:
To investigate the change of moisture content of a solid being dried at a constant
temperature.

Apparatus & Materials:

Carrot, drying oven, glass plate/tray and knife.

Theory:
In industries, drying is normally the final step in a series of operations;
after which, the product from a dryer is often ready for final packaging. Drying a
solid generally refers to the removal from a dryer is often ready for final
packaging. Drying a solid generally refers to the removal by thermal vaporization
of relatively small quantity of water or other liquid from the solid material to
reduce the content of residual liquid to an acceptable low value. Drying is
normally performed by either direct heating or indirect heating. In many
commercial drying processes, drying are typically done by direct heating where
heated gas such as heated air or steam are brought into direct contact with wet
solids to be dried.
A wet solid is composed of a bone-dry solid and moisture. The moisture
content in a wet solid is present as free-moisture content and equilibriummoisture content. Free moisture content refers to the maximum possible amount
of moisture in a wet solid that can be removed by drying. It is not possible to
completely remove all of the moisture content in wet solid by drying, because
there will be always a small amount of liquid that coexist in equilibrium with the
solid. This liquid is called the equilibrium moisture content. Thus in a drying, this
phase equilibrium is the limit to the extent of the removal of liquid.
When a wet solid is heated in a dryer, its moisture content will decrease with
time until it remains constant at the equilibrium-moisture content after all the
free moisture has been removed. The rate at which the moisture content
decreases is called the rate of drying or drying rate. Rate of drying depends on
how many factors such as air humidity, air velocity and temperature of drying. In
drying, two types of drying rates are typically observed namely the constant rate
and the falling rate. The constant rate is observed when moisture content
decreases linearly with time. At this constant-rate period, an equal amount of
liquid is being vaporized per unit time. The falling rate occurs when the moisture

content is observed to decrease non-linearly with time. At this falling-rate period,

the quantity of liquid was being vaporized per unit times no longer equal.

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Procedure:

Results:
Mass of empty tray = 56.605g
Time
(minutes)
0

Mass of tray + solid (g)

Mass of solid (g)

63.030

6.425

61.600

4.995

10

60.300

3.695

15

59.520

2.595

20

58.500

1.895

25

57.950

1.345

30

57.720

0.915

35

57.200

0.595

40

57.150

0.545

45

57.100

0.495

Calculations:
Mass of dry solid = mass of final product mass of equilibrium-moisture*
*assume that the equilibrium-moisture content is 0.05g water/g dry
solid
% Moisture content at time t = [(mass of solid at time t mass of dry
solid)/mass of dry solid] X 100
Rate of drying = - (moisture content at time t2 moisture content at time t1)/(t2
t1) min
Given;
Mass of final product = 0.495g, Mass of equilibrium-moisture = 0.05g
Mass of dry solid = 0.495g 0.050g = 0.445g
Time
(minute
s)
0

Mass of tray
+ solid (g)

Mass of
solid (g)

% Moisture
content

Drying rate

63.030

6.425

1343.82

64.27

61.600

4.995

1022.47

61.64

10

60.300

3.695

714.29

46.23

15

59.520

2.595

483.15

31.46

20

58.500

1.895

325.84

24.72

25

57.950

1.345

202.25

19.33

30

57.720

0.915

105.62

14.38

35

57.200

0.595

33.71

2.25

40

57.150

0.545

22.47

2.25

45

57.100

0.495

11.24

At time 0 min, %moisture content = [(6.425 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 1343.82

At time 5 min, %moisture content = [(4.995 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 1022.47
At time 10 min, %moisture content = [(3.695 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 714.29
At time 15 min, %moisture content = [(2.595 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 483.15
At time 20 min, %moisture content = [(1.895 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 325.84
At time 25 min, %moisture content = [(1.345 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 202.25
At time 30 min, %moisture content = [(0.915 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 105.62
At time 35 min, %moisture content = [(0.595 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 33.71
At time 40 min, %moisture content = [(0.545 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 22.47

At time 45 min, %moisture content = [(0.495 0.445)/ (0.445)] X 100 = 11.24

Rate of drying between t0 & t5 = - (1022.47 1343.82) / (5-0) = 64.27

Rate of drying between t5 & t10 = - (714.29 1022.47) / (10-5) = 61.64
Rate of drying between t10 & t15 = - (483.15 714.29) / (15-10) = 46.23
Rate of drying between t15 & t20 = - (325.84 483.15) / (20-15) = 31.46
Rate of drying between t20 & t25 = - (202.25 325.84) / (25-20) = 24.72
Rate of drying between t25 & t30 = - (105.62 202.25) / (30-25) = 19.33
Rate of drying between t30 & t35 = - (33.71 105.62) / (35-30) = 14.38
Rate of drying between t35 & t40 = - (22.47 33.71) / (40-35) = 2.25
Rate of drying between t40 & t45 = - (11.24 22.47) / (45-40) = 2.25
Rate of drying between t45 & t50 = - (11.24 11.24) / (50-45) = 0

Graphs:
: Change in % moisture content vs. time

Change in % moisture content vs. time

1600
1400
1200
1000
% Change in moisture content

800
600
400
200
0

Time (minutes)

% Moisture content

: Drying rate vs. % moisture content

Drying rate vs. % moisture content

70
60
50
40
30
20
Drying rate

Drying rate

10
0

% Moisture content

: Drying rate vs. time

Drying rate vs. time

70
60
50
40
Drying rate

Drying rate

30
20
10
0
0

10

15

20

25

30

Time (minutes)

35

40

45

Discussion:
Based on the experiment, it shows that the water was evaporated from
the sliced carrot as time goes by with the constant temperature. Based on the
graph, the change in moisture content and drying rate decreased as the time
goes by. After 45 minutes of the experiment, there was no changes in mass as
the water in the sliced carrot cannot be remove anymore because it has
achieved equilibrium with the solid.
The error that might be occur or made by students is that during the
experiment the carrot is not sliced properly. Apart from that, during the reweigh
of sliced carrot at intervals, the drying oven was being left open for a long period
of time thus the temperature is not constant. Another, the sliced carrot was
exposed to the temperature surrounding in the laboratory during the reweigh at
each intervals.
As a precaution, make sure that the carrot is slice properly with a sharp
knife. Make sure to use hand gloves to prevent any burn as the temperature
inside the oven is approximately 90C. On the other hand, do not open the
drying oven to long because the temperature will not be constant. And then, do
not expose the sliced carrot to the surrounding of the laboratory as it can affect
the drying rate and it moisture content.

Conclusion:
The change of moisture content of a solid being dried at a constant
temperature can be investigated by drying process.

References:

Chemistry, 10th edition by Raymond Chang 2010

General Chemistry, 3rd edition by Daniel D. Ebbing