Drying kinetics of wheat, barley and maize grain

Drying of wheat, barley, and maize grains was studied at 40, 50 and 60°C at an air velocity of 1.1 m/s. When the equilibrium humidity was reached, the physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. The moisture data were adjusted to the mathematical models proposed by Crank and Omoto, which resulted in accurate predictions through the correlation coefficient. In both models, the temperature dependence of the effective diffusivity followed an Arrhenius relationship. Comparisons of the experimental values with the calculated values demonstrated that the two models representing an excellent tool for estimation of the drying parameters, which aim to maintain the quality grain.