Equilibrium isotherms and isosteric heat of pepper variety bico ( Capsicum chinense Jacq.)

Abstract

During processing, the storage requires attention, since the moisture content is a major factor that influences the quality of raw materials and manufactured products. Equilibrium isotherm represents the relationship between the material moisture content and water activity for a given temperature, providing important information for use in industrial operations such as drying and storage. This study aimed to determine the equilibrium isotherms of peppers variety bico (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) in whole and paste forms, calculate the isosteric heat of desorption and determine its behavior. To this end, we used six mathematical models to fit experimental data of desorption isotherms. The GAB model fitted well the experimental desorption data of pepper variety bico, in paste and whole forms. The isosteric heat obtained for the whole form was higher than for the paste form.