Estudo da secagem do endocarpo da castanha-do-brasil (Bertholletia excelsa)

Abstract

Brazil nuts are mainly present in the northern region of the country, being part of the production chain in the region, with the main problems being the appearance of aflatoxins when not processed correctly and the waste that is generated in abundance without being used. Through drying it is possible to minimize the growth of microorganisms in organic materials and add value to many residues. Because of this, the present work aimed to characterize and study the drying kinetics of the Brazil nut endocarp, analyzing the influence that temperature and material load have on the final moisture of the material through the composite design rotational center (DCCR). The experiments were carried out in a forced air circulation oven, with the temperature varying between 47.93°C and 62°C and with the material load varying between 79 g and 220 g. With the study it was possible to observe in the drying curves and in the statistical analysis, the influence that the load of material and linear temperature have on the final moisture of the chestnut endocarp, with the load of material having a positive effect and the temperature a negative effect on final moisture, but with material loading having a greater influence. With this, the lowest final humidity was obtained, of 0.42%, operating with the lowest material load (79.29 g) at a temperature of 55°C. To obtain the lowest final moisture, there must be a combination of lower material load and higher temperature.