Abstract
Drying kinetics of China maize dried in a laboratory scale vacuum dryer was studied. The effect of drying temperature, vacuum degree, bed height and initial moisture on maize cracking and germination rate was presented. Characteristic drying rate curves exhibited mainly falling rate period, with an induction periodic, but without the constant rate period. A custom-made light box was built to visually analyze the cracking on the surface of maize. Maize cracking was lower than 10% just after drying at 50 -90 . But the cracking at all temperature was higher after drying for 24h. The germination rate reduced with drying temperature increasing. The initial drying rate (induction period drying rate) at higher vacuum degree was higher, but the vacuum degree did not significantly affect the falling rate period. The total drying time and total drying rate almost was the same at different vacuum degree of the same temperature. Vacuum degree also did not significantly affect the cracking percent and germination rate. The cracking and germination rate of initial moisture25% were better than the initial moisture 37% after vacuum drying. The bed height has little effect on cracking.
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