Resistance of Polylactide Materials to Water Mediums of the Various Natures

The influence of talc filler, its content, as well as an additional heat treatment and temperature on the regularities of polylactide materials water-absorption has been researched. Based on the obtained data, the water diffusion coefficient in polylactide materials and the activation energy of the diffusion process were determined. It was found that the process of water absorption by the filled and heat-treated materials based on polylactide proceeds slower and requires more activation energy of the process. Stability of the developed polylactide materials to acidic and alkaline media has been determined, in particular, it was found that the destruction of polylactide samples occurs faster in an alkaline medium than in an acidic one

Research on Determination of Water Diffusion Coefficient in Single Particles of Wood Biomass Dried Using Convective Drying Method

Determination of the mass diffusion coefficient for dried, inhomogeneous material is difficult as it depends on the drying agent temperature and the moisture content and physical structure of the material. The paper presents a method for efficient determination of the water diffusion coefficient for wood solid cuboids dried using convective drying methods. In this work, the authors define a theoretical dependence of the Fourier number on reduced water content in a convectively dried cuboidal solid, based on a simplified theoretical solution of the diffusion equation for such a body. The material for drying included shoots of common osier, robinia (false acacia), multiflora rose, and energy poplar, dried at temperatures of 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 °C, in free convection. The obtained results differ from the theoretically anticipated changes of the coefficient.

Approximate Mathematical Modeling of Osmotic Dehydration of Cone-Shaped Fruits and Vegetables in Hypertonic Solutions

Water loss kinetics in osmotic dehydration of cone-shaped fruits and vegetables was modeled on the basis of diffusion mechanism, using the Fick’s second law. The model was developed by taking into account the influences of the fruit geometrical characteristics, initial water content of fruit, water diffusion coefficient in fruit, and the water concentration in hypertonic solution. Based on the obtained model, it was shown that the water diffusion coefficient and the initial water concentration of fruit have direct effects on the dehydration rate and also inverse influence on the dehydration duration. The geometrical parameters of fruit and water concentration in hypertonic solution showed direct effect on the dehydration duration as well as inverse effect on the dehydration rate. The presented model seems to be useful tool to predict the dehydration kinetics of cone-shaped fruit during osmotic dehydration process and to optimize the process prior to perform the experiments.

Computer-aided identification of the water diffusion coefficient for maize kernels dried in a thin layer

Uncertainties in mathematical modelling of water transport in cereal grain kernels during drying and storage are mainly due to implementing unreliable values of the water diffusion coefficient and simplifying the geometry of kernels. In the present study an attempt was made to reduce the uncertainties by developing a method for computer-aided identification of the water diffusion coefficient and more accurate 3D geometry modelling for individual kernels using original inverse finite element algorithms. The approach was exemplified by identifying the water diffusion coefficient for maize kernels subjected to drying. On the basis of the developed method, values of the water diffusion coefficient were estimated, 3D geometry of a maize kernel was represented by isoparametric finite elements, and the moisture content inside maize kernels dried in a thin layer was predicted. Validation of the results against experimental data showed significantly lower error values than in the case of results obtained for the water diffusion coefficient values available in the literature.