MOISTURE DIFFUSIVITIES OF SUNFLOWER SEED COMPONENTS

A diffusion-based drying model has been used to separately model the t hin-layer drying of sunflower kernel and whole seed. The diffusivity o f kernel was determined by means of the analytical solution of Fick's second law. The drying of whole seed was simulated by means of the num erical solution of Fick's second law for a two-composite solid. Kernel and hull diffusivities were determined at 40-degree and 50-degrees-C and air velocity of 15 ms-1, using the theoretical curves that best fi t the data. The diffusivities of kernel were 7.1 x 10(-7) cm2s-1 and 1 .7 x 10(-6) cm2s-1, and of the hull 1.7 x 10(-6) cm2s-1 and 7.1 X 10(- 6) cm2s-1 for the respective temperatures of 40-degrees and 50-degrees -C.