Enthalpy calculations for the estimation of microwave-assisted drying efficiency on laminar materials

In this work, the efficiency of a static microwave-assisted dryer for lamin ar materials is studied. Drying tests, carried out in this drier with leath er samples, show that the application of the microwave energy significantly accelerates the drying rates without damaging the product. Energetic calcu lations allow inferring the microwave-absorbed power without measuring the transmitted and reflected power, leading to results that agree with the lit erature and that demonstrate the efficiency of this drying technique and it s feasibility when combined with forced airflow. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons , Inc.