Effect of ethyl oleate on drying characteristics of mulberries.

In this study, air-drying experiments in thin layers of mulberry grown in Istanbul, Turkey, were conducted. The effect of ethyl oleate solution on drying time of mulberry samples was investigated in a pilot air-dryer. When ethyl oleate was used as pretreatment solution, the drying time of samples was decreased. Drying curves were obtained using the Page model. The effective diffusivity varied from 2.326 x 10(-10) to 1.809 x 10(-9) m2/s the temperature range. The temperature dependence of the diffusivity coefficient was described by the Arrhenius type relationship. The activation energy for moisture diffusion was found to be 50.87 kJ/mol for treated samples and 51.85 kJ/mol for untreated samples.