Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering

Vol. 6, No. 3 (Summer), 2009, IAChE

Effect of Time and Temperature on Moisture Content, Shrinkage,

and Rehydration of Dried Onion

S. Abasi1, S. M. Mousavi1∗, M. Mohebi2 and S. Kiani1

1- Department of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.

2- Department of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural Faculty, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad,
Iran.

Abstract
In this paper, the experimental data of the onion drying process by a batch cabinet
dryer is investigated. Obtained experimental data including moisture content,
shrinkage, and rehydration via random factorial scheme are analyzed. Comparison of
data average is carried out with the help of the multi amplitude test of Duncan.
Statistical analysis of experimental data shows that time, temperature, and their
combined effect have a reasonable impact on the moisture content and rehydration
value of dried samples. However, a combined effect of time and temperature on the
shrinkage value is not meaningful (P>0.05). The results also show that increasing time
and temperature leads to a decrease in the moisture content of the samples, but it
increases the value of rehydration and the shrinkage of samples.

Keywords: Drying,Onion, Moisture content, Rehydration, Shrinkage

1- Introduction Producing dried products such as pistachio,

Nowadays, the amount of agricultural waste grapes, barberries, and saffron and many
is estimated to be about 30-35%, part of others are still common with traditional
which is due to lack of relevant industries. methods. Problems concerned with these
One of the most important methods for food methods are the long drying time, chance of
maintenance is drying or the dehydration microbial contamination of foods due to
process. In addition to the conservational moisture, the undesirable quality of final
effect on the product, drying reduces its products, an so on. By applying industrial
weight and volume significantly and drying methods, not only is food quality
therefore decreases its transportation and preserved, but also production time decreases
storage costs. considerably.

∗ Corresponding author: [email protected]

57
 Abasi, Mousavi, Mohebi, Kiani

With an annual production of 47 million modeling a carrot rehydration process, a

tons, onion has the third place among shape parameter was also considered [12].
vegetables globally. In the past, onion was An important physical change that occurs
used as a spice for nutritional and medical during food drying is the decrease in the
purposes. Recently, it has been used as a raw outer surface of the product. Losing water
vegetable in foods, a spice in chips and also and heat both result in generating tension in
an ingredient in canned food. the cell structure of the product, which
Dried onion is available across the globe as causes deformation and dimension reduction
an important and desired product in different [17-19]. Nutrition shrinkage has a negative
forms including powder, flake, and slice. effect on the quality of dried products.
This product can be used as an aromatic Deformation, volumetric decrease and
ingredient in various foods such as soups, hardness increase affect product overall
sauces, salads and desserts [1-4]. acceptance by consumers.
Hot air dryers such as the batch cabinet dryer Researches showed that shrinkage amount is
are extensively used for drying biological greatly related to nutrition type and shape
products at commercial level. The drying and in some cases to operational conditions
time and operational temperature of these with respect to different rates of drying. It is
dryers have a major effect on the quality of rarely possible to ignore the shrinkage
dried product [5-11]. amount in food material, and this physical
A detailed understanding of the rehydration change must be taken into account in
process is essential for dried products evaluating profiles of moisture variations. In
optimization with respect to increasing their order to do this, different models have been
amount and expected quality by consumers suggested to investigate shrinkage in food
[12-14]. During rehydration, two opposite materials during the drying process [20-22].
mass transfer flows are contributed including Shrinkage modeling is typically based on the
the water transfer into nutrition and definitions presented by Rahman [23] and
extraction of water-soluble substances in Zogzos [24] and is a function of size, surface,
opposite directions. Pretreatment, drying and volume or dimension reduction. These
rehydration conditions result in structural models are either empirical or fundamental.
changes in food tissues, affecting quality. Empirical models are based on shrinkage
Different factors such as temperature [15], amount and its relation to the operational
the nature of the rehydration process, and parameters of drying. Fundamental models
type of nutrition [13] impact the rehydration consider mass transfer, porosity, and density
amount. In the research done by Farid et al. and take the volumes of different phases
[16] a mathematical model was developed during the drying process into account.
based on water flow within capillary tubes. With respect to the importance of the food
This model evaluates the rehydration amount drying process and obtaining a product with
of dried products including kiwi, apple, the desired quality and appropriate
banana and potato by freezing method. In the marketing, optimization of the operational
Weiball empirical model that was used for conditions seems to be essential in order to

58 Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3

 Effect of Time and Temperature on Moisture Content, Shrinkage, and Rehydration of Dried Onion

produce dried onion with minimum 12 experiments were performed at 4

shrinkage and maximum rehydration temperatures of 60, 70, 80, and 90°C. The
capability, which has not been studied so far. experiments were repeated 3 times at each
Therefore, in this research, in addition to the temperature and experimental results were
investigation of onion drying kinetics in recorded. The obtained experimental results
terms of temperature and time changes, the include the samples moisture contents on a
effects of these two parameters and their wet and dry basis, shrinkage, and
combination on moisture content, rehydration.
rehydration, and shrinkage of dried onion are In order to investigate drying kinetics and
studied. Furthermore, Mathematical moisture content, a dimensionless moisture
modeling of this process is investigated using ratio (MR) parameter was used that can be
the surface-response method which includes obtained from the following equation:
the simultaneous influence of changes in
drying temperature and time on moisture Xt − Xe
MR = (1)
content, rehydration, and shrinkage of dried XD − Xe
onion.
Where X 0 is the initial moisture, X e is the
2- Materials and methods equilibrium moisture, and X t is the moisture
White onion was used for all experiments. In
at time t.
order to perform all the experiments in
To calculate the rehydration parameter, the
identical conditions, onions are selected
dried sample is placed in a hot water bath at
manually. All of the onions were placed in a
100°C for 10 minutes. Then, the amount of
refrigerating room at 4°C with a relative
rehydration is calculated by the equation
humidity of 17% for two weeks prior to
presented below:
experiments so that the storage conditions
would be kept the same for all samples M
before drying. To start the experiments, the R' = (2)
M0
required numbers of onions were taken out of
the refrigerating room and kept at room
Where R ' is the rehydration, and M and
temperature for 2 hours, until they adapt to
M 0 are the sample weight after and before
room conditions. Then they were layered and
cut into circular pieces, 3 cm in diameter placing it in the hot water bath, respectively.
using a mold. The shrinkage percentage is expressed by
A batch cabinet dryer containing three equation (3):
perforated trays was used for drying the
V0 − Vd
samples. In this device, the air velocity was %S = × 100 (3)
V0
constant and equal to 1.5 m/s. The thermal
condition was variable and the operational
temperature could be tuned with a built-in Where S is the shrinkage amount, and Vd
thermocouple. and V0 are the sample superficial volume

Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3 59

 Abasi, Mousavi, Mohebi, Kiani

after and before drying, respectively. were analyzed via random factorial scheme.
One of the common methods for measuring Comparison of the data average was carried
the samples volume is sample submergence out with the help of the multi amplitude test
in a solvent. Thus, in choosing the solvent it of Duncan. The Mstatc-Ver ½ Software was
should be kept in mind that the chosen used for this purpose. The time and
solvent must be organic, does not react with temperature combined effects on the
the sample components, and has a lower moisture content, shrinkage, and rehydration
density than the sample, so that the sample is of the samples were modelled using the
fully submerged. Considering what is surface-response fitting method. The Minitab
mentioned above, toluene or heptane are Release 11.12 Software was used for surface-
appropriate solvents for measuring the response fitting.
samples volume. Using a solvent such as
toluene, the sample superficial volume is 3- Results and discussion
3.1- Drying kinetics and moisture content
given by equation (4):
Analysis of the experimental data shows that
M t+s − M f − M onion drying occurs only in the falling rate
V = Vf − (4) zone. Drying rate can be defined as moisture
ρs
content on dry basis in unit of time. Drying
rate decreases with time in four experimental
Where V f is the beaker volume, M t + s is
temperatures, a result of the decrease in
total mass of (the beaker, sample, and moisture content as time passes (Fig. 1). An
toluene), M f is mass of the beaker, M is increase in operational temperature in a
mass of the sample, and ρ s is the toluene certain time, leads to a decrease in the
density. moisture content of the samples since the
The obtained experimental data including evaporation rate increases with increasing
moisture content, shrinkage, and rehydration temperature (Fig. 2).

0.35
60 C
0.3 70 C
Drying rate(kg H2o/kg

0.25 80 C
dry solid.min)

0.2 90 C

0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390
Time(min)
Time (min)

Figure 1. Influence of air temperature on the drying rate of samples in different times

60 Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3

 Effect of Time and Temperature on Moisture Content, Shrinkage, and Rehydration of Dried Onion

14

kg H2O/kg
12 60 C

dry solid)
10

content
70 C
8 80 C

dry solid)
content(
6 90 C

Moisture
(kg H2o/kg
Moisture 4
2
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360

Time (min)
Time(min)

Figure 2. Dependence of moisture content on the drying time and temperature of samples

The results of variance analysis of moisture criterion for accepting the effectiveness
content are listed in Table 1. In this table, assumption of each factor. Probability values
degree of freedom and sum of squares for have been determined from special tables
each factor are estimated according to the with respect to the values of some of the
number of considered levels and the obtained above mentioned parameters. Probability
experimental data. In the 4th column, the ratio values in the final column must be less than
of sum of squares for each factor to its degree 5% for accepting the effectiveness
of freedom is given as mean square. F-value assumption. So the results of this column in
quantity is equivalent to the ratio of mean Table 1 show that temperature, time, and
square of each factor to the error value their combined effect have a reasonable
shown in the fifth row and fourth column impact on the moisture content of the
(mean square of error) of the table. It is a samples.

Table 1. Effect of different parameters on moisture content with respect to variance analysis
Source Degrees of Freedom Sum of Squares Mean Square F Value Prob.
Temperature 3 49.25 16.42 20.88 0.00

Time 11 850.82 77.35 98.38 0.00

Time and
33 48.22 1.46 1.86 0.01
Temperature

Error 96 75.48 0.79 _ _

Total 143 1 023.77 _ _ _

Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3 61

 Abasi, Mousavi, Mohebi, Kiani

Fig. 3 shows the temperature effect on Fig. 4 shows the time effect on the moisture
moisture content. The moisture content of the content. There is a reduction in moisture
samples decreases with temperature, so that content as time passes; furthermore, there is
the most and least moisture content on dry no considerable statistical variation in the
basis, i.e. 2.721 and 1.148, belong to the moisture content of the samples after the
sample dried at 60°C and 90°C, respectively. 120th minute.
Using meaningful letters on the base of Least In this study, the surface-response fitting
Significant Difference (LSD) comparative method was used in order to study the
analysis method, the differences between the combined effect of time and temperature on
obtained results of each level are also shown the dried sample characteristics. Fig. 5,
on this figure. As usage of different letters of which shows the surface response of
a, b and c, which are named decreasingly moisture content on dry basis, implies that
from higher to a lower amount, indicates that the moisture content of the samples decreases
their corresponding temperature levels with increasing time and temperature,
(60°C, 70°C and 90°C) have a meaningful although the time variations of the moisture
difference with each other, but as moisture content is less in the final stages of the
content decreases mildly at higher drying process. Fig. 6 shows the contour
temperatures, at 80°C the value of this lines of the moisture content in different
parameter is close to the value of its adjacent drying times and temperatures. It is obvious
levels. Thus the combined letter of ab is used that drying time decreases with increasing
to characterize this level. temperature.

33 a
solid)

2.5
2.5
content
solid)

22 b
bc
Moisture content
drydry

1.5
1.5 c
H2O/kg

11
Moisture
(kg H2o/kg

0.5
0.5
00
(kg

60 70 80 90
60 70 80 90
Temperature (C)
Temperature(C)

Figure 3. Temperature effect on the moisture content of samples

62 Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3

 Effect of Time and Temperature on Moisture Content, Shrinkage, and Rehydration of Dried Onion

10
a

(kg H2O/kg dry solid)

8

content
solid)
b

Moisture content
6

H2o/kg dry
4 c
(kgMoisture
2 d de
de de de e e e e
0
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
Time(min)
Tim (min)

Figure 4. Time effect on the moisture content of samples

(kg H2o/kg dry solid)
Moisture content

1.0

Moisture content (kg

H2O/kg dry solid) 0.5

400
300
0.0
200
100
60
70
80 0 Time(min)
90
Temperature(
TemperatureC)(°C)

Figure 5. Surface response of moisture content on wet basis versus time and temperature

0.3
0.5
300 0.7
0.9
1.1
Time (min)

200
Time(min)

100

60 70 80 90
Temperature( C) (°C)
Temperature

Figure 6. Contour lines of moisture content on wet basis at different drying times and temperatures

Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3 63

 Abasi, Mousavi, Mohebi, Kiani

3.2- Shrinkage respectively. Furthermore, there is a

With respect to variance analysis of considerable statistical difference in the
shrinkage which is listed in Table 2; time and value of shrinkage among the dried samples
temperature have a reasonable impact on the at primary times.
value of the dried samples shrinkage With respect to Figs. 7 and 8, there is an
(P<0.05), but their combined effect is not obvious increasing trend in the value of
meaningful (P>0.05). shrinkage, while time and temperature
Fig. 7 shows the effect of temperature on increase. Actually, the increase in time and
shrinkage value. The increasing effect of temperature increases the amount of heat
temperature on the value of shrinkage is given to food material which results in a
obvious. Furthermore, according to decreasing moisture content of the sample.
meaningful letters there is a considerable Therefore, contractile stresses occur in the
difference in shrinkage value among each of cellular structure of the food material which
the four temperature levels. intensifies shrinkage. However, the value of
Fig. 8 shows time effect on shrinkage value. shrinkage becomes constant at the final
The highest and lowest shrinkage value, i.e. stages of the drying process, which is the
92.79% and 33.10%, belong to the sample result of the sample structure stabilization
placed for 360 and 30 minutes in the dyer, made by a firm layer formed on its surface.

Table 2. Effect of different parameters on shrinkage with respect to variance analysis

Source Degrees of Freedom Sum of Squares Mean Square F Value Prob.
Temperature 3 85.42 28.47 25.62 0.00
Time 11 83.91 7.63 6.86 0.00
Time and Temperature 33 40.39 1.22 1.10 0.35
Error 96 106.69 1.11 _ _
Total 143 316.41 _ _ _

100
b a
80 c
Shrinkage (%S)

d
Shrinkage(%S)

60
40
20
0
60 70 80 90
Tem perature(C)
Temperature (C)

Figure 7. Temperature effect on value of shrinkage

64 Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3

 Effect of Time and Temperature on Moisture Content, Shrinkage, and Rehydration of Dried Onion

100 ab a a
c b ab
c
80 d

Shrinkage (%S)
e

Shrinkage(%S)
f
60
g
40 h

20

0
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
Time (min)
Time(min)

Figure 8. Time effect on value of shrinkage

With respect to Fig. 9 which shows the Fig. 10 shows the contour lines of shrinkage
surface response of shrinkage value with value at different times and temperatures.
time and temperature, shrinkage increases Required time for reaching a certain value of
with increasing time and temperature and shrinkage increases with decreasing
finally gains a constant value. temperature.

1.0
Shrinkage (%S)

0.5
Shrinkage(%S)

400
0.0 300
200
60 100
70
80 0 Time(min)
Time (min)
90
Temperature( C)
Temperature (°C)

Figure 9. Surface response of shrinkage value versus time and temperature

Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3 65

 Abasi, Mousavi, Mohebi, Kiani

0.2
0.4
300 0.6
0.8

Time (min) 200

Time(mim)

100

60 70 80 90
Temperature(
TemperatureC)
(°C)

Figure 10. Contour lines of shrinkage value at different drying times and temperatures

3.3- Rehydration considerable statistical difference among

With respect to variance analysis of temperatures 70, 80, and 90°C.
rehydration which is listed in Table 3, time With respect to Fig. 12 which shows the time
and temperature and their combined effect effect on rehydration, the highest and lowest
have a reasonable impact on the rehydration value of rehydration, i.e. 4.038 and 1.449,
of the samples (P<0.05). belong to the sample placed for 360 and 30
Fig. 11 shows the temperature effect on the minutes in dryer, respectively.
rehydration of samples. There is no

Table 3. Effect of different parameters on rehydration with respect to variance analysis

Source Degrees of Freedom Sum of Squares Mean Square F Value Prob.

Temperature 3 7 656.27 2 552.09 107.37 0.00

Time 11 52 941.28 4 812.84 202.47 0.00

Time and Temperature 33 3 265.03 98.94 4.16 0.00

Error 96 2 281.93 23.77 _ _

Total 143 66 144.51 _ _ _

66 Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3

 Effect of Time and Temperature on Moisture Content, Shrinkage, and Rehydration of Dried Onion

a a
4
a
3

Rehydration
b

Rehydration
2

0
60 70 80 90
Temperature (C)
Temperature(C)

Figure 11. Temperature effect on value of rehydration

4.5 a a
4 abc ab ab ab
abc
3.5 abc
bcd
cd
Rehydration

3
2.5 de
Rehydration

2
1.5 e
1
0.5
0
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
Time(min)
Time (min)

Figure 12. Time effect on value of rehydration

With respect to Figs. 11 and 12, rehydration increases with time and temperature,
has an increasing trend with increasing time however, temperature has no considerable
and temperature since these two parameters effect at final temperatures.
have an increasing effect on the samples Fig. 14 shows the contour lines of the
shrinkage which makes the cellular structure rehydration value at different times and
of the samples more porous. temperatures of drying. The required time for
Fig. 13 shows the surface-response of the reaching a certain value of rehydration
rehydration value. The rehydration value decreases with increasing temperature.

Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3 67

 Abasi, Mousavi, Mohebi, Kiani

Rehydration
3

Rehydration 2

1
400
0 300
200
60 100
70 0
80
90 Time (min)
Time(min)
Temperature( C)
Temperature (°C)

Figure 13. Surface response of rehydration value versus time and temperature

1
2
300 3
4
Time (min)

200

Time(min)
100

60 70 80 90
Temperature(
Temperature (°C)C)
Figure 14. Contour lines of rehydration value at different drying times and temperatures

Conclusion moisture content. With increasing these two

Statistical analysis of the experimental data parameters, contractile stresses occur in the
shows that time, temperature, and their cell wall structure since the amount of heat
combined effect have a reasonable impact on given to food material increases. Therefore,
the moisture content and rehydration of dried the porosity of the dried samples increases
onion (P<0.05). However, the combined leading to an increase in shrinkage and
effect of time and temperature on the value rehydration value. With respect to the
of shrinkage is not meaningful. With respect contour lines plotted, there is a reduction in
to the results, increasing drying time and the time of drying with increasing drying
temperature leads to a decrease in the temperature.

68 Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 3

 Effect of Time and Temperature on Moisture Content, Shrinkage, and Rehydration of Dried Onion

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