Mathematical modeling of drying kinetics of pepper Cumari do Para

Among the processes of food preservation, drying the product stands out for maintaining the nutritional quality and flavor of products. The objective of this study was to determine and adjust the curves of drying of Para Cumari pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacqui), at temperatures of 45, 55 and 65 degrees C. The Para Cumari peppers were collected in the city of Ceres, GO and transported to UEG - Anapolis, GO. Drying was conducted in fixed bed dryer with temperature control and airflow of 60 m(3) min(-1) m(-2). Experimental data were adjusted to nine mathematical models. The magnitude of the coefficient of determination (R-2), the mean relative error (P) and the estimated mean error (SE) were used to verify the degree of fit of the models. It was concluded that: a) the behavior of the drying curves of Para Cumari pepper was similar to most agricultural products; b) the drying time was 4 h; 2 h and 50 min and 1 h and 55 min, respectively, for the drying temperatures of 45, 55 and 65 degrees C; c) the mathematical model of drying proposed by Midilli et al. (2002) was the best fit to the experimental data; d) values of the diffusion coefficient increased with the increase of the temperature of the drying air, with results between 2.29 10(-11) and 2.57 10(-11) m(2) s(-1).