Infrared Drying Kinetics and Mathematical Modeling of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Leaves

ABSTRACT This investigation focused on the drying properties and mathematical modeling of moringa leaves under infrared drying. The moringa leaves were dried at thermal conditions (40°C, 50°C, and 60°C), with emitter distances of 7.5, 12.5, and 17.5 cm, respectively. The initial moisture content of the sample was 73.41% (wet basis). Under drying conditions of 60°C and a bed depth of 7.5 cm, the maximum drying rate of 0.054 g/min was recorded at 30 min. Among the ten models evaluated for drying kinetics, the Wang and Singh model exhibited the best fit, yielding an R ² of 0.9997 and RMSE of 0.0054 at 60°C and 7.5 cm emitter distance. Drying kinetics were evaluated using a total of ten mathematical models, among which the Wang and Singh model exhibited the most accurate fit, with an R ² (0.9997) and an RMSE (0.0054) at 60°C and an emitter distance of 7.5 cm. This study emphasized that during infrared drying, drying parameters, including temperature and emitter distance, significantly affect how rapidly moisture evaporates from moringa leaves. This study emphasized that during infrared drying, the drying parameters, particularly temperature and emitter distance, play a crucial role in governing the rate of moisture evaporation from moringa leaves. These insights into drying behavior and model suitability might assist in improving infrared drying methods for moringa leaves.