Thin-layer drying kinetics and quality changes of sweet sorghum stalk for ethanol production as affected by drying temperature

The chopped sweet sorghum stalk was thin-layer-dried for long-term storage and ethanol production. The drying kinetics and the effects of drying temperature on the qualities of sweet sorghum stalk were investigated in this work. The results showed that the drying process could be simulated well by Wang and Singh's model. The diffusivity constant (D-0) and active energy (E-a) were estimated as 4.4 x 10(-5) m(2)/s and 21.4 kJ/(mol K) for drying the chopped fresh stalk. According to the sugar composition, browning degree, and fermentability of the dried stalk obtained at various temperatures, the approximate drying temperature could be suggested as 50-60 degrees C for application. In this range, the moisture of the chopped fresh stalk could drop below the safe moisture for storage in 7-5.5 h with 12.1-9.7% total sugar loss during the drying process. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.