Mohamad Efendi, La Choviya Hawa, Yusuf Hendrawan, Bambang Dwi Argo
Drying and moisture sorption in bananas present ongoing challenges, especially in terms of providing accurate storage recommendations and minimizing drying time. This study aimed to investigate the moisture sorption isotherms and drying kinetics of bananas. Moisture sorption was analyzed using the static gravimetric method with saturated solutions, covering a water activity range of 0.14–0.88, and at incubation temperatures of 30, 40, and 50 °C. The models used in this study included Peleg, Oswin, Halsey, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB), and Courie. Statistical analysis showed that the Peleg model performed best. A comparison between the Peleg model and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) revealed that the conventional Peleg model provided more accurate predictions. The Peleg model produced a sigmoid-shaped sorption curve. As temperature increased, the number of sorbed water monolayers, the sorption surface area, the percentage of bound water, and the monolayer moisture content all decreased. The thickness of the bound water monolayer and the pore radius ranged from 0.32 to 0.95 nm and 176.23–4981.34 nm, respectively. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that the surfaces of dried bananas developed cracks, which facilitated a faster adsorption process. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis showed that the surface of dried bananas was primarily composed of carbon (63%) and oxygen (35%). Higher temperatures accelerated the reduction in moisture content, with the average drying rate ranging from 0.12 to 0.15%d.b./min. The total color difference, volume of the visible object, and shrinkage were observed in the ranges of 45.92–48.49%, 40.26–47.54%, and 52.46–59.74%, respectively. The FTIR curve revealed distinct wavelengths for each type of bond. Based on the relationship between equilibrium moisture content (EMC) and water activity, dried bananas are recommended to have a safe moisture content of 14.94–16.85% (d.b.) during storage. Furthermore, the suggested drying time at temperatures between 40 and 60 °C ranges from 1800 to 3540 min. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.
Doctoral Student of Agroindustrial Technology, Department of Agroindustrial Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. Veteran, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Study Program of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. Veteran, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
