Rapid assessment of moisture content and fermentation status in wet-mixed pelleted feed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Influence of climatic conditions on moisture storage in bio-based multilayer walls: a coupled heat and moisture transfer study

of moisture content in a fluidized bed dryer using an electrostatic sensor

The Influence of Applied Voltage on Drying Kinetics, Quality, and Mathematical Modeling of Ginger During Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) Drying

ABSTRACT This paper systematically evaluated the effects of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) on the drying characteristics, color, texture, moisture state, volatile components, and drying kinetics model of ginger. The results showed that EHD significantly increased the drying rate, rehydration rate, and effective moisture diffusion coefficient (D eff ) of ginger. Among all the evaluated parameters, a voltage of 17 kV can produce the highest quality ginger. The drying rate of the 21 kV treatment group was 4.48 times higher than that of the control group (CG). ln[MR] showed a highly linear relationship with time (R 2 > 0.9). Among the ten thin‐layer drying kinetics models, Midilli et al.'s model performed the best. Under 17 kV conditions, the best color retention was achieved for dried ginger. EHD drying significantly improved the texture of ginger. LF‐NMR results showed a significant decrease in free water and an increase in bound water. Compared with the CG group, EHD showed good retention of most terpenoid compounds in dry ginger. SwissADME predicted six volatile compounds with good drug‐like properties. Based on this study, it has been confirmed that the EHD technology has a good application in the ginger industry, providing theoretical support and experimental basis for the further expansion of EHD technology in the field of food drying.

Soil contamination impacts feedstock characteristics and drives pyrolysis outcomes in the conversion of polyethylene mulch films to fuel.

Recovered plastic mulch films (rMFs) are often burdened with soil contamination, limiting recycling options. While pyrolysis is a promising recycling technology, the effects of soil contamination on rMFs' properties and pyrolytic behavior remain poorly understood. This study investigated the influence of soil contamination on rMFs collected from Washington (WA), Nebraska (NE), Florida (FL), and California (CA). Proximate, elemental, and calorific analyses evaluated the influence of soil texture on rMFs' physicochemical properties, while thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) assessed thermal degradation and volatile product composition. Controlled experiments using WA vMFs and WA soil (0-80 wt%) statistically evaluated soil loading effects. Results showed that soil contamination altered rMFs' properties. Clay-rich soils (WA and NE) exhibited the greatest effects, reducing volatile matter (VM) by 31% and 24%, and higher heating values (HHV) by 41% and 33%, respectively. Soil contamination also affected all onset thermal degradation temperatures. However, across all locations, hydrocarbons remained the dominant pyrolysis products (68.63-80.53% peak area), with diesel-range compounds (C13-C20) accounting for 38.51-48.95%. Regression analysis confirmed strong linear relationships contents (R > 0.986 and R2 > 0.971), between soil concentration and proximate/elemental components (VM, ash, carbon, and hydrogen). These findings show how soil texture affects rMFs' physicochemical properties and how presence of soil on rMFs affects thermal degradation behavior and volatile product distribution during pyrolysis. Nevertheless, the hydrocarbon-rich products indicate that soil-contaminated rMFs remain promising feedstocks for pyrolysis and fuel production.

NMR-based characterization of soil-water characteristic curves considering volume change during drying-wetting cycles

Analytical Prediction of Water Activity Evolution for Shelf Life Modeling of Packaged Dehydrated Foods

ABSTRACT This study investigates the performance of different Moisture Sorption Isotherm (MSI) equations in predicting the shelf life of dehydrated fish powder, packaged in materials of different water vapor barrier properties. Fish soup powder, produced from salmon by‐products, packed in polylactic acid (PLA) and multilayer PET/PE/EVOH/PE pouches and stored under controlled temperature (20°C–50°C) and relative humidity (21%–51%) conditions was used as case study. Water transfer, lipid oxidation, and color change were monitored to assess quality degradation during storage as a function of temperature and water activity (aw ). The GAB (Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer) model provided the best fit across the entire aw range, while BET (Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller) and the linear MSI were applicable in the lower aw region (< 0.65). MSI models were incorporated into the moisture transport equation governing water vapor exchange through the packaging film, and the resulting differential equation was solved in closed form: fully explicit in time for the linear model, and as an explicit relationship between time and water activity for BET and GAB, the latter reported here for the first time. This analytical solution based on the GAB MSI obviates the need for numerical solution algorithms and facilitates calculations. This further enabled product quality prediction, based on lipid oxidation and browning kinetics, demonstrating a tool for selecting packaging materials and estimating shelf life of low‐moisture foods at variable storage conditions. Practical Applications This study provides a practical tool for predicting the shelf life of low‐moisture foods by combining moisture sorption isotherms with analytical solutions of water transfer equations. The proposed approach can assist food manufacturers in selecting appropriate packaging materials based on their barrier properties and expected storage conditions. It also enables faster and less labor‐intensive shelf life estimation compared to traditional experimental methods.