DETERMINATION OF VARIABLE DIFFUSION OF SODIUM DURING DEBITTERING OF GREEN OLIVES

M. B. MALDONADO; C. A. ZURITZ

JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING

Blackwell Publishing

Año: 2004 vol. 27 p. 345 - 358

0145-8876

Time-variable average effective diffusion coefficients of sodium in the skin and flesh were determined using Macroscopic Mass Balances from experimental data obtained during debittering of green olives, variety Arauco at temperatures of 15, 20 and 25C and lye concentrations of 1.50, 2.25 and 3.00% of NaOH. The effective diffusion coefficient of sodium increased with treatment time at both surfaces of the skin, while it varied very little within the flesh, and in many cases, remained almost constant during the debittering process. In general, the diffusion coefficients determined in the present study were within an order of magnitude of 10-10 m2/s for the flesh during most of the treatment time, while for the skin, they were of the order of 10-12 m2/s for the initial treatment times. Macroscopic mass balances are a simple mathematical method that can be used in lieu of more common numerical techniques, to evaluate variable diffusion coefficients providing accuracy and greater detail of the whole phenomena.