# Drying Kinetics of the Leaves From Three Varieties of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

## TL;DR

This study examines how temperature affects the drying of cassava leaves from three varieties, finding that higher temperatures speed up the process.

## Contribution

The study identifies optimal drying conditions and models for cassava leaves based on temperature sensitivity and diffusivity.

## Key findings

- Higher temperatures (above 50°C) significantly reduce drying times by enhancing water diffusion in cassava leaves.
- The Page and Midilli models best describe the drying curves with high accuracy (R² > 0.99, RMSE < 0.05).

## Abstract

This study investigated the convective drying kinetics of cassava (
Manihot esculenta
Crantz) leaves from three varieties (Manipeba—M1, Tareza 1—M2, and Folha fina—M8). Drying experiments were conducted in a tray dryer with forced air circulation at temperatures ranging from 40°C to 80°C, and the process was monitored until the sample mass reached equilibrium. The results highlighted that temperatures above 50°C (60°C, 70°C, and 80°C) significantly enhance water diffusion in cassava leaves, leading to reduced drying times. The effective diffusivity (Deff) of M1 (1.15–6.32 × 10−9), M2 (1.67–7.73 × 10−9), and M8 (1.77–7.97 × 10−9 m2/s) increased with temperature. The higher activation energy (Ea) of sample M1 (39.33 kJ/mol) suggests greater temperature sensitivity of water diffusivity compared with samples M2 (35.71 kJ/mol) and M8 (36.50 kJ/mol). Nine mathematical models were fitted to the drying experimental data, and the Page and Midilli models best described the drying curves (R
2 > 0.99, RMSE < 0.05). The findings contribute to understanding the drying behavior of cassava leaves and define conditions for the drying process.

The graphical abstract summarizes the main steps and key findings of the study in a simplified manner.