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Copyright of Light Industry Machinery is the property of Light Industry Machinery Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents the effect of drying control agents on the physicochemical and thermal properties of hydrophobic silica aerogels derived via the ambient pressure drying (APD) method by a surface silylation using a TMCS/n-hexane mixture. The structural and physicochemical properties of synthesized DMF-modified and unmodified hydrophobic silica aerogels were characterized using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, thermo-gravimetric analysis, FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopic techniques. Based on the obtained results, the differences in structure between samples before and after a surface silylation and the effect of drying control agents were documented. The structural measurements confirmed the efficient silylation process (TMCS/n-hexane), as well as the presence of DMF residues of hydrogen bonded with unreacted Si-OH silanol groups within the silica backbone after surface modification. Based on TG analysis, it was found that DMF addition improves thermal resistance (up to 320 °C) and hydrophobic character of prepared aerogel. Modification of the silica aerogel synthesis process by DMF also resulted in a significant increase in BET—the specific surface area, for the unmodified aerogel was ~828 m2/g, and for the DMF-modified aerogel more than 1200 m2/g—much higher than the value of silica aerogels available on the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food & Machinery is the property of Food & Machinery Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Enhancing the drying rate and dried products quality, as well as energy efficiency, is very tempting for the drying industry. Recently, a lot of investigations have illustrated that the drying temperature, air velocity, and sample thickness have significant influences on the drying process. However, few investigations took into account the relative humidity (RH) as an important hot-air-drying parameter in the drying process. Therefore, in the current work, white radish slabs were used to explore the drying characteristics and quality under the drying condition of a constant RH, decreasing the RH step by step and decreasing RH automatically, together with a constant air velocity of 1 m·s−1 and a drying temperature of 60 °C. Compared to continuous dehumidification, the step-down RH process was conducive to the material center temperature rise in the early stage of drying. When the material central temperature was increased and then the RH was reduced, the drying rate was increased and the overall drying time was shortened. The automatic-down RH control drying process includes three dehumidification processes. The respective RH control values were 40%, 30%, and 20% and the respective durations were 180 min, 90 min, and 60 min. The comprehensive quality evaluation showed that the comprehensive score of the automatic-down RH control process at 60 °C was the highest, which was 0.85. The L* and b* values of the automatic-down RH control were 26.0 and 1.67, respectively, which were better than those of the step-down RH, constant 20% RH, and constant 40% RH. The maximum rehydration ratio was 3.96 under the automatic-down RH control condition, and the quality was good. The lowest energy consumption under the condition of the automatic-down RH control was 0.90 kW·h·kg−1. The present work contributes to a better understanding of the effect of the RH on the drying characteristics and quality of white radish slices, which is useful for enhancing the drying rate and dried products' quality as well as energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food & Machinery is the property of Food & Machinery Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The grain-drying process plays a critical role in grain storage and quality assurance. In recent years, with the advancement of low-carbon and intelligent technologies, the control technology of grain dryers has significantly improved. This paper systematically reviews the development status of grain dryer control technology from the perspective of low-carbon and intelligentization, analyzing the technological differences in control systems between domestic and international approaches. Current research challenges include the insufficient integration of control technologies with the drying process, limited control variables, the inadequate application of intelligent control strategies, and unstable sensor accuracy. To enhance the performance of grain-drying systems, this paper suggests optimizing control mechanisms, adopting efficient and environmentally friendly energy sources, improving sensor performance, introducing advanced intelligent control algorithms, and strengthening system monitoring capabilities. Looking ahead, with the further integration of AI, IoT, and green energy, grain-drying control systems are expected to evolve towards greater intelligence, remote operation, and low carbonization, providing technical support for enhancing drying efficiency and environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shenyang Agricultural University is the property of Journal of Shenyang Agricultural University Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

MoVTeNbO catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis in a solution containing a drying control chemical additive (DCCA) such as propionic acid (PA) or formamide (FA). The performance of the prepared catalysts in propane oxidation for producing acrylic acid (AA) was improved because the catalyst showed an increase in both the activity and AA selectivity. The activity was increased due to an increase in the surface area and in the oxygen mobility. The AA selectivity was increased due to a decrease in the number of acidic sites, which were responsible for the unselective and deep oxidation of intermediates. The catalyst performance was degraded when excess amounts of DCCA were used in the preparation step because the surface area decreased, due to the residues of DCCA, and the surface density of acidic sites increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental results of the influence of drying control chemical additives (DCCAs)-such as formamide (FA), N-methyl formamide (NMF), N-N′-dimethyl formamide (DMF), acetamide (AA), glycerol (GLY), and oxalic acid (OXA)-on the physical and optical properties of nanocrystalline cadmium sulfide (CdS)-doped silica xerogels were reported in this paper. Tetraethylorthosilicate [TEOS, Si(OCH)] was used as a precursor for the three-dimensional silica network in which the CdS nanocrystallites were trapped. Silica alcosol was prepared by taking the mixture of ethanolic (EtOH) TEOS, water (HO), hydrochloric acid (HCI), and ammonium hydroxide (NHOH). Ethanolic cadmium acetate [Cd(CHCOO) ⋅ 2HO] and thiourea [CS(NH)] were added to the alcosol for the formation of CdS crystallites. To study the effect of DCCAs on the physical and optical properties of nanocrystalline CdS-doped silica xerogels, the molar ratio of TEOS:EtOH:HO:HCl:NHOH:Cd(CHCOO) 2HO:CS(NH) was kept constant at 1:5:7:0.01:0.0027:0.001:0.002, respectively, and the molar ratio of DCCA/TEOS was varied from 0.001 to 1. The addition of DCCAs (e.g., formamide) resulted in decreased gelation time ( tg) from 240 to <20 hrs. Transparent CdS-doped alcogels and xerogels were obtained for the DCCA/TEOS molar ratios of <0.5, whereas turbid alcogels and translucent nanocrystalline CdS-doped silica xerogels were obtained for higher DCCA/TEOS molar ratios (>0.5). It has been found that the percentage of volume shrinkage of the samples, when heated at 300°C for 3 hr, was more (>15%) for OXA, GLY, and DMF and the shrinkage was less (<15%) for AA, NMF, and FA. The density of the CdS-doped silica xerogels with DCCAs was less than that without DCCAs. Red shift was observed in the optical absorption spectra of the samples with addition of the DCCAs. An increase in CdS crystallite size in the silica matrix with the incorporation of DCCAs was observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns in the order: OXA < GLY < DMF < AA < NMF < FA. From XRD studies, the structure of the CdS crystallites in the silica matrix was found to be hexagonal wurtzite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new technology, based on the use of an array of thin-film thermocouples, is proposed for the real-time and non-invasive monitoring of product temperature during a freeze-drying cycle. This array of thin-film thermocouples was demonstrated to give quantitative accurate results without altering the freezing and drying behavior of the monitored vials, making this sensor a good alternative to conventional wire thermocouples. Furthermore, unlike conventional thermocouples, the array of thin-film thermocouples can measure the entire temperature profile within the product being dried and can also measure the position of the interface of sublimation. This information was then used to estimate the heat and mass transfer coefficient of the system under investigation, showing a fairly good agreement with data obtained by conventional, time-consuming procedures. Finally, it is shown how these parameters can be used to guide the lyophilization professional during the cycle development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A number of contributions have been made in the field of chemical process monitoring and control with applications ranging from simple flow and temperature control to highly complex inferential adaptive control systems in biochemical and polymer production. These technologies face difficulties when applied to drying equipment, due to the inherent complexity of the operation. This article shows some recent trends in monitoring and control of drying processes. This review is organized in sections according to the transport phenomena involved in the operation of a dryer. In each section, examples of recent trends in monitoring and control strategies of key variables directly related to these transport phenomena are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Common drying schedules are intended for different species with average properties and frequently they are too conservative. The algorithm allowing the drying optimization of a board batch in real-time scale using computer simulation is described in this article. The method of calculation of simulation model factors using interrelation of parameters of wood properties is described. Allowable reduction of residual wood strength was used as a criterion to find temperature levels at optimization of drying of a board batch. The proposed algorithm for the computation of the optimal drying parameters was tested experimentally in an industrial kiln. Results of tests have confirmed the reliability of the algorithm and the opportunity of its use for the creation of intelligent control systems (ICS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dairy Science & Technology (Springer Science & Business Media B.V.) is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Dairy Science & Technology (EDP Sciences) is the property of EDP Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An on-line fuzzy controller was proposed to control water activity during the drying of cured sausages. Drying was carried out in a pilot-plant dryer. This controller focused on keeping the water activity at the desired value by raising and lowering the relative humidity set point using estimations of water activity (aws) and changes in surface water activity (daws) as inputs. By keeping the water activity at the product surface above a given value, the product's quality is ensured. Results showed that the water activity was controlled successfully, and that the controller was able to respond quickly to any disturbances that occurred during the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering is the property of Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rotary drum dryers operating in co-current mode are commonly used for drying food and feed in leaf form, reducing the damage caused by the high air temperatures typical of these dryers, as well as providing advantages including reduced drying times and increased energy efficiency. However, drying control to ensure a desirable product exit moisture content is strongly based on empirical practices, which are usually jealously guarded by producers and users, grounded in simplified mathematical modelling. To overcome these uncertainties, in this work, a more complete mathematical modelling approach, based on the solution of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), is developed. The ODEs describe the drying process in the drum dryer, where the air is continuously cooled and humidified as the product dries. The mathematical model developed was experimentally verified in a drum dryer by drying alfalfa, and the maximum relative error was found to be only 2.4%. Finally, a comparison between the complete model proposed here and a simplified model was conducted, using both for drying control to keep the product exit moisture content constant (i.e., at 0.111). The results indicated that the simplified model provided values of air inlet temperatures erroneously higher, up to +8.2%, with a consequent higher energy consumption, lower dried alfalfa quality, and a greater risk of fire, given that the product exit temperature was dangerously increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to obtain a steam-stable hydrogen permselectivity membrane, with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as the silicon source, zirconium nitrate pentahydrate (Zr(NO3)4·5H2O) as the zirconium source, and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) as the hydrophobic modifier, the methyl-modified ZrO2-SiO2 (ZrO2-MSiO2) membranes were prepared via the sol-gel method. The microstructure and gas permeance of the ZrO2-MSiO2 membranes were studied. The physical-chemical properties of the membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and N2 adsorption–desorption analysis. The hydrogen permselectivity of ZrO2-MSiO2 membranes was evaluated with Zr content, temperature, pressure difference, drying control chemical additive (glycerol) content, and hydrothermal stability as the inferred factors. XRD and pore structure analysis revealed that, as nZr increased, the MSiO2 peak gradually shifted to a higher 2θ value, and the intensity gradually decreased. The study found that the permeation mechanism of H2 and other gases is mainly based on the activation–diffusion mechanism. The separation of H2 is facilitated by an increase in temperature. The ZrO2-MSiO2 membrane with nZr = 0.15 has a better pore structure and a suitable ratio of micropores to mesopores, which improved the gas permselectivities. At 200 °C, the H2 permeance of MSiO2 and ZrO2-MSiO2 membranes was 3.66 × 10−6 and 6.46 × 10−6 mol·m−2·s−1·Pa−1, respectively. Compared with the MSiO2 membrane, the H2/CO2 and H2/N2 permselectivities of the ZrO2-MSiO2 membrane were improved by 79.18% and 26.75%, respectively. The added amount of glycerol as the drying control chemical additive increased from 20% to 30%, the permeance of H2 decreased by 11.55%, and the permselectivities of H2/CO2 and H2/N2 rose by 2.14% and 0.28%, respectively. The final results demonstrate that the ZrO2-MSiO2 membrane possesses excellent hydrothermal stability and regeneration capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice drying is a complex and nonlinear process, with product quality being easily influenced by numerous factors. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics causing variation in rice quality and provide novel insights for regulating and controlling rice drying operations. To this end, response surface methodology was employed to examine the hot air drying of rice. The study was centered on investigating the impact of different levels of drying temperature (35–55 °C), relative humidity (30–50%), initial moisture content (20–28%), air velocity (0.36–0.84 m/s), and tempering ratio (1–4) on the process. The measured parameters included the net drying time, total drying time, additional crack percentage, and head rice yield. The experimental data were analyzed using Design–Expert, and the results indicated that all the response quadratic polynomial models were statistically significant. All the linear terms had a significant impact on the response variables except for the impact of air velocity on head rice yield. Finally, process reference charts of actual drying operating conditions were established based on the regression models to provide a scientific reference for guiding the control of rice drying quality and integrating into intelligent grain drying control systems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring and controlling the drying process is crucial, particularly for rotary dryers, to ensure optimal quality and efficiency. However, due to the process's nonlinear behavior, delays, and input disturbances, achieving this can be quite challenging. Previous research has not adequately explored online forecasting for rotary dryer control in real production settings. To bridge this gap, our study focuses on tobacco drying in an actual plant and presents a novel online prediction model for moisture content. We conducted comparative experiments to validate the model's practical application in production settings and demonstrate its effectiveness in enhancing drying control. Our approach, called MCTFormer, has proven to be scalable to high-dimensional problems. The results of our study indicate a 45% improvement in product quality through accurate prediction of outlet moisture content, better control over moisture levels, and reduced energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research aimed to evaluate the effect of microwave-assisted conventional drying (hybrid drying) on the physico-chemical and functional characteristics of formulated instant banana-milk powders (IBSPs), and organoleptic attributes of banana-milk shakes during storage. The instant powders were prepared from ripe (IBSP1 (control) and IBSP2) and overripe (IBSP3) bananas using hot-air drying (control) and hybrid (microwave assisted hot-air) drying. The water holding capacity, water solubility index, and viscosity of fresh samples, IBSP1, IBSP2, and IBSP3 were 1.97, 1.53 and 0.60 g/g dry sample, 69.48, 75.21 and 76.62 g/mL and 82.29, 86.29 and 72.55 mPas, respectively. A significant (p < 0.05) increase in moisture content, water activity (aw), acidity, and non-enzymatic browning was observed in all the variants/samples during storage. Among various treatments, the shakes prepared by reconstitution (IBSP: water ratio, 1:4) of IBSP2 formulation rated highest organoleptically (significant, p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn2SiO4:Mn,Ba phosphor powders were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis from spray solutions with and without a drying control chemical additive (DCCA). N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) used as the DCCA affected the morphology, surface area, mean crystallite size, and photoluminescence intensity of Zn2SiO4:Mn,Ba phosphor powders. The phosphor powders prepared from a spray solution with an optimum concentration of DMA of 1 M had a finer size and narrower size distribution than those prepared from a spray solution without DMA. The mean crystallite size of the phosphor powders was changed from 37 to 44 nm depending on the concentration of DMA added to the spray solutions. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of the phosphor powders prepared from spray solutions with concentrations of DMA of 0.5, 1, and 3 M were 5.1, 3.2, and 2.1 m2/g, respectively. The phosphor powders prepared from the spray solution with an optimum concentration of DMA of 1 M had an 8% higher photoluminescence intensity than the commercial product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Preservation of fruits by drying is one of the general and important traditional technique followed by the process industries. An accurate controller of relative humidity and temperature is required for the fruit drying control system, which determines the quality of the dried fruits. OBJECTIVES: To design optimal Propositional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller based on the Particle Swarm Optimization and Radial Basis Functional Neural Network (PSO-RBFNN) for pineapple drying system. METHODS: A Propositional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller based on the Particle Swarm Optimization and Radial Basis Functional Neural Network (PSO-RBFNN) was proposed in this paper for pineapple drying system. Also, the coupling relationship of relative humidity and temperature is more complicated due to the fluctuations and non-linearity in the drying system. An intelligent Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) coupling model is utilized in this paper to access the coupling relationship between relative humidity and temperature. RESULTS: The proposed control system has been implemented in the MATLAB and results are compared with PID controller, Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) and Fuzzy PID controller for the performance constraints such as settling time, peak over shoot and steady state error. CONCLUSION: The proposed PSO-RBFNN based PID controller gives better control performance with the highly minimized settling time (42 sec for humidity and 40 sec for temperature) and completely eliminated steady state error and Peak overshoot. Finally, the PSO-RBFNN algorithm based PID controller is concluded as the effective system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The required microwave power input and moisture content prediction in microwave‐hot air dryer are challenging. In this study, two artificial neural networks (ANN) were investigated for modeling of moisture content of banana slices and required microwave power input. The experiments were done in five levels of microwave power density (MPD) (4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 W/g) with fixed mode and two levels (6 and 8 W/g) with variable mode at 40°C hot air temperature. The initial MPD, mode, and time were used as input variables in both ANN models. The ANN with 3–5–5–1 structure had best performance for MC modeling with 0.0148 of RMSE and 0.9998 of R for testing data. Also, the ANN with 3–3–1 structure could predict the microwave power with 14.013 of RMSE and 0.9929 of R for testing data. Real‐time verification of developed models showed that developed ANN models could predict microwave power and MC with fixed MPD with good reliability and confidence for online drying control but did not reasonably satisfy for variable MPD. Also, the appearance quality of the banana slices was monitored by machine vision. The results showed that the percentage of banana charring at the fixed MPDs of 6, 7, and 8 is equal to 12%, 24%, and 29%, respectively, whereas no burns were observed at the other power density levels. Practical applications: The main benefit of microwave drying is volumetric and high‐efficiency heating. But the temperature of the product at the end of drying process increased and brunt the product. Using the variable microwave power program is one of the famous methods for temperature control to prevent scrunching and burning the product. But powerful models for predicting the moisture content and microwave power during the drying process are not available. In this study, the drying kinetic of banana slices and input microwave power in the hybrid microwave‐hot air dryer under constant and variable microwave power was investigated and real‐time evaluating of the developed models for dryer control was examined. The results expressed the real‐time evaluation of the developed model had great accuracy and reliability and can be used for microwave dryer control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pd-doped methyl-modified SiO2 membrane materials were prepared by sol-gel technique with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) as silicon precursors, PdCl2 as palladium source. N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was used as a drying control chemical additive (DCCA). The samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetric (TG)-differential thermogravimetric (DTG) measurement. The effect of DMF addition on the phase and chemical structures of Pd-doped SiO2 membrane materials calcined at 350°C was discussed. The results showed that the diffraction peaks of metallic Pd0 and PdO appeared in the XRD curve of Pd-doped SiO2 membrane material without DMF, while only the metallic Pd0 diffraction peak can be explicitly observed in the Pd-doped SiO2 membrane material with DMF. DMF has no significant influence on the chemical structure of Pd-doped SiO2 membrane materials but can delay the oxidation of metallic Pd0 to PdO in the air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Harbour Engineering is the property of Editorial Office of China Harbour Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study evaluated the influence of heat input change on the drying kinetics, energy consumption, the color, and carotenoid retention during the drying of mangoes. The drying conditions in the first stage were 95°C for 40 min and 80°C for 40 min, so that the surface temperatures of the fruit at the end of this stage were around 60°C. The temperatures of the second stage and corresponding continuous drying (control) were 70 and 60°C. As a result, the thermal intermittence influenced the drying kinetics, causing significant reductions in the overall process time and providing energy savings when compared to continuous drying. The color parameters did not show relevant changes as result of the intermittent drying while good carotenoid retention was obtained in intermittent conditions, when the second stage was 60°C. Therefore, the carotenes were more sensitive to a temperature of 70°C, which highlights the importance of limiting the temperature of the mango to 60°C during the two drying stages to better preserve the quality of the dehydrated fruit. Moreover, the high air temperatures used in the first stage were advantageous for reducing the overall process time and providing energy saving. Practical Applications: Drying is an operation well known for the food industry. However, in so many cases, dryers are not designed with energy consumption in mind. Moreover, simple procedures can bring savings in convective drying, as shown in the present study, where the application of two‐stages in the convective drying of mangoes was advantageous to reduce the overall drying time and provide energy savings in relation to continuous drying. Besides that, good carotenoid retention was obtained using low temperature (60°C) at the second stage. The results can be useful for design of dryers and drying process, considering different temperatures. Intermittent drying of high moisture foods by varying the drying air temperature can be applied both on an industrial scale, in continuous belt dryers or in tunnel dryers, and on a small scale, using two or more dryers with different temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coating by sol–gel deposition to modify the tribological properties of K10 carbide cutting insert was performed. The study examines the thermal and tribological characteristics of uncoated cutting inserts and the cutting inserts coated with TiO2/8YSZ and TiO2/15YSZ layers respectively. The TiO2/8YSZ and TiO2/15YSZ coatings had a hardness of 1151.6 and 1678.9 HV, respectively, and the TiO2/8YSZ and TiO2/15YSZ coated inserts had scratch hardness of 2.73 and 22.98 GPa respectively. Among the uncoated and coated inserts, the TiO2/15YSZ coated inserts had the lowest coefficient of friction and rate of wear. The TiO2/8YSZ coated insert had a lower thermal conductivity when compared to TiO2/15YSZ coated insert and uncoated carbide cutting insert (10.3 vs. 14.1, and 41.8 W/m.K). The thermal expansion coefficients of the 8YSZ layers, 15YSZ layers, and carbide cutting tool were 3.66*10−6, 3.546*10−6 and 14*10−6 K−1, respectively. The reasons for the enhancement of the tribological properties of the carbide cutting tools by the ceramic coatings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food drying is a vital technology in agricultural preservation, where hybrid drying provides efficient moisture removal. However, the transient behavior of the moisture ratio (MR${\mathrm{MR}}$) and associated drying rate (DR${\mathrm{DR}}$) could increase energy consumption if not managed with an effective energy‐saving strategy. This study investigates the impacts of hybrid convection‐radiation drying on MR${\mathrm{MR}}$, DR${\mathrm{DR}}$, drying time, and energy consumption. Unlike previous studies, which have not fully addressed the connections between operating conditions and drying kinetics, this work provides new insights into these relationships. Additionally, an artificial neural network (ANN) control model is applied to optimize energy consumption, offering a new approach to improving the efficiency of the drying process. During the experiment, the airflow velocity was varied from 0.7 m/s to 1.5 m/s, the airflow temperature was varied from 40°C to 60°C, and the radiation intensity was varied from 1500 W/m2 to 3000 W/m2. The results showed that the transient behavior exhibited four data groups with consistent MR${\mathrm{MR}}$ and DR${\mathrm{DR}}$ through the mean and statistical analysis. Increasing radiation intensity and air temperature has decreased the drying time, while higher airflow has increased the drying time. The energy indices were enhanced by increasing radiation intensity and temperature while reducing airflow velocity. The measured MR${\mathrm{MR}}$ of all groups exhibited similar kinetics behavior, while the associated DR${\mathrm{DR}}$ exhibited similar clustering through the self‐organizing map. Those findings were further controlled using an ANN model with 99% predicting accuracy. With airborne heating at 60°C and airflow at 0.7 m/s, the radiation intensity is transiently controlled, showing a 6.5% drying time reduction and a 36% energy saving. Thus, controlling the radiation intensity and its impact on the slice properties is highly desirable in future work. This work could help designers improve the processing efficiency and energy conservation of garlic slices drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amazon is one of the largest and most diverse biomes on the planet. Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) Schum) and bacuri (Platonia insignis Mart.) are Amazonian fruit species appreciated for their sensory characteristics and promising availability of bioactive compounds. However, high moisture levels (>80%) make these pulps susceptible to deterioration during storage. In this study, the oven-drying process was monitored to produce dry and more stable pulps. The process was monitored at 40 °C, 55 °C and 70 °C, and the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity were determined as quality indicators. In general, drying at 70 °C for 340 min produced dried cupuaçu and bacuri pulps with high levels of total phenolic compounds: 288 and 652 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g, respectively. The hygroscopic evaluation suggested that both of the dried pulps should be stored at a relative humidity of <40% to avoid rapid water adsorption and it is advised to carry out the oven-drying process until up to 12% moisture is reached for cupuaçu and 9% for bacuri to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. Thus, this study expands the potential of bacuri and cupuaçu pulps for application in food industries, contributing to the economic and social development of the Amazon region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jurnal Veteriner is the property of Fakultas Kedokteran Hewan, Universitas Udayana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Grain drying control is a challenging task owing to the complex heat and mass exchange process. To precisely control the outlet grain moisture content (MC) of a continuous mixed‐flow grain dryer, in this paper, we proposed a genetically optimized inverse model proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller based on support vector machines for regression algorithm which is named the GO‐SVR‐IMCPID controller. The structure of the GO‐SVR‐IMCPID controller consists of a genetic optimization algorithm, an indirect inverse model predictive controller, and a PID controller. In addition, to verify the control performances of the proposed controller in the simulation study, we have established a nonlinear mathematical model for the mixed‐flow grain dryer to represent the nonlinear grain drying process. Finally, the control performance and the robustness of the GO‐SVR‐IMCPID controller were simulated and compared with the other controllers. By the simulation results, it is shown that this proposed algorithm can track the target value precisely and has fewer steady errors and strong ability of anti‐interference. Furthermore, it has further confirmed the superiority of the proposed grain drying controller by comparing it with the other controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sulfate dry-wet cycle erosion significantly affects the mechanical properties of concrete. Investigating the uniaxial compressive stress-strain relationship under these conditions is essential for developing accurate constitutive models. This study analyzes the uniaxial stress-strain curves of concrete subjected to dry-wet cycles in 5% and 15% sulfate solutions. The results show that the initial compaction phase in the stress-strain relationship is particularly pronounced under increasing sulfate concentrations and cycle counts. The concrete experiences an extended compaction phase, which accounts for up to 35.71% of the total strain process. This finding challenge traditional constitutive models, which struggle to accurately describe this phase. To address this issue, the study develops a nonlinear stress-strain model for concrete, incorporating the initial damage caused by sulfate dry-wet cycle erosion, based on Weibull statistical damage mechanics principles. The research indicates that the effects of sulfate concentration and cycle count are predominantly reflected in the pronounced nonlinearity of the skeleton strain function's opening size (a) and shape characteristics (b), modeled using a fourth-degree polynomial. The model demonstrates an excellent fit to experimental data with an R2 value of 0.99989, showing that the proposed nonlinear stress-strain relationship effectively captures the uniaxial mechanical behavior of concrete under sulfate dry-wet cycle erosion and provides a robust framework for developing constitutive models in such environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the most important stages of testing the levels of innovative readiness of a new machine and material construction solutions for closed loops of polymer powders in 3D additive manufacturing. The aim of this study was to indicate the state and directions of development of the technology of geometric recycling of polymer powders in 3D additive manufacturing, the need to control the geometric quality of the powders, and the quality of the design of machines for their processing in a closed circuit. The method was aimed at creating a strategy and verifying the stages of development of a new idea for stabilizing the geometric and dynamic design features of polymer powders for additive manufacturing (3D printing). Connections and relationships of the variable design features of powders, machines and devices with variable postulated states of products and processes allowed for the analysis, knowledge, description and development of variables for stabilizing geometric features of polymer powders in recycling. The results show the possibilities of supporting innovative creativity according to the adopted method, allow for determining the level of compliance of the quality of the products of the technical system, the effectiveness of preparatory processes for recycling and the non-toxicity of the products and processes of the new technology and their closed loop. The goal of developing useful design values, according to an integrated method of analysis, assessment and environmental development, was achieved, including the proposal of design features of razor blade shredders, supported by genetic algorithms, and devices for stabilizing polymer powders in additive manufacturing with recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practical aspects of the successful preparation of monolithic poly(methylsilsesquioxane) (PMSQ) aerogels with glasslike transparency via ambient pressure drying (APD) are discussed in detail. Two-step acid-base process starting from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) in the presence of nonionic poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) surfactant and the use of strong base as polycondensation catalyst resulted in fine mesoporous structure, showing low bulk density (0.148 g cm−3) and glasslike transparency (95% at 10 mm thickness). Cracking and irreversible shrinkage during APD have been prevented by optimized aging and drying processes. In particular, aging in an aqueous alcohol solution containing a low concentration of MTMS under controlled temperature has been found to be crucial in obtaining PMSQ aerogels with crack-free, low-density, glasslike transparency, and monolithic nature. A large-area APD aerogel in 93 × 93 × 6 mm3, with thermal conductivity of 15.6 mW m−1 K−1, has successfully been obtained due to optimizations of aging and drying conditions. Similar APD aerogels have also been obtained when alkali metal hydroxides, especially lithium hydroxide, are employed as base catalysts. These findings are expected to play important roles in designing industrial productions of monolithic aerogels for thermal superinsulation and other applications. Highlights: Poly(methylsilsesquioxane) aerogels with glasslike transparency were prepared from methyltrimethoxysilane. Aerogels were obtained also by ambient pressure drying in addition to supercritical drying. A large-area aerogel monolith with low thermal conductivity was successfully obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During retail storage, potato tubers are exposed to light that results in tuber greening. Green tubers are toxic and rejected by consumers. In the present study, the effect of Citrashine® natural wax on the postharvest tuber greening of two potato cultivars ('Mondial' and 'Sifra') was studied. The tubers were irradiated with white light during a 12-day storage period at ambient temperature. During light exposure, tubers were evaluated for colour, pigmentation, chlorophyll fluorescence and starch granule distribution at 3-day intervals. The results showed that wax-treated tubers had significantly (p < 0.05) less green colour as represented by visual and objective colour parameters (a*, b*, C* and h°), compared to those treated with water (control). The pigmentation of the tubers was significantly influenced by the postharvest Citrashine® natural wax treatment. The total chlorophyll content was significantly lower in wax-treated tubers, while the carotenoid content was significantly higher in wax-treated tubers compared to their contents in control samples. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the starch granule size was normally distributed in wax-treated tubers compared to the untreated ones, which was negatively skewed. In conclusion, Citrashine® natural wax showed the potential to be a postharvest technology for controlling greening defects on potato tubers. The results provide a possible effective strategy for controlling the postharvest greening of potato tubers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Objective) This study aimed to investigate the effect of soluble soybean polysaccharides (SSPS) on gel formation and properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI). (Methods) SPI suspension and gels with different amounts of SSPS were prepared, and SPI suspension and gels without SSPS were used as controls. The structural properties, physicochemical properties and gel properties were determined. (Results) During the preparation of SPI into gel, glycosylation reaction occurred between SPI and SSPS, which led to the change of the secondary and tertiary structure of SPI. With the addition of SSPS, the absolute value of zeta-potential decreased and the thermal stability increased. The ionic bond, hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bond content of gel decreased, and the covalent bond content of non-disulfide bond increased. When the addition was 10%, the surface hydrophobicity of SPI suspension decreased by 88.42%, the gel hardness decreased by 28.85%, and the water holding capacity increased by 40.72%. The SEM results showed that the addition of SSPS resulted in a loose and porous gel network and a decrease in gel strength. (Conclusion) The addition of SSPS in the preparation of SPI gel resulted in glycosylation reaction. With the increase of SSPS addition, the protein structure and gel properties changed more significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]