Drying Process Factors Effect on Cassava Chips

Abstract

This study evaluates the influence of drying process parameters on cassava chips. Sun drying and oven drying methods were studied. Two key factors of drying time and drying temperature were investigated independently during oven drying. For each cassava variety, the chips were exposed to varying drying durations at constant temperature and to different temperatures at constant time to observe their effects on the moisture loss, cyanide degradation, and drying rate. It was discovered that temperature had a significant impact on the drying efficiency, in that, it governed the rate of moisture evaporation and further influenced the retention or degradation of cyanide compounds. Conversely, the effect of drying time alone showed limited variation in outcomes when temperature remained unchanged, suggesting that temperature is a more dominant variable. In sun drying process, solar intensity, ambient temperature, and relative humidity were inherently variable and were monitored daily. Chips were spread on clean concrete floors and turned intermittently from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. over six days. Sample B recorded highest moisture diffusivity ( Deff ) of 8.86 × 10⁻⁸ m²/s, suggesting that the specie allowed moisture to migrate more efficiently from the interior to the surface while Sample C showed lowest Deff of 5.77 × 10⁻⁸ m²/s, indicating slowest internal moisture movement and potentially denser chip structure. Diffusion dominated the drying process between 30–50% moisture content. Despite variability in sunlight, the results indicated that sun drying achieved better cyanide removal compared to oven drying, due to lower thermal degradation thresholds that favor cyanogen elimination. The analysis confirms that both temperature and species type are crucial process factors, and that their careful regulation can significantly improve drying performance, ensuring food safety and product stability.