Dados do Trabalho

Título

USE OF PLANT ADDITIVES FOR OBTAINING GRUMIXAMA PULP FOAM (EUGENIA BRASILIENSIS LAMARCK) FOR APPLICATION IN FOAM-MAT DRYING

Introdução

Foam-mat drying (DFM) involves producing foam from liquid or pasty
materials, incorporating proteins (foaming agents) and polysaccharides (stabilizers
agents). These materials are commonly juices, fruit or vegetable pulps. The foam formed
is spread out as a thin layer and subjected to convective drying; the product results in a
porous structure, similar to a honeycomb, and water removal is facilitated because of this
structure. Plant-based proteins have a lower foaming capacity and stability than animal-based proteins, so using them becomes challenging. Thus, this work aimed to develop a foam from grumixama pulp with parameters that allow its drying in foam mat.

Material e Métodos

For this, a formulation was developed with grumixama pulp, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and a
soy protein isolate (SPI) solution (22% w/v) in proportions of 94.78%, 0.36%, and 4.86%
(w/w), respectively. Initially, the grumixama pulp and CMC were homogenized in a hand
blender; then, the SPI solution was added, and the mixture was beaten in a stand mixer
for 7 minutes. The parameters of density, expansion, and foam stability were analyzed.
For the evaluation of drying parameters, the foams were spread in trays with a thickness
of 7 mm and dried in an oven with air renewal at 50 and 70 °C (air velocity = 0.53 m s-1).

Resultados e Discussão

The foam showed suitable parameters for use in DFM: low density (0.167 ± 0.004 g
cm-3), high expansion (472.37 ± 7.82%), and excellent stability, as liquid drainage in two
hours was 0.27 ± 0.23 mL. The drying times, drying rates, and moisture contents of the
dehydrated foams at 50 and 70 °C were: 130 and 90 minutes, 0.086 ± 0.003 and 0.120 ±
0.001 g water per g dry solids min-1, and 5.71 ± 0.69% and 5.10 ± 1.80%, respectively.
The formulation with plant-based additives produced a foam with parameters well-suited
for application in foam-mat drying processes. The foam's low density, high expansion,
and excellent stability demonstrated its viability. Furthermore, the short drying times,
even at lower temperatures, highlight the efficiency of the foam-mat technique,
suggesting its potential for effective and rapid drying in various industrial applications.