International Journal of Food Properties

ISSN: 1094-2912 (Print) 1532-2386 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ljfp20

Latent Heat of Vaporization of Moisture from Red

Chillies

S. Kaleemullah & R. Kailappan

To cite this article: S. Kaleemullah & R. Kailappan (2005) Latent Heat of Vaporization of Moisture
from Red Chillies, International Journal of Food Properties, 8:2, 199-205

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1081/JFP-200060232

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International Journal of Food Properties, 8: 199–205, 2005
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Inc.
ISSN: 1094-2912 print / 1532-2386 online
DOI: 10.1081/JFP-200060232

LATENT HEAT OF VAPORIZATION OF MOISTURE

FROM RED CHILLIES

S. Kaleemullah
Department of Agricultural Engineering, SV Agricultural College, Tirupati, India

R. Kailappan
Department of Food and Agricultural Process Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricul-
tural University, Coimbatore, India

A method to develop a model for latent heat of vaporization of moisture in red chillies was
developed from moisture isotherm data. The latent heat of vaporization of moisture in red
chillies was high at low moisture contents and low at high moisture contents. The moisture
inside the chillies behaved almost like free water when the moisture content of chillies was
above 150% (dry basis). The developed model is useful in determining the total latent heat
of vaporization of moisture in chillies within the moisture limits of 400-5% d.b.

Keywords: Chillies, Latent heat, Model, Vapor pressure.

INTRODUCTION
Red chillies are the dried ripe fruits of the species of genus Capsicum. Chillies,
which contain a high moisture content (300-400% d.b.) after harvest, are highly perishable
and hence processing and storage of chillies are of considerable importance both to farm-
ers as well as to processors and consumers. Reducing the moisture content and providing
aeration to the chillies after harvesting is essential to avoid development of microflora and
subsequent loss of quality or even total spoilage.[1] Therefore, chillies need to be dried
quickly without impairing colour and pungency.
Information about the amount of heat energy required to vaporize moisture from
chillies during the drying process is important for the proper design of a dryer. The latent
heat of vaporization of moisture in fruits or vegetables is often determined by considering
the evaporation of free water as given in steam tables. The use of such data, especially at
low moisture contents, leads to considerable error in drying energy calculations. At high
moisture contents, the moisture inside the fruits or vegetables behaves almost like free
water, which can be removed with relative ease. However, at lower moistures, it is
strongly bound by physical and chemical forces.[2]
The binding of moisture inside food material is due to adsorption, a surface phenome-
non, though other factors such as capillary, solution, and chemical binding are also possible.[3]

Received 3 August 2004; accepted 9 November 2004.

Address correspondence to Dr. S. Kaleemullah, Department of Agricultural Engineering, SV Agricultural
College, Tirupati, 517 502, India. Fax: 91-877-2248667; E-mail: shaikkaleemullah@hotmail.com

199
200 KALEEMULLAH AND KAILAPPAN

Because the food material is a hygroscopic, it exhibits a vapor pressure less than that of
free water at the same temperature and, therefore, the heat energy required to vaporize
moisture from food material would be higher than that of free water.[4] The energy
required to evaporate moisture from grain especially at low moisture content is higher
than that of free water and depends on the type of crop.[5] The latent heat of vaporization
of the product can be determined from the equilibrium moisture content data.[6,7]
In simulation studies of a dryer, the total latent heat of vaporization of moisture at a
given chilli bed temperature and moisture range is frequently needed. Since at each layer
of chillies bed the temperature and moisture content vary with time, a model for total
latent heat of vaporization of moisture in chillies in terms of moisture range and tempera-
ture will be useful. In the present study, a systematic approach to develop such a model for
total latent heat of vaporization of moisture in chillies was adopted which can be extended
to any food material. Regression equations were developed for latent heat of vaporization
of moisture from brown parboiled rice,[2] wheat,[6] malt,[7] shelled corn, [8] soybean,[9] and
alfalfa pellets.[10]

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A method was proposed for determining the latent heat of vaporization of moisture
of any liquid using vapor pressure data.[11] The thermodynamic function Clausius–Clapeyron
equation, which expresses the temperature dependence of vapor pressure for phase transi-
tion from an adsorbed liquid to the vapor phase, was used. The equation was given as:

dpv L (1)
=
dT (vv − vl )T

At normal temperature and pressure, the specific volume of liquid can be considered to
be negligible compared to the specific volume of vapor. By assuming the vapor
behaves like an ideal gas, the following equation is derived after following the known
procedure:[11]

Lc
ln( pv ) = ln( pvs ) + C (2)
L

The vapor pressure of moisture in chillies at each moisture content was calculated as:

pv = ERH pvs (3)

To determine the latent heat of vaporization of moisture present in the chillies, an equi-
librium relative humidity data was generated within a moisture content of 400-5% d.b.
using a modified Oswin formula, which was proved to be the best for describing the
desorption of chillies:[12]

1 (4)
ERH =
  (a + bt )c 
   +1
  M  
 
 LATENT HEAT OF VAPORIZATION OF MOISTURE FROM RED CHILLIES 201

The calculated values of pv and pvs at the same equilibrium moisture contents were
then plotted on logarithmic scales. The slopes of the resulting straight lines were deter-
mined to give the latent heat of vaporization ratio (Lc/L). An equation was developed to
describe the latent heat of vaporization ratio as a function of moisture content. A model
was also developed to determine the total latent heat of vaporization of moisture in chillies
within the moisture limits of 400-5% d.b.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The equilibrium relative humidity data generated by using the modified Oswin for-
mula and the calculated equilibrium vapor pressure in chillies at different temperatures
and moisture contents are presented in Table 1. Fig. 1 shows that the latent heat required
for vaporizing moisture from chillies decreased with increasing moisture content. This
phenomenon confirms the fact that at higher moisture levels, the strength of water binding
decreases. This result in confirms with the result quoted in the case of alfalfa pellets.[10]
Lower values of latent heat of vaporization of moisture from chillies compared to those of
wheat[13] and brown parboiled rice[2] below 12% d.b. moisture content indicate that the
chillies desorb moisture easier than wheat and brown parboiled rice. The quantity of latent
heat required for vaporizing moisture from chillies increased considerably as the moisture
content of chillies decreased below 100% d.b. (Fig. 1). Similar results were noticed in the
case of brown parboiled rice,[2] wheat,[6] malt,[7] shelled corn,[8] soybean,[9] and alfalfa
pellets.[10] The latent heat of vaporization of moisture from chillies at a moisture content
of 5% d.b. was more by 34.21% than that of free water (Table 2). Furthermore, the latent
heat of vaporization of free water is not significantly different than the latent heat of
vaporization of moisture from red chillies for moisture contents above 150% d.b. (Fig. 1).
Beyond this moisture content, the moisture existing in the chillies may be considered as

Table 1 Equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) and actual pressure of water vapor (pv) in chillies at different
moisture contents and temperatures

Equilibrium relative humidity (decimal) Actual pressure of water vapor (kPa)

Moisture content
(% d.b.) 25°C 30°C 35°C 40°C 45°C 25°C 30°C 35°C 40°C 45°C

400 0.994 0.994 0.995 0.995 0.996 3.150 4.225 5.601 7.346 9.552
350 0.992 0.993 0.994 0.994 0.995 3.145 4.220 5.594 7.339 9.543
300 0.990 0.991 0.992 0.993 0.994 3.139 4.212 5.585 7.329 9.531
250 0.987 0.988 0.990 0.991 0.992 3.129 4.200 5.571 7.311 9.512
200 0.982 0.984 0.985 0.987 0.989 3.112 4.180 5.547 7.284 9.481
150 0.972 0.975 0.978 0.980 0.983 3.082 4.143 5.503 7.233 9.422
100 0.950 0.954 0.959 0.964 0.968 3.010 4.056 5.400 7.112 9.284
75 0.924 0.931 0.938 0.945 0.951 2.929 3.958 5.282 6.973 9.124
50 0.868 0.880 0.891 0.903 0.914 2.752 3.739 5.018 6.661 8.763
25 0.697 0.719 0.741 0.764 0.787 2.209 3.055 4.173 5.639 7.550
20 0.621 0.646 0.671 0.698 0.725 1.969 2.744 3.779 5.149 6.954
15 0.515 0.541 0.569 0.599 0.630 1.631 2.298 3.203 4.418 6.045
10 0.364 0.389 0.416 0.446 0.480 1.155 1.653 2.344 3.295 4.600
5 0.167 0.182 0.200 0.220 0.244 0.529 0.773 1.123 1.623 2.336
202 KALEEMULLAH AND KAILAPPAN

1.4

Actual values

predicted values
Latent heat of vapourization ratio (Lc/L )

1.3

1.2

1.1

1.0
0 100 200 300 400

Moisture content, % d.b.

Figure 1 Effect of moisture content of chillies on latent heat of vaporization (Lc/L).

Table 2 Latent heat of vapourization ratio (Lc/L) at different

moisture contents

Moisture content (% d.b.) Lc/L

400 1.0022
350 1.0027
300 1.0034
250 1.0045
200 1.0063
150 1.0096
100 1.0174
75 1.0264
50 1.0463
25 1.1102
20 1.1400
15 1.1836
10 1.2488
5 1.3421
 LATENT HEAT OF VAPORIZATION OF MOISTURE FROM RED CHILLIES 203

free water. A relationship between the latent heat of vaporization of moisture ratio and the
equilibrium moisture content can be expressed by the following expression:

Lc = (1 + 0.439107 e( −0.055122 M ) ) L (5)

with a R2 value of 0.99. The total latent heat of vaporization of moisture from chillies,
Lc( M1 to M2 ) within a moisture range of M1 and M2 can be determined by using the follow-
ing formula:

Total latent heat of 

  Weight of moisture  Latent heat of 
vaporization of   
   vaporization
moisture from chillies  =  to be evaporated  × of moisture  (6)
within a moisture   in chillies   
 from chillies 
range of M1 and M 2 

 M − M2 
Lc( M1 to M2 ) = (Wt. of bone dry material of chillies)  1
 100  c
L (7)

Substituting Lc value in equation 7,

 M − M2 
Lc( M1 to M2 ) = Wb  1
 100 
(1 + 0.439107e(−0.055122 M ) ) L (8)

Considering ‘dM’ as an infinitesimal increment in moisture content and integrating the

above equation within the limits M1 and M2,

M2
 dM 
∫ Wb  100  (1 + 0.439107e
( −0.055122 M )
Lc( M1 to M2 ) = )L (9)
M1

Substituting the values of M1 (more value) and M2 (less value) resulted in a negative value
for Lc( M to M ) , which implies the heat requirement to vaporize the moisture from chillies.
1 2
Hence, it is multiplied with –1 to get a positive quantity of Lc ( M to M ) .
1 2

M
−Wb L   2
∴ Lc ( M1 to M2 ) =  M 7.96609e( −0.055122 M )  (10)
100   M1

where M1 ≤ 400% d.b. and M2 ≥ 5% d.b.

However, the latent heat of vaporization of free moisture, L (kJ/kg) can be expressed as a
function of temperature, t (°C) as follows:[14]

L = 2502.535259 − 2.38576424 t for 0°C ≤ t ≤ 65.56°C (11)

L = 7329155.98 − 15.9959641(t + 273)2 for 65.56°C ≤ t ≤ 260°C (12)

204 KALEEMULLAH AND KAILAPPAN

Equation (10) is useful in determining the total latent heat of vaporization of moisture
from chillies within the moisture limits of 400-5% d.b.

CONCLUSIONS
The latent heat of vaporization of moisture from red chillies was high at low mois-
ture contents and low at high moisture contents. The moisture inside the chillies behaved
almost like free water when the moisture content of chillies was above 150% d.b. The
developed model is useful in determining the total latent heat of vaporization of moisture
in chillies within the moisture limits of 400-5% d.b.

NOMENCLATURE
a,b,c dimensionless coefficients
C constant of integration
ERH equilibrium relative humidity, decimal
L latent heat of vaporization of free moisture, kJ/kg
Lc latent heat of vaporization of moisture from chillies, kJ/kg
Lc( M1 to M2 ) total latent heat of vaporization of moisture from chillies within a moisture range
of M1 and M2, kJ
M equilibrium moisture content, % d.b.
M1 moisture content of fresh chillies, % d.b.
M2 moisture content of dried chillies, % d.b.
pv actual pressure of water vapor (kPa)
pvs saturation pressure of water vapor (kPa)
t temperature, °C
T absolute temperature, K
vl specific volume of liquid, m3/kg
vv specific volume of vapor, m3/kg
Wb weight of bone dry material of chillies, kg

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