Comparative Analysis of the Effect of Size Reduction on the Drying Rate of Cassava and Plantain Chips

The effect of size reduction on the drying rate of cassava (Manihot sp.) and plantain (Musa paradisiacal) chips were analyzed comparatively through physical and statistical operations. In this study, duplicate cassava and plantain chips were used with varying thicknesses of 2mm, 4mm, 6mm and 8mm. The chips were subjected to natural sun drying with ambient temperature of 29C and artificial tray drying with the following conditions: dry bulb temperature of 60C, wet bulb temperature of 48C, air flow rate of 2.0m/s and relative humidity of 52%. The results showed that there was more moisture loss in the tray drying method than the sun drying with distinct difference in their respective moisture contents. The observed result was due to increase in surface area, drying conditions and the drying methods applied in which dried chip was attained at 9 hours of drying time for all thicknesses. The final dried products were found to have high rate of microorganism inhibition and considerable weight loss for cheaper transport and storage.