DINÁMICA DE LA TRANSFERENCIA DE MASA EN LA DESHIDRATACIÓN OSMÓTICA CON PULSO DE VACÍO DE LÁMINAS DE SARDINA MASS TRANSFERENCE DYNAMICS IN PULSED VACUUM OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION OF SARDINE SHEETS

The Azuara et al. (1992) model was tested for validity in the case of pulsed vacuum osmotic dehydration of sardine sheets kept at different conditions of brine concentrations (21, 24, and 27% NaCl) and temperatures (30, 32, 34, 36, and 38o C). High determination coefficients (R 2 > 0.92) underscored the acceptability of the model for the study of mass transfer dynamics. The rate constants for water loss and salt gain were determined. At constant temperature the rate constants for both water loss and salt gain increased (p 0.05), but the salt gain rate constant increased when the temperature rose. Multiple linear regression fit the rate constants as functions of brine concentration and temperature. The models thus fit accounted for a rate constant variability of 97.52% in water loss and 97.77% in salt gain.