Predicting Equilibrium Moisture Properties of Soybeans

ABSTRACT The adsorption equiUbrium moisture properties for soybeans have been measured using a closed-loop dew-point method. Measurements cover temperatures of 10° C, 25° C, and 40° C and moisture contents from 13.6% to 25.0%, dry basis. The Modified Halsey equation was found to provide the best fit to the experimental data. Little or no hysteresis was found to exist between the adsorption EMC data from this study and the desorption data of Sulaiman (1986). The two data sets were therefore combined and used to determine new constants for the Modified Halsey equation. Resulting predictions should be useful in modelling soybean aeration and low temperature drying systems.