Thermal properties of soursop seeds and kernels

The thermal properties of soursop seeds and kernels were determined as a function of moisture content, ranged from 8.0 to 32.5% (d.b.). Three primary thermal properties: specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were determined using Dual-Needle SH-1 sensors in KD2-PRO thermal analyser. The obtained results shown that specific heat capacity of seeds and kernels increased linearly from 768 to 2,131 J/kg/K and from 1,137 to 1,438 J/kg/K, respectively. Seed thermal conductivity increased linearly from 0.075 to 0.550 W/m/K while it increased polynomially from 0.153 to 0.245 W/m/K for kernel. Thermal diffusivity of both seeds and kernels increased linearly from 0.119 to 0.262 m2/s and 0.120 to 0.256 m2/s, respectively. Analysis of variance results showed that the moisture content has a significant effect on thermal properties (p ≤ 0.05). These values indicated the ability of the material to retain heat which enhances oil recovery and can be used in the design of machine and selection of suitable methods for their handling and processing.