ABSTRACT
Properties of food and food ingredients are critical parameters in the design of a process used in the manufacturing of a food product. Although property magnitudes may be estimated based on published values for similar materials, improvements in process efficiency and the design of equipment used to perform the process, depend on more accurate property magnitudes. Thermophysical properties are unique and influence the design of any thermal process; a food manufacturing process involving changes in temperature of the ingredients and product. Thermophysical properties normally include specific heat, density, and thermal conductivity. Individually, these properties may have influence on process evaluation and design. For example, specific heat and density are important components of an analysis involving mass and/or energy balances. Thermal conductivity is the key property in the quantification of thermal energy transfer within a material by conduction. The combination of the three properties is thermal diffusivity, a key property in the analysis of unsteady-state heat transfer.
