RATIONAL PARAMETERS OF THERMAL VACUUM EXTRUSION OF OATS

Abstract

The studies have shown that decreasing the pressure in the vacuum chamber and increasing the holding time of the extrudate contribute to an increase in its porosity, as well as dehydration of the product to the optimum moisture level (8-10%). The main factors affecting the porosity of the oat extrudate are the moisture content of the feedstock, the pressure in the vacuum chamber and the time of its exposure. The conducted factorial experiment and the constructed regression model confirmed a high degree of explanation of the influence of these factors on the result, while the holding time and humidity were the most significant. The response analysis showed that the highest porosity (83-85%) can be achieved at pressures of 30-50 kPa, humidity of 14-22% and a holding time of 18-26 seconds. When these values are exceeded, the saturation effect or even a decrease in porosity is observed, which emphasizes the importance of observing rational parameters. The developed model can be effectively used to control the thermal vacuum extrusion process in order to improve the quality and energy efficiency of the finished product.