Experimental Research for Determination of the Equilibrium Moisture Content Equation of Refined Salt

The research was conducted to determine the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of refined salt, aiming to ascertain the moisture content (MC) of the salt product exiting the drying machine and the moisture content during product storage. Determining the EMC of refined salt forms the foundation for developing the kinetic model of the salt drying process using the fluidized bed drying method. The experiments were carried out to determine the EMC using the static method. The experiments utilized saturated solutions of metal salts including ZnCl2, LiCl, KF, MgCl2, Mg(NO3)2, NaCl, KCl, and KNO3, which were placed statically in a closed container with stable MC at various temperature levels of 30 °C, 50 °C, and 70 °C. The total number of experiments conducted for this study was 24 samples. After each day, the samples were checked and weighed to determine their MC. The EMC of the samples, determined through two consecutive experiments, had a difference of less than 0.005. The experimental data was processed using the SAS version 9 software for nonlinear regression analysis of nine mathematical models related to the MC, as published by authors for food and agricultural products. Based on model selection criteria, the Modified Halsey model exhibited the best fit. The research successfully established the EMC of refined salt.