Drying Kinetics of Turmeric Cubic Particles under Fluidized Condition

• This study is the first to report on the drying behavior and kinetics of cubic turmeric particles in a fully fluidized condition. • Fluidized bed drying significantly reduces moisture content to below 7.5% db (8.13% wb) within 4 hours at 60°C. • Drying at 40°C exhibited a constant-rate period while those at 50°C and 60°C transitioned directly to the falling-rate stage. • Effective diffusivity increases from 4.64×10⁻¹⁰ to 9.93×10⁻¹⁰ m²/s as temperature rises from 40°C to 60°C, with an activation energy of 32.33 kJ/mol. • Four- and five-degree polynomials and five thin-layer models fit the drying kinetics well (R² > 0.9, χ² 0.9, χ 2 <0.001). These results highlight fluidized bed drying at higher temperatures as efficient for shortening drying time and optimizing moisture removal in industrial turmeric processing. This study addresses a key gap in turmeric drying kinetics under fluidized conditions, aiding process control and commercialization.