Effect of Sugars on the Water Diffusivity in Hydrated Granular Starches

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Abstract
The effective diffusivity of water (D) in hydrated mixtures of two granular starches and three sugars (glucose, sucrose and dextrin) was investigated in the temperature range 40‐100°C. Spherical samples (2‐cm diameter) of the hydrated mixtures were air‐dried at controlled conditions and the D values at various moistures were estimated from the slopes of the drying curves. The sugars reduced significantly the D values in proportion to their molecular size. The changes in water diffusivity were related to the porosity of the samples. Temperature had an Arrhenius‐type effect, and the estimated energies of activation for diffusion of water increased significantly by the addition of sugars.