An empirical model for the estimation of moisture ratio during microwave drying of plaster of Paris

The drying characteristics of plaster of Paris (POP) under microwave irradiation were studied for different shapes of materials through various drying parameters like microwave power, initial moisture content, and drying time. An empirical model for the estimation of moisture ratio was developed using the drying kinetic data of POP. Further, the experimental data on moisture ratio of POP for different operating conditions were fitted with the nine basic drying model equations. Based on the observations, the constants and coefficients of the literature models were rewritten in the form of Arrhenius and logarithmic expressions considering microwave power as input variable. Fifty-eight new model expressions were derived by changing the constants and coefficients and tested using the present experimental data. From the analysis of RMSE, χ2, and EF parameters for the derived models, a suitable empirical model (Model No. 55, RMSE = 0.0874; χ2 = 0.0020; EF = 0.9999) was established to represent the present experimental data on microwave drying of POP.