Based on the criteria of lowest reduced chi-square
and RMSE and highest R2, the best model describing
the thin layer drying characteristics was chosen.
In this study as the temperature was not a
measurable variable in the standard microwave oven
used for drying process, the Arrhenius equation was
used in a modified form to illustrate the relationship
between kinetic rate constant and the ratio of the
microwave output power to sample amount instead of
temperature for calculation of the activation energy.
After evaluation of the data, the dependence of the
kinetic rate constant on the ratio of microwave output
to sample amount was represented with an exponential
equation (9) derived by Dadali et al. (2007);