The drying rate versus moisture content curves of apricots under different PDTHIC absolute humidity and drying temperature are illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The curves demonstrate that the drying rate was rapid at the initial stage but it presented drastic fluctuations during
the subsequent drying process. Different from the control group, several accelerating sections generated at the transition point of PDTHIC process. This might be due to the fact that the vapor partial pressure gradient suddenly increased at that point and promoted moisture movement.
Based on comparison and analysis, the absolute humidity parameter has a distinct effect on the drying kinetics of apricots and should be controlled rather than using continuous dehumidification for traditional practices.