A New Laboratory Dryer for Analyzing the Deterioration Kinetics of Biomaterials

Convective drying is a cost saving preservation technique for the production of bulk products. However, heat sensitive bioproducts may be damaged by convective drying. This paper presents the conception of a convective laboratory dryer with particular features for a simple and rapid examination of deterioration processes during the drying of biomaterials. The dryer is described and results are given concerning the preservation of microorganisms for environmental applications. The results show that deterioration of gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas putida during drying caused by dehydratation. Membrane damage is one of the dehydration deterioration mechanisms. Drying temperatures below 40 centigrades ensure that thermal death P. putida is neglegible.