Drying kinetics and mechanical properties of low temperature microwave dried cashmere fibers

Abstract

Drying behavior of low temperature microwave vacuum–dried cashmere fibers and the drying rate at different times were investigated with different microwave powers, vacuum degrees and maximum drying temperatures to specify the optimum drying conditions in consideration of performance and drying efficiency in this study. The results show that higher microwave power can reduce the total drying time and significantly increase the drying rate in the initial stage. The degree of vacuum has a negligible effect on the drying behavior, and the influence of the three factors on effective moisture diffusivity is consistent with the drying behavior. Compared with hot-air-dried fibers, the mechanical properties of low temperature microwave-dried cashmere fibers could be significantly improved. In addition, excessive drying as delayed or overheated treatment will damage the fiber. The Page model is the most appropriate to describe the microwave vacuum drying of cashmere fibers.