Abstract:
Ultrasonication deployment provides a green and non-thermal option to traditional
hydrothermal treatment. This study presents the impact of ultrasonication and soaking
temperatures (30 and 50 C) on the water uptake and hardness of two cowpea
types under increasing soaking times (15–240 min). Moisture content and hardness
of the studied samples were measured using standard test methods and instruments.
An increase in soaking temperature and the use of ultrasonication enhanced water
uptake and reduced hardness. Ultrasonication improved mass transfer, which
enhanced the diffusion of water uptake. The samples' water uptake and softening
characteristics were significantly modeled with high accuracy (R2 = 0.99) using sigmoidal
and first-order kinetics equations, respectively. The impact of sonication was
found to be more significant at 30 C soaking of the studied cowpeas as the soaking
time increased. This work justified using ultrasonication as a green technique to
enhance the softening of cowpeas.
