Modeling of Water Absorption of Ultrasound Applied Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) Using Peleg’s Equation

In this study, water absorption of chickpea was modeled with Peleg’s equation during soaking process at different temperatures (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 87, 92 and 97) °C with ultrasound (25 kHz-100 W, 40 kHz-100 W and 25 kHz- 300 W) and without ultrasound. K1 (Peleg rate constant) and K2 (capacity constant) significantly decreased from 96.28 to 5.43 s % d.b.^-1 and from 7.45x10-3 to 5.94x10-3 % d.b.^-1 with increase in temperature (20 to 97°C) and ultrasound treatments, 25 kHz-100 W and 25 kHz-300 W, respectively. Decrease in K1 and K2 demonstrating that the water absorption rate and water absorption capacity increased with time and temperature. High power ultrasound affected the rate of water absorption of chickpea more than low power ultrasounds. On the other hand, the rate of water absorption of chickpea was not affected with 40 kHz-100 W ultrasound application. Gelatinization temperature of chickpea from Peleg model was found as 60°C. Peleg model was successfully fitted to correlate water absorption of chickpea with soaking time and temperature.