Valorization of Arabica Coffee Grounds through Infrared Drying for Efficient Resource Utilization

Wellerson de Oliveira Alves da Silva*, Lucas Gonzaga Fagundes, Camila Aparecida Lessa Soares, Nathan Mickael de Bessa Cunha, Luana Haeberlin and Renata Cássia Campos

Introduction: Spent coffee grounds are an abundant agro-industrial residue with high moisture content, which limits their storage, handling, and subsequent utilization. Infrared drying may improve residue stability while reducing the moisture load for further valorization. This study evaluated the drying kinetics and energy performance of Arabica coffee grounds subjected to infrared radiation and identified the mathematical model that best described the drying process. 

Methods: Drying experiments were performed in triplicate using an infrared moisture analyzer (IV2000) at 105 °C until mass stabilization. Experimental moisture data were fitted by nonlinear regression using the Newton, Page, Henderson-Pabis, Logarithmic, Midilli, and Two-Term models. Model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), chi-square (χ²), and mean absolute error (MAE).

Result: The Midilli model provided the best fit, with R² = 0.999, RMSE = 0.0078, and χ² = 0.0001. Drying reduced the sample mass from 31.216 to 9.377 g within 61 min, corresponding to 70% reduction in sample mass. Total energy consumption was 0.610 kWh, with a specific energy consumption of 27.93 kWh kg⁻¹ of evaporated water and an energy efficiency of 2.24%. 

Conclusion: Infrared drying effectively reduced the moisture content of Arabica coffee grounds and provided a suitable kinetic model for describing the process. The results provide useful information for optimizing drying conditions and supporting the stabilization and subsequent valorization of coffee-derived biomass residues.

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Published on: Sep 8, 2026 Pages: 15-24

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/gje.000118
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