Preface

Sorption is a physical and chemical process by which one substance becomes attached to another. Specific cases of sorption are treated as: (i) Absorption – "the incorporation of a substance in one state into another of a different state" (e.g., liquids being absorbed by a solid or gases being absorbed by a liquid); (ii) Adsorption – the physical adherence or bonding of ions and molecules onto the surface of another phase (e.g., reagents adsorbed to a solid catalyst surface); (iii) Ion exchange – an exchange of ions between two electrolytes or between an electrolyte solution and a complex. At the beginning of the 21st century, separation processes presented a comprehensive application of the major operations performed by various industries, such as chemical, food, environmental, and biotechnology. Sorption, one of the preferred separation processes because of its effectiveness at different interfaces, has caught the attention of many scientists. This book is aimed at presenting a general knowledge of sorption and a number of applications, as well as recognizing its functions and paramount importance in chemical and biochemical plants, including environmental treatment. This book will be a reference book for those who are interested in sorption techniques from various industries. The above information clearly indicates that the "world" of sorption has various sections. Therefore, the target audience of this book is vast. Specialists, researchers, and professors from more than 20 countries have published their research in this book. We are grateful to all of the authors who have contributed their tremendous expertise to this book. We wish to acknowledge the outstanding support from Mr Gordan Tot, Publishing Process Manger, IntechOpen Science Croatia who collaborated tirelessly in crafting this book.

The future of sorption is indeed bright!

Chapter 8 143

Moisture Sorption Isotherms and Isotherm Model Performance

Evaluation for Food and Agricultural Products

by Ndubisi A. Aviara

II

George Z. Kyzas (MSc, PhD) Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, International Hellenic University, Kavala, Greece

Nikolaos K. Lazaridis (MSc, PhD) Professor, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Dedication

My parental Professor N. Lazaridis, who gave me the opportunity to follow the world of

Academia and Research.
