Specific heat measurement of organic and conventional coffee samples by thermal relaxation

Abstract

The specific heat at constant pressure (Cp) is a necessary thermal parameter in the description of the heat transport in a material, related to the adaptation to changes of temperature, which is very important in the valuation and inspection of inputs for the construction, adhesives, insulators thermal and electronic devices. In this work, a thermal relaxation system with infrared thermometry was used to determine the Cp of green coffee beans, measuring the temperature of the material placed inside a vacuum chamber that reaches a pressure of 10-2 Torr. The sample was heated by radiation with laser light and the data was obtained by means of an acquisition card. The calibration of the system was made comparing the values obtained of Cp of Zinc, Tungsten, Titanium and Steel sheets with those reported and similarity was found. This method was used to measure the Cp of samples of organic and conventional coffee; these values were subjected to an analysis of variance and significant differences were found with a confidence level of 95 %. This technique could be used for the discrimination of organic coffee in the certification process.