DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT FLUX OF STARCH SOLUTION AFTER HEATED BY HOT

PLATE AND MICROWAVE OVER TIME IN COOLING PROCESS

Heng Joe Shen

Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur
Email: hengjoeshen@gmail.com

Abstract
The main objective to carry out this experiment is to investigate the difference between heat flux of starch
solution after heated by hot plate and microwave over time in cooling process respectively. A graph of
temperature against time taken and heat flux against time are plotted. Nearly similar trends are observed in both
methods although there are significant differences in the heat flux initially.

Keywords: hot plate, microwave, starch solution and heat flux.

1.0 THEORY
From the definition of heat capacity, the rate of heat loss of the starch solution is given by

(1)

Since there is no direct value given for the specific heat capacity of starch solution, we assumed that the heat
capacity of the starch solution is nearly identical with that of water, 4.178 J/g C. This is because the starch
solution used is very dilute, 2%.

Under continuous mixing by magnetic stirrer, instantaneous rate of heat flux, q can be calculated by
(2) where
= Mass of the solution
= Specific heat capacity of solution
= Temperature difference
= Cross sectional area of the beaker
= Time taken

2.0 METHODOLOGY
2.1 Apparatus and Materials
Two 100ml beakers, tissue papers, spatula, balance, magnetic stirrer, hot plate, microwave, thermometer, ruler
and stopwatch. Deionized water, ethanol solution and tapioca flour.

2.2 Conditions
1. The fan is switched off during the whole experiment to prevent inaccurate results. The heat loss is purely by
natural convection.
2. Both beakers are allowed to cool down on the same table to prevent deviations due to direct contact with the
outside environment.

2.3 Procedure
1. All the apparatus and materials needed are collected and washed with deionized water.
2. Ethanol solution is sprayed onto tissue papers. The tissue papers are then used to wipe the inner walls of all
the apparatus to ensure all viruses are killed.
3. Two beakers are labeled with hot plate and microwave respectively. Their weights are recorded
respectively.
4. 2 grams of tapioca flour is added into each beaker and their weights are recorded respectively.
5. 100 ml of deionized water is poured into each beaker. Their weights are then recorded again respectively.
6. The heights of the starch solution in the beakers, the inner and outer diameter of beakers are measured.
7. The beaker labeled with hot plate is heated using hot plate and continuously stirred using magnetic stirrer
until 80C. On the other hand, the beaker labeled with microwave is heated in microwave with magnetic
stirrer until 80C. Once they reached 80C, the beaker is immediately taken out respectively.
8.

oth are allowed to cool down by themselves to 2 C. At particular temperatures during cooling, the time
taken to reach particular temperatures for each beaker is recorded respectively.

9. All the data is tabulated and plotted in graphs.

3.0 RESULTS
Table 1: Measurement of the apparatus and materials
Hot Plate

Microwave

Mass of 100ml beaker (g)

61.4064

61.8578

Mass of 100ml beaker + starch (g)

63.4181

63.8607

Mass of 100ml beaker + starch + water (g)

165.4626

167.7971

Initial height of water level (cm)

5.30

5.30

Final height of water level (cm)

5.00

5.50

Interior diameter of 100ml beaker (cm)

4.90

5.00

Exterior diameter of 100ml beaker (cm)

5.30cm

5.40cm

Surface area of beaker + starch + water (m2 )

0.01053

0.01077

Surface area of starch + water (m2 )

0.00958

0.00982

Table 2: Time taken for the starch mixture to decrease from 80C to 29C and the corresponding
instantaneous and average rate of heat flux.
Tempe
rature
(C)
80
70
60
50
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
29

Hot Micro
Plate wave
(s)
(s)
0
350
799
1538
2926
3146
3366
3610
3879
4160
4500
4909
5350
5930
6633
7615

0
406
920
1710
2650
2817
2996
3183
3440
3684
3936
4284
4640
5030
5524
6066

Instantaneous rate of
heat flux including
beaker (J/m2 s)
Hot plate Microwave
0
0
1876
1617
1462
1277
888
831
473
698
298
393
298
367
269
351
244
255
234
269
193
261
161
189
149
184
113
168
93
133
67
121

Instantaneous rate of
heat flux excluding
beaker (J/m2 s)
Hotplate Microwave
0
0
1297
1118
1011
883
614
574
327
483
206
272
206
254
186
243
169
177
161
186
133
180
111
130
103
127
78
116
65
92
46
84

Percentage
difference
including
beaker (%)

Percentage
difference
excluding
beaker (%)

-16
-14
-7
32
24
19
23
4
13
26
15
19
33
30
45

-16
-14
-7
32
24
19
23
5
13
26
15
19
33
29
45

Graph 1: Graph of temperature against time taken by starch mixture to decrease from 80C to 29C.
90
80
70
Temperature_hotplate

60

Temperature_microwave
50
40
30
20

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

time1 time2

Time taken (s)

Graph 2: Graph of temperature against time taken by starch mixture to decrease from 80C to 29C.
2000

1800

1600

Heat flux (J/s*m2)

1400

Heat_flux_hotplate_wbeaker

1200

Heat_flux_microw ave_wbeaker
Heat_flux_hotplate_woutbeaker

1000

Heat_flux_microw ave_woutbeaker
800

600

400

200

800

1600

2400

3200

4000

4800

5600

6400

7200

8000

time1 time2 time1 time2

Time taken (s)

4.0 DISCUSSION
From graph 1, both starch solution heated using hotplate and microwave show almost similar trend although
overall, the starch solution heated using hotplate took 7615 seconds to reach 29C compared to 6066 seconds
only using microwave.
4

From both graph, it is observed that the starch solution heated using hotplate cools down faster initially but the
heat flux eventually drops below that of microwave at some points. Both the heat flux eventually reached a
nearly identical value towards the end. The difference varies from as small as 16.02% at 70C to as large as
44.63% at 29C.

Similar trends are observed when we exclude the mass and surface area of beaker in the calculation. The
difference varies from as small as 16.01% at 70C to as large as 45.24% at 29C.

Errors involved in the experiment

In this experiment, there may be several errors that cause experimental results to deviate from theoretical
values.
Since one beaker is measured using thermocouple while another using thermometer, there may be slight
deviation in the time taken. There is possibility of parallax error too in using thermometer.
Since both beakers are not covered with aluminium foil to prevent heat loss via conduction, there is
possibility that some solution evaporated in the process or particles in the air contaminate the solution.

5.0 CONCLUSIONS
1. Both starch solution cools down in a similar trend.
2. There is a significant difference in heat flux between starch solution heated using hotplate and microwave
respectively.

6.0 REFERENCES
1. Azmi, A., Hasan, M., Mel, M. Ngoh, C. Single-step bioconversion of starch to bioethanol by the coculture of
ragi tapai and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Deparment of Chemical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala
Lumpur & Biotechnology engineering, Kulliyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia,
Kuala Lumpur.
2. Saelim, K., Dissara, Y. & Kittikun, A.H. Saccharification of cassava starch by Saccharomycopsis fibuligera
YCY1 isolated from Loog-Pang (rice cake starter). Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of AgroIndustry & Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla Universit y, Hat Yai,
Songkhla, 90112 Thailand.
3. Ko, S.D. Tape Fermentation. Agricultural University, Department of Food Science, Wageningen.
Netherlands.
4. Borglum, G.B. Starch Hydrolysis for Ethanol Production. Miles Laboratories, Inc. Industrial Products
Group, Elkhart, Indiana.
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