Drying of microalga Spirulina platensis in a rotary dryer with inert bed

[EN] The aim of this work is investigate the use of a rotary dryer with inert bed for drying of microalga Spirulina platensis. The influence of air temperature, feed rate, rotation speed and inerts filling degree was quantified. The contents of main bioactive compounds were also analyzed. The results shown that the used drying system proved to be an interesting alternative for a possible use of this microalga, if performed under adequate conditions. It was identified conditions with high drying performance and with the preservation of product quality