Design and construction of low shear laminar transport system for the production of nixtamal corn dough

The tortilla is obtained by the traditional process of nixtamalization. This process has two disadvantages: production of liquid waste and it is in batches. Extrusion has resolved the problem of liquid waste, however, extrusion as of yet, has not been able to replace the traditional process of nixtamalization. This is because corn dough is a pseudoplastic fluid, which changes its viscosity in the presence of high shear velocities that occur inside the extruder. With this in mind, the following investigation proposes the mechanical design and construction of a low shear laminar transport system (LSLTS) for the production of corn dough for tortillas. This system consists of two thermally isolated stages: transport and cooking stages. The results showed that the prototype obtained meets the characteristics of homogenous cooking, low shear, absence of liquid waste and the product meets the specifications for nixtamal dough.