Curing process processes during drying

Choice of harvest dates and postharvest handling can be very important. The amount of alliin and y-glutamylcysteines present in the bulbs increases severalfold in the 4 weeks prior to harvest time. In addition, alliin increases by approximately 25% during the typical curing process (whole plants dried in the shade for at least 2 weeks). A delay in the normal harvest date by 2 weeks (until the plants are almost completely brown) increases the content of these compounds an additional 20% on a dry weight basis (Lawson, 1998a). 

Another modification of this process was reported in 1988 (84). In this process, a precondensate of THPC and urea, plus excess urea, are neutralized to a pH of about 5.7, and the buffer salt is added. The fabric is then given a standard pad-dry-cure process followed by oxidation and laundering. The principal advantage of this modification is a reduction in both formaldehyde vapors and phosphine-like odors released during processing (84). 

Several variations on the conventional pre-cure process have been explored, including short one-step flash-dry-curing (shock condensation) of cellulosic fabrics with the risk of crosslinker migration during the quick drying. The... 

Plate curing. Pallets with plates are placed in a high humidity chamber and left to cure at 35 °C for 48—72 h. During the curing process, lead in the paste is oxidized, the basic lead sulfates recrystallize and the plates are then dried to moisture content <0.5%. 

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