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There is an inevitable demand for attempts to be made regarding hydration process enhancement of agricultural products. In this realm, application of cutting‐edge ultrasound technology has been recently arisen as promising tool. This investigation covers thermodynamic aspects of the effect of ultrasonication on hydration mechanism of wheat. The hydration process was performed at five hydration temperatures of 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C in ultrasonication conditions named control (without ultrasound treatment), US1 (25 kHz, 360 W), and US2 (40 kHz, 480 W). Thermodynamic parameters of activation energy, enthalpy, entropy, and the Gibbs free energy during hydration process were then determined. In accordance with obtained values of the parameters, it can be addressed that ultrasound‐assisted hydration process was endothermic reaction corresponds to an increase in system order as well as it was not spontaneous for each experimental hydration temperature and ultrasonication condition. It should be also pointed out that ultrasonication condition reduced activation energy, enthalpy change, and the Gibbs free energy change by approximately 15, 17, and 9%, respectively. However, it increased entropy change by approximately 9% for all hydration temperatures. Practical applications The outcome of this attempt could be served as a tool for deep root understanding of heat and mass transfer phenomena during ultrasound‐assisted hydration process of wheat kernel in seed priming, flour milling (tempering), making dough, and wet storage processes.

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Higher hydration temperature is commonly applied to enhance hydration process of grains. Ultrasound technology is recently employed as an alternative approach for enhancement of the process. This paper describes the combined effect of ultrasonication and hydration temperature on water absorption of barley grain during hydration process. The process was carried out at five hydration temperatures of 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60°C in hydration conditions named control (without ultrasound treatment) and ultrasonication (25 kHz, 360 W). Results were comprehensively analyzed and modeled to determine hydration kinetics and thermodynamic parameters of the process. Optimization of steeping phase of malting operations was considered using practical application of the results. The results indicated although thermosonication enhanced water absorption of the grain during the process, the ultrasonication effect on water absorption was less evident at higher hydration temperature. Modeling results demonstrated that mean of hydration time required to obtain desired moisture content for the steeping phase was decreased 77.87% as hydration temperature increased from 20 to 60°C along with hydration condition changed from control to ultrasonication. Obtained values for thermodynamic parameters indicated that ultrasound‐assisted hydration process was endothermic reaction with an increase in system order. Practical applications This paper contributes valuable academic knowledge and industrial application for the combined effect of ultrasonication and hydration temperature on water absorption of barley grain during hydration process. The results allow experts to gain fundamental insights into phenomena that were previously inaccessible. According to the results, it is recommended to concurrently employ both approaches of higher hydration temperature and ultrasonication for decrement of hydration time in steeping phase of malting operations.

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