Schinus molle L. is a tree commonly found in agricultural fields, deserts, and semi-arid areas of central Mexico. Its distinctive aroma makes it a source of essential oil, extracted mainly from the bark and fruits. The leaves contain phenolic compounds, and their extracts have demonstrated antimicrobial activity. Obtaining these extracts requires a prior drying process. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of convective drying on phenolic compounds in pirul leaves and determine the thermodynamic properties of the process, including the effective diffusivity of water vapor (D) and activation energy (Ea). Drying kinetics were conducted at different air-drying temperatures (30, 40, and 50 °C) at a constant rate of 1 ms⁻¹, and the results were fitted to the second Fick’s law and semi-empirical models. After drying, a decrease in total flavonoid content was observed as the drying temperature increased, with losses of 37%, 49%, and 62% at 30, 40, and 50 °C, respectively. The final values ranged from 37.96 to 21.02 mg QE/100 g of dry leaf. The D varied between 1.32 × 10⁻¹² and 6.71 × 10⁻¹² m² s⁻¹, with an Ea of 66.06 kJ mol⁻¹. The fitting criteria (R², RMSE, AIC/BIC) indicated that the Logarithmic model best described the kinetics at 30–40 °C, while Page was adequate at 50 °C. These findings suggest an inverse relationship between drying temperature and flavonoid content, while higher temperatures accelerate water vapor diffusivity, reducing the processing time, as observed in plant matrices.

In Mexico, mezcal production relies heavily on firewood, consuming up to 246 m³ per artisanal batch and producing approximately 2.4 t of bagasse for every 6 t of fermented Agave. This residue, with a calorific value of ≈19.4 MJ/kg, is a promising alternative to solid biofuels. Using a discrete-event simulation in Arena™ (version 16.20.09), the substitution of firewood with processed bagasse briquettes was evaluated at a distillery in the region of Tecamachalco. The model included drying, grinding, briquetting, and distillation, analyzing yield, resource use, and bottlenecks. Sensitivity analyses identified solar drying as the main constraint. The results show a reduction of up to ~30% in firewood consumption, promoting the principles of the circular bioeconomy and sustainable rural energy transition.