Refining of Raw Cane Sugar

Sugar refining has always been about precision. A small variation in pH during clarification or supersaturation during crystallization can make the difference between premium white sugar and off-spec product. As global demand for high-purity sugar rises and energy costs climb, refineries are turning to advanced process control and instrumentation to keep operations consistent, efficient, and safe. This article explores how modern sugar refineries use automation systems such as Siemens PCS 7 , smart sensors, and SCADA platforms to optimize performance across every stage of production. 1. Why Process Control Matters in Sugar Refining From the moment raw sugar enters the refinery until the final crystal is packed, dozens of critical parameters must stay within narrow limits. Effective process control ensures: Consistent quality – maintaining purity, ICUMSA color, and crystal size. Energy optimization – balancing steam, electricity, and water consumption. Safety – reducing...

Sugar refining is a multi-stage process that transforms raw sugar juice or raw sugar into high-purity, food-grade crystalline sugar. Each step plays a critical role in removing impurities, reducing color, and improving crystallization. Here's a summary of the major stages involved: 🏗️ Raw Sugar Handling ↓ 🧴 Affination ↓ 💧 Melting ↓ ⚗️ Clarification ↓ 🧲 Filtration ↓ 🎨 Decolorization ↓ 🔥 Evaporation & Liquor Concentration ↓ 🧪 Crystallization ↓ 🌬️ Drying & Cooling ↓ 📦 Screening & Packaging 1. Raw Sugar Handling Before refining begins, raw sugar must be properly received, stored, and prepared. This stage includes: Receiving and Inspection : Raw sugar is delivered via trucks, railcars, or ships and inspected for moisture, color, grain size, and contamination. Sampling protocols ensure representative analysis, and substandard sugar may be rejected or diverted. Storage and Inventory Management : Accepted sugar is stored in silos or warehouses with mo...

Crystallization and pan boiling are critical stages in the sugar refining process, directly influencing the quality, yield, and efficiency of sugar production. This article explores the science, equipment, and best practices behind these operations, with a focus on automation tools and energy efficiency to enhance modern refinery performance. In a typical sugar refinery, fine liquor—also known as clarified and decolorized syrup—is obtained after raw sugar solution undergoes clarification and decolorization processes. These steps remove impurities and colorants, producing a high-purity solution suitable for crystallization. After crystallization, the next step is centrifugation, where the massecuite (crystal-syrup mixture) is spun to separate sugar crystals from the remaining mother liquor. The separated crystals are then dried and cooled before packaging or further processing. 🧪 Crystallization Fundamentals Supersaturation Zones : Crystallization begins when the sugar solution reaches...

In the sugar industry, vacuum systems are used to create and maintain a low-pressure environment inside a vacuum pan during the sugar boiling process. The vacuum system is an essential part of the sugar refining process, as it allows the sugar to be boiled at a lower temperature than it would under atmospheric pressure, which helps to prevent caramelization and degradation of the sugar. The vacuum system typically consists of vacuum pumps , which are used to remove air, vapor and other gases from the vacuum pan, and a condenser system which is used to remove the water vapor that is produced during the sugar boiling process. The vacuum pump is typically a liquid ring pump or a rotary vane pump, and is capable of creating a vacuum pressure of several hundred mmHg gauge. As the sugar is heated and boiled in the vacuum pan, water vapor is produced, which is removed from the pan by the vacuum pump. The water vapor is then condensed back into a liquid by the condenser system, which typically...

This article provides an overview of the adverse role of Dextran and Starch in the sugar production process, including their effects on the process house and measures to control them. Dextran Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a type of lactic acid bacteria that can break down sucrose into dextrose and levulose through a biological process. Dextrose and Levulose are monosaccharide isomers of Glucose and Fructose. Leuconostoc mesenteroides produces an enzyme called dextran sucrase during the break-down which causes the polymerization of dextrose into a polysaccharide called dextran. C12H22O11 => C6H12O6+C6H12O6 => (C6H12O6)n Sucrose => Dextrose + Levulose => Dextran Dextran isn’t a specific molecule but rather a group of long chain polysaccharides which have a varying range of molecular weight from 2000 to 20000. Dextran is formed when many glucoses is attached together at ɑ 1,6 by glycosidiclinkages. It may also have branches at ɑ 1,2 or ɑ 1,4 or ɑ 1,4. Generally, it has more tha...