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...

Once raw sugar has been cleaned and melted, it enters one of the most transformative stages in the refining process: carbonation . This step is all about clarity — removing suspended impurities, reducing color, and setting the stage for high-quality crystallization. In this post, we’ll explore how carbonation works, why it’s essential, and how refineries optimize it for performance, yield, and sustainability. 🧪 What Is Carbonation? Carbonation is a chemical clarification method that uses lime (Ca(OH)₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) to precipitate impurities from sugar liquor. The goal is to form fine particles of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) that trap and carry away colorants, ash, proteins, and other non-sugar materials. Think of it as a controlled snowstorm inside a tank — tiny calcium carbonate flakes form and settle, sweeping impurities down with them. This process takes place in a specialized vessel called a carbonator — a large, temperature-controlled tank equipped with agitators an...

Efficient handling and storage of raw sugar are foundational to the success of any sugar refining operation. Proper management at this early stage ensures consistent feedstock quality, minimizes losses, and sets the stage for downstream processes like affination, clarification, and crystallization. This article explores the key considerations, equipment, and strategies involved in raw sugar logistics within a refinery setting. 🚛 Receiving and Unloading Raw sugar typically arrives at the refinery in bulk via trucks, railcars, or ships. Upon arrival, it must be unloaded efficiently to prevent contamination and degradation. Sampling and Inspection : Each shipment is sampled to assess moisture content, color, ash content, and ICUMSA color rating. This helps determine processing parameters and detect any off-spec material. Pre-Transport Testing : Before dispatch, raw sugar is tested for moisture content, particle size distribution, microbial load, starch, and dextran to ensure it meets tra...

Sugar Final product of Sugar Refinery. Chemically, a form of Disaccharides or Carbohydrates, essentially sucrose. Raw sugar is produced in a raw sugar plant and requires further processing in a refinery. Raw sugar is the raw material for sugar refineries. Some raw sugar mills have refineries attached to them. And there are standalone refineries that purchase raw sugar from raw sugar mills and refine it in their process house. Sucrose β-D- Fructofuranosyl α –D- glucopyranoside is the chemical name of sucrose, which is pure chemical compound of formula C 2 H 22 O 11 , widely known as sugar.  Source: Wikipedia Ash Content A quantitative measurement of Solid residue from incineration in oxygen presence. High ash content in Raw Sugar will require much more filtration and have a negative impact on total sugar refining capability. Ash content in sugar products is determined by incinerating a sample in the presence of oxygen and measuring the solid residue gravimetrically. During the ...