1999
SPRI SYMPOSIUM
ABSTRACTS of PRESENTATIONS
SYMPOSIUM ON ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR RAW SUGAR AND CANE AND BEET REFINED SUGAR PRODUCTION
Sugar Processing Research Institute, Inc.
September 8-10, 1999
Abstracts
are presented in alphabetical order according to first author. Abstracts
of poster presentations following this section are also according to first
author.
Ultra-Filtration Technology Applications in the Raw Sugar
Industry. José Alvarez, Vice President of Planning and Plant
Operations,
Trials of several filtration technologies at Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida have included micro-filtration, ultra-filtration and nano-filtration. The results of the pilot plant studies have been summarized comparatively. The potential and long-term implications of these technologies on the raw sugar industry are discussed. Other related applications to the raw sugar process are discussed, with the results of some trials given.
Simplified Cane Refining Process, Ray Burke, Technical Director, Savannah Sugar Refinery, Savannah, Georgia, USA
Color removal is a major control factor in the cane sugar refinery, and most refiners have settled into one of several proven technologies using carbon, bone char or ion exchange. Yet each one of these processes is complicated by increased energy consumption and the generation of waste streams. A review of recent developments in color removal will challenge sugar technologists to consider innovative approaches that should result in a simplified cane refining process, while reducing refining costs, avoiding environmental problems, and improving process efficiencies.
R&D for Sugar Refining Process Improvement, Luis Bento, Process and Development Manager, RAR - Refinarias Açucar, Portugal
A cane
sugar refinery must process its raw sugar to obtain a high quality final
product, efficiently with a low consumption of water, energy and chemicals, and
producing as low effluents as possible. A continuous effort of applied research
supported by basic research is necessary to find the possible solutions to
achieve the mentioned goals. Three research levels are considered: fundamental
research, mainly done by Universities, applied research performed in Research Centers and “on-line” research done in the
Industry. These three levels of research activity must interact in order to
achieve the research goals.
At RAR
Refinery a continuous effort of applied “on line” research is done
with the support of Universities and Research Centres. Weekly the research team
meets in the Refinery and work progress is evaluated and corrections to the
program are made. An exchange of information in both senses is essential for
the progress of the research projects
Selling
R&D to Your Management, Dr. Chung Chi Chou, Managing Director, Sugar
Processing Research Institute, Inc.,
A change has occurred in the global business culture due to strong competition and rapid technological changes, which has produced a bottom line orientation and emphasis on short term results, that at times appears to be very unfriendly to research and development.
Several observations regarding these trends are made. Today, at least in industry, basic R&D is not emphasized, and therefore trying to sell it to management will likely meet with failure or, at least, frustration. Fine tuning existing processes receives a better hearing, but it still does not produce enough return on investment to be really interesting to management. One area of process improvement quite often neglected is to re-evaluate the need for each existing process and how it can be eliminated or downsized based on the current business environment of global competition. Process development for specific projects, for example, such as cost containment in a certain area or pollution control mandated by new laws, may be what is needed for the intermediate term R&D program.
The most promising area for R&D in today’s market is in new product development, particularly food based products developed from the main product. For the purposes of our discussion here, this means the development of new sugar-based, value-added products from the mill or refinery. While developing research plans for these types of products, one must work very closely with marketing, and keep aware of consumer trends.
Future
Research and Development Programs, Dr. Stephen Clarke, Director, Industrial
R&D,
From “TO LIGHT SUCH A CANDLE” - a History of Technology, by K. Laidler:
1. Pure research should be judged entirely on the basis of its quality, and not in terms of possible practical applications.
2. Technology and engineering must be based on pure science; the time for empirical invention is long past.
3. Decisions about science and technology must be based on a careful consideration of all the factors involved.
Collaborative research for the sugar industry, especially that performed by an autonomous research organization, should address areas of common interest which are detached from the immediate profitability of the supporting companies. The competitive benefit generated by the work should be for the industry in general rather than for a subset of the supporting members. Some examples are:
1. Clarification and approval of regulatory aspects of materials used in process, for example, dextranase;
2. Analytical methods, both on- and off-line used for process control and evaluation and in relations with customers, both retail and industrial;
3. The development of tools that can be used by the industry for increasing profitability and productivity, for example, pinch technology for energy and water consumption and computerized fluid dynamics for improvement of equipment design and performance.
4. Control of fouling of industrial equipment, for example, microbiological fouling, the scaling of heat transfer surfaces and the fouling of membranes.
5. Preliminary evaluation of new technologies, for example, electrodialysis for ash removal and new materials for decolorization. Once the initial potential of the technology is realized, the development of the technology into commercially viable systems should be the responsibility of the individual companies.
Management support of research and development should distinguish between the initial research in a new area, which may be collaborative, and development, which is seen as giving a competitive advantage. The initial work may even be done outside the industry, for example, on enzymatic transformation or process control. This technology would then be transferred and developed by individual companies seeking financial benefits. The development of viable industrial processes is much more expensive than the initial research. Given the competitive nature of the sugar industry, it is difficult to persuade management to invest significant resources in projects over which they have little control. The support by management of internal research projects depends very much on the track record of the R&D group in taking projects through to profitable commercialization.
VLC
Sugar in
In Australia, VLC (very low color) sugar was developed by CSR Limited as a response to the intense competition in the refined sugar market in the mid-90's, where each refiner sought to minimize the cost of supplying white refined sugar to the Australian market. The VLC concept seeks to integrate milling and refining operations in such a way that the overall cost structure from crushing cane at a raw sugar mill to refined product delivery is reduced below that for competing systems, and product quality is enhanced. Effectively, some refining operations are transferred to a lower cost sugar mill environment.
VLC sugar is a high pol-low color sugar, typically 200-250 ICUMSA color and 99.8 pol. While it has a far higher pol and lower color than conventional raw sugars, it can be handled safely in the bulk storage and transport systems used for lower purity raws. It is produced in a modified raw sugar mill by remelting raw sugar and clarifying the liquor, followed by recrystallization. The process can be operated during the mill crushing season, when all of the mill’s raw sugar output is treated, as well as during the “melt” season when stored raw sugar is returned for processing and no cane is available.
All Australian VLC sugar is currently produced at
CSR’s Plane Creek Mill, located at Sarina,
In a refinery, VLC sugar is processed further to produce a high quality refined sugar of about 20 ICUMSA color. However, fewer refining process stages are needed. In particular, affination and clarification stages (carbonatation or phosphatation) are not required. Little or no adsorbent decolorization is necessary to produce a fine liquor stream suitable for conventional crystallization and finishing steps. In some cases, liquid sugar products may be produced directly from VLC sugar.
The cost benefits of VLC reflect the lower operating costs at the refinery, where savings in energy, manning and waste disposal may be achieved. These savings may be partly offset by small increases in mill operating costs and the price premium required for the higher purity sugar.
Systems
for Producing White Sugar, Mary An Godshall,
Senior Scientist, Sugar Processing Research Institute, Inc.,
The world of white sugar production has undergone many changes in recent years. As recently as 1994 (Licht), it was stated that the ratio of refined white sugar to direct production white sugar was approximately 1:2. Refined sugar is defined as processed, remelted raw sugar, while direct production white sugar, also called plantation white or mill white, is sugar produced directly at the mill where the incoming raw material is fresh cane, rather than raw sugar, as in a refinery.
Producing refined sugar from a sugar mill poses special challenges, and a number of new processes, which include innovative processing steps, have been introduced. Among the new processes used in sugar mills are included membrane filtration, ion exchange, ultrafiltration, and chromatographic separation.
In the refinery, changes in the quality of the incoming raw sugar can greatly affect the process, and process steps can actually be eliminated if the raw sugar color is sufficiently low. This trend has been evident for many years.
Another challenge in the production of refined sugar from highly colored feed material is to understand the nature of the colorant. It is well known that in the production of beet sugar, an acceptable white sugar can be boiled from a 2000 color feed liquor, whereas in cane sugar, the feed liquor has to be in the range of 100 to 300 ICU to produce 15 to 50 ICU sugar.
Novel
Application for Aluminum Compound Base Coagulants as Decolorizing Aids in Sugar
Refining, Robert Hatch, President, John Schaefer, Vice President of Sales,
Anthony Grzemski, Technical Director and Omar
Fuentes, Sales Representative, Kabo Chemicals,
The following study was performed to find better decolorizing aids for the sugar industry. An existing family of coagulants based on aluminum compounds used in water treatment were tested and showed a high potential for this application. The test of coagulants based on a blend of dimethyl amine epichlorohydrin (DMA-EPI) with one of the next two compounds: aluminum chlorohydroxide (ACH) or polyaluminum chloride (PAC) with different molecular weights (MW) and a polyacrylamide based flocculant was performed to help remove color in sugar. A standard test procedure for decolorizing was followed (color pricipitant/phosphatation/polyacrylamide). This test showed very promising results in decolorizing the melted liquor at one sugar refinery. To corroborate the results obtained, further testing at other sugar refineries in different locations was done. Here we report the testing and discuss the results of the study performed at various refinery locations.
High Efficiency Open Channel Membrane Device for Use in the Sugar Industry. Dr. Holly Haughney, Marketing Manager, Pall Corporation, Long Island, New York; Jason Jones, Manager of PallSep Application Engineering, and John Jusczak, Commercial Marketing Manager, Pall Corporation, Northborough, Massachusetts, USA
Membrane technology is emerging as a very promising new technology for use in the sugar industry. Most membrane configurations proposed for sugar applications are open channel devices that, by their nature, consume fairly large amounts of space and energy. In contrast the PallSepTM membrane technology is an open channel device that combines a high membrane packing density with high efficiency.
The PallSep system uses a
radically different operating mode, vibrational
energy, to attain much higher energy efficiency than competitive crossflow membrane devices.
The operation of a PallSep system will be
described. Various modes of operation
will be illustrated and the benefits of the vibrating membrane technology will
be discussed. Examples of test results
from the cane sugar industry will be presented.
Decolorization by Granular Activated Carbon with Pulse-Bed System, Wang-Dah Hsieh, Associate Chemical Engineer, and Yao-Chi Hsiao, Taiwan Sugar Research Institute, Taiwan
Syrup decolorization with activated carbon is a necessary process of improving the color removal in the sugar refinery. In order to save the investment, powdered activated carbon (PAC) was designed as the decolorizing adsorbent in the two refineries of Taiwan Sugar Co., Peikang Refinery and Hualien Refinery. Since the resulting massive PAC cake, which cannot be reused, was hard to handle to meet the requirements of the environmental protection regulations, granular activated carbon (GAC) decolorization system was studied to improve these disadvantages. Comparing pulsed and fixed bed GAC adsorber, the former is more advantageous than the latter. The first pulse-bed GAC decolorization system was installed at the Peikang Refinery in 1992, then the second pulse-bed GAC decolorization system was installed at the Hualien Refinery in 1994. After shifting to the GAC decolorization process, the pollution due to black slurry or wastewater does not exist any more. In addition, the operational cost of syrup decolorization has obviously reduced, and the color removal rate has made remarkable progress. The description of pulse-bed GAC decolorization systems and the operational results in both refineries are presented.
Value
Added By-Products from Sugar Processing, Dr. Willem Kampen,
Audubon Sugar Institute,
It is widely expected that there will be considerable pressure on sugar prices in the next several years. This should put more emphasis on value-added products from sugar cane, sugar beets and its derivatives such as blackstrap and beet molasses or raffinate (from molasses desugarization).
At the Audubon Sugar Institute, we have demonstrated a partially tested value-added products process, which can be implemented in stages. From blackstrap molasses can be produced directly or indirectly, via fermentation and downstream processing, such products as: sucrose, ethyl alcohol (fuel- and/or industrial grade), aconitic acid, itaconic acid, kojic acid, inositol, glycerine, succinic acid, rum, etc. From beet molasses or its raffinate can be produced similarly: sucrose, betaine, ethyl alcohol (fuel- and/or industrial grade), glycerine, succinic acid, inositol, glutamic acid, lactic acid, etc.
The basic process steps is being discussed and a case for a given product mix with a high return-on-investment is being considered from blackstrap and beet molasses, which is blended, clarified and fermented to yield ethyl alcohol, glycerine, succinic acid, betaine, inositol and potassium sulfate. The plant will have its waste stream concentrated and incinerated, so only the ash has to be delivered to a landfill, at approximately $0.02/lb. Expanding markets for all products do exist.
The capital investment and the product mix can be adjusted based upon the raw material mix used. The project can be phased in over time so the capital investment burden will be reduced.
Advances
in the ARi Coupled Loop Chromatographic Separation
Process, Mike Kearney, Director of New Technology, Amalgamated Research
Inc.,
Since the introduction of the Coupled Loop chromatography process, the number of useful applications has increased and a number of refinements have been made. The process is now applicable to a wide variety of cane and beet separations.
A key characteristic of the Coupled Loop process is the contrary chromatographic behavior of sucrose. Specifically, sucrose is forced to behave as an excluded component rather than exhibiting conventional adsorption/retardation characteristics. Extremely low water use and high system loading accompany the “backwards” separation and the method results in near complete recovery of the conventional contaminants of separator extract. In beet processing, the recovered components are betaine/amino acids, and in cane processing, the recovered components are invert/amino acids.
Because the usual extract contaminants are removed efficiently, the resulting extract purities are very high. Potential recoverable sugar is much higher than prior chromatographic separation methods.
The Organo Chromatographic Separation Processes and Their Advantages, Kikuzo Kaneko, Organo Corporation, Japan
ABSTRACT NOT AVAILABLE
Practical
aspects of membrane applications in the sugar industry, Dr. Vadim Kochergin, Group Leader,
Amalgamated Research Inc,
Despite the growing interest of sugar technologists in membrane filtration, only a few industrial systems have been installed in the beet and cane sugar industries. Specific features of sugar solutions, as well as process requirements, create a challenge for membrane manufacturers in polymer and material science, module and system design. Existing and potential applications of membrane filtration in the sugar industry are reviewed. Benefits and drawbacks of various types of membranes for sugar processing applications are discussed. It is emphasized that the integrity of membrane materials and modules should be tested in conditions stimulating continuous industrial operation. Long-term testing allows determination of the membrane service life and optimization of cleaning conditions. Continuous monitoring of operating parameters of a membrane system allows diagnosing potential failures. Practical recommendations are given for organizing a successful test program and troubleshooting the membrane operation.
New
separation technologies: Effect on sugar quality, Dr. Vadim
Kochergin, Group Leader, and D.E. Rearick, Amalgamated Research Inc,
The possibility of direct production of white sugar in cane mills is discussed. The proposed technology includes membrane filtration of clarified cane juice, softening, evaporation and chromatographic purification of the syrup. As a result, sugar satisfying the specifications of refined product can be obtained while by-passing raw sugar production. Because of the very high purity of chromatographic extract, the overall sugar recovery is expected to increase. The effects of ultrafiltration and chromatography on the color of intermediate syrups and final product are analyzed. Comparing color values of different intermediate products is useful only within the same sequence of unit operations. Lower color sugar can be crystallized from relatively high color feed syrups if upstream operations involve processes affecting the distribution of color molecules by molecular weight. The results of crystallization studies are discussed.
The Application and Performance of Double Continuous Centrifuges Buckau-Wolf System, Dr. Mosen Makina, General Manager, Sugar Division, BWS Technologie GmbH, Germany
Double curing of sugar massecuites is an efficient process to eliminate nonsugar components from the sugar production process. The patented double continuous centrifuge (double basket) Buckau-Wolf system shows many advantages as compared with conventional processes with two individual centrifuges. Significant cost advantages are immediately realized in capital savings and later in energy consumption and maintenance. The space saving design provides additional benefits for the extension of plant capacities without additional floor space requirements in the sugar house.
The double continuous centrifuge Buckau-Wolf system is currently working in beet and cane factories and refineries processing raw sugar, and low grade affination massecuites as well as refined sugar.
Performance of High Temperature Polymeric Spiral Membranes in the Cane and Beet Sugar Industries, John McArdle, Manager of Commercial Development, and Anthony Eringis, Senior Development Engineer, KOCH Membrane Systems, Inc., Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA
Crossflow membrane filtration has been used for many years in a variety of food processing industries. During this time, much effort has been expended on developing useful membrane processes for the cane and beet sugar industries, with limited commercial success. However, the expected benefits of membrane filtration for production of cane and beet sugar are very attractive, so it is certain that these efforts will continue.
Benefits of membrane filtration of clarified cane juice and beet diffusion juice include the removal of essentially all suspended solids along with the majority of higher molecular weight components, including protein, wax, starch and dextran. Removal of these components will result in higher capacity of existing production equipment, increased sugar yield and improved product quality. Membrane filtration is also a necessary pretreatment step for ion-exchange and chromatographic processes for production of white sugar.
Recent operation of a commercial scale spiral polymeric membrane system has been completed processing clarified cane juice. High and consistent membrane productivity (flux) was observed during this operation under high temperature conditions. There was no indication of feed spacer plugging or irreversible membrane fouling. Membrane cleaning was required every one to two days using a caustic and chlorine (bleach) solution. Similar membrane performance was observed in pilot plant operations processing beet diffusion juice.
Equipment cost estimates indicate that spiral polymer
membrane systems are less expensive than alternative membrane options. Recent approaches consider membrane
filtration as one operation in combination with other processes including
ion-exchange and chromatography. This
approach is expected to provide the cane and beet sugar industry with a means
to achieve significantly lower cost and more efficient operations than possible
with traditional sugar production methods.
Zero Effluent: The Elimination of Liquid Effluent in a Cane Sugar Factory, David M. Meadows, Consulting Technologist, Technical Management Department; Craig Jensen, Process Engineer, Maidstone Sugar Mill; and Gerald T. Schumann, Development Technologist, Technical Management Department, Tongaat-Hulett Sugar Limited, South Africa
A system is described for the elimination of all liquid effluent streams in a cane sugar factory. The factory’s net excess of water leaves as a clean, cooled water stream suitable for discharge to watercourses, without biological treatment. The system comprises a series of “safety nets” which employ minimization, containment and selective recycle, as well as a steam stripping process to remove ethanol from condensate. The system is being implemented at Tongaat-Hulett factory in two phases, the first of which is in place. Preliminary experiences with this first phase are presented.
Moving
Bed Decolorizing System -- A Departure from the Norm, William J. Merz, Principal Applications Engineer, Calgon
Carbon Corporation,
There are several technologies available for the decolorization of sugar liquors. One technology is the use of granular activated carbon. Traditionally, granular activated carbon is applied using fixed bed adsorption technology. Typically several vessels are used in parallel or parallel/series configuration (and staged) so that the blended treated product remains within specifications.
As the carbon is utilized, becomes spent, the outlet color increases to the specification point and beyond. Not all of the carbon adsorption capacity is fully utilized. Once the specification is exceeded, the carbon is removed from the vessel, is reactivated, and returned to the vessel for reuse.
This paper presents an alternative way to more efficiently apply granular activated carbon using moving bed (pulse bed) technology. The pulse bed system is configured and operated to produce a more consistent product with the specifications. Rather than removing an entire bed of carbon, once the color specification is exceeded, only a small portion of the carbon bed is removed. In addition to consistent liquor quality, other benefits of the pulse bed system are smaller adjunct systems (for sweetening off, utility requirements, and waste stream volumes). Normally larger vessels are required, but the handling of carbon and sweet water is reduced.
This paper will present the benefits of pulse bed utilization and a cost comparison versus fixed beds.
Invert from Cane Molasses Using Chromatographic Techniques, S.D. Peacock, Senior Research Officer, S.B. Davis, S.N. Walford, H.W. Bernhardt, Sugar Milling Research Institute, Durban, South Africa
Over the past few years, a team of researchers at the Sugar Milling Research Institute (SMRI) has studied the application of ion exclusion chromatography in the cane sugar industry. The chromatographic separation of various feedstock materials was investigated. While these processes were found to be technically feasible, the economics were not found to be favorable at present. For example, existing cane sugar desugarization methods which aim at isolating sucrose from the molasses suffer from expensive pretreatment requirements and poor separation efficiency due to the high ash content of final molasses. However, the recovery of an invert sugar fraction rather than sucrose enabled a good separation to be achieved without expensive pretreatment processes, thus possibly leading to an economically viable process.
Neural
Networks and Their Possible Application in the Sugar Industry, Stephen D.
Peacock, Senior Research Officer, Sugar Milling Research Institute,
Neural networks were inspired by the structure of biological nervous systems and are composed of many simple computational elements operating in parallel. In this study, the basic concepts of neural networks are introduced and the workings of these systems are explained. Like the biological nervous systems upon which they are based, neural networks learn by undergoing training. The construction of neural networks and the network training process are briefly outlined. Many systems in the process industries are not amenable to mathematical modeling, as they may be too complex to be understood or be represented in simple terms. The application of neural networks to these kinds of difficult problems is described, and a simple case study is discussed. The use of neural networks for process control is also outlined, with particular reference to the possible application of neural network image analysis to the control of continuous pan boiling.
Cooperative Research, Dr. Armand Pepperman, Research Leader, Southern Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Small companies with limited resources usually do not have
their own in-house research effort and need more external support than larger
companies. However, even larger
companies, facing the complexities of a global economy, may need to shift
resources at the expense of their research effort. Many industries can and do benefit from
working in partnership with the
Some Opportunities for Process Development in the American Beet Sugar Industry, Chris Rhoten, Vice President of Operations, and Dr. Mosen Asadi, Director of Research, Monitor Sugar Company, Bay City, Michigan, USA
The North American Beet Sugar industry is considered to be among the lowest cost producers of beet sugar in the world. Technological innovation relating to sugar extraction and greater utilization of processing facilities allowing significant expansion at low cost are major contributors to the level of efficiency now being enjoyed by the industry.
Significant process development will be required for the industry to maintain its leadership position into the future. Development of systems leading to process simplification, the reduction of fuel consumption, reduction and elimination of environmental pollutants and a more environmentally friendly utilization of solid waste and excess water will lead to new improvements in process and economic efficiencies.
As an adjunct to process improvement, the development of value added byproduct manufacturing and the attendant increase in the overall economic value of the sugar beet will enhance the long-term health of the industry. This coupled with a view that environmental regulation is only a catalyst for the development of additional revenue sources should spur the industry towards full economic utilization of all of its natural and business resources.
For the realization of these and, as yet, undiscovered or
imagined new processes or products, continued research and development must be
supported by the industry.
Research
Needs for
The
The research initiative for the processing sector includes
both short and long term approaches to solving industry concerns. Short term concerns deal primarily with cane
quality aspects and practically researchable processing issues. Long term approaches to solving industry
concerns deal primarily with alternative processing methods such as cane
diffusion, membrane filtration, ion exchange, chromatographic separation, and
alternative products/by-products from sugarcane. This paper describes in more detail the
specific issues that the
Industry efficiency, while improved due to past research
efforts, needs continued refinement since domestic sugar legislation and
international free trade agreements demand global competitiveness. Economies of scale among the existing 700
family farmers and 18 raw sugar processors in the
While not a research item, the areas of technology transfer and education within the processing sector are also identified as major factors to be considered in industry efficiency.
Chromatographic
Separations Using a CSEP Continuous Contactor from Advanced Separation
Technologies, Gordon Rossiter, Vice President of
Technical Services, Advanced Separation Technologies,
An ideal continuous chromatographic separator would keep the resin moving in a circle as the fluids move in and out of the circle at fixed points. This is the principle of the CSEP Continuous Separator from Advanced Separation Technologies. Other commercial systems keep the resin stationary while moving the entry and exit points for the fluid. The concept is called simulated moving bed.
Advanced Separation Technologies developed and commercialized the CSEP Continuous Contactor to perform chromatographic separations. The CSEP system uses a turntable containing 12, 20, or 30 resin cells. The turntable rotates continuously with the resin chambers moving through the various separation phases. The proprietary CSEP distributor directs fluids through the sorbent cells and provides for continuous product delivery at a single point.
Design features:
•2Excellent configuration flexibility
•Co-current/counter-current flows
•Simplified control philosophy
•Symmetrical piping
•Minimal holdup volume
•Fluid stream recycle
•Flexibility in materials of construction
AST’s patented CSEP liquid distributor eliminates all complex sequencing of high maintenance on/off valves. This feature reduces the maintenance and makes the system easy to operate.
Co-current chromatography can be configured on the CSEP system to operate as a multi-component fractionator, thus automating classical batch column conventional chromatography. Multiple eluent streams can be adjusted independently for strength, velocity, and purity.
The CSEP system can also be configured for counter-current chromatography for binary fractionation. This type of separation has great promise for processing where high value products are involved.
The symmetrical piping of the CSEP is less than 2% of the volume of any one sorbent cell. The internal piping rotates with the sorbent cell, allowing for constant movement of the liquid separation profile in the proper direction. No flushing or purging procedure is necessary as the cells move through the separation zones. By eliminating the flushing sequence, the CSEP system delivers increased productivity, better product recovery and higher product concentrations.
Possible CSEP chromatographic applications with the sugar industry include:
•Beet and cane molasses desugarization
•Value-added products
For those applications within the sugar industry where chromatography is appropriate, the CSEP provides several advantages over stationary bed SMB systems.
Resin
Decolorization of High Color Syrups Thanks to Regenerant Recovery, Francois Rousset,
President, Applexion, Inc.,
Significant improvements have been made in the decolorization and adsorbent resins available to the sugar industry. However, their application has been limited by the regeneration requirements associated with short run cycles, when exposed to the high color streams in the factory.
The latest developments in regenerant recovery have unlocked the door to resin decolorization of high color streams at a competitive cost.
Effect of Column Feed Maldistribution
on the Purity and Recovery in a Chromatographic Separator. Experiment and Computer Modeling, Dr.
Michael Saska, Associate Professor, Audubon Sugar Institute,
It is intuitively understood that any deviation from plug flow in a column, either because of liquid maldistribution at the column inlet or channeling through the chromatographic medium, shall impact negatively the performance of a chromatographic separator, in terms of the purity and recovery of the products, or in terms of water use and resin inventory. Experimental “pulse tests” with a 1 ft x 8 ft column equipped with an ARi fractal distributor and packed with a standard chromatographic resin were carried out, and used in conjunction with a computer model of a chromatographic separator, to quantify these negative effects on the separator performance.
Decolorizing Cane and Beet Sucrose Syrup with the Advanced Separation Technologies ISEP Continuous Contactor, Ron Scarborough, Sales Executive -- Sugar Applications, and Rohan Seneviratne, Advanced Separation Technologies, Inc., Lakeland, Florida, USA
During the ten years since the first Advanced Separation Technologies ISEP Continuous Contactor was sold for a commercial application, over 300 ISEP and CSEP Systems have been installed in numerous industries. Applications within the sugar industry would include decolorization, deashing, softening, desugarization, syrup purification, and ion exclusion chromatographic separations. Technology benefits of the patented ISEP and CSEP Contactors which are most important for the sugar market include: Simple operation and control; steady state/continuous operation; flexibility for changes by increases or decreases in rotation speed and changes in configuration with minor piping changes; good tolerance for high suspended solids; reduced regenerate and water usage with counter-current flows; waste volume reductions; reduction in resin inventory; and capital and operating costs reduction.
The ISEP and CSEP Continuous Contactor Systems consist of three main components:
1. A continuously rotating turntable
2. Resin chambers mounted on the turntable
3. The ISEP/CSEP Valve which is a single, multi-port rotating distributor for directing all incoming and out-going fluid streams.
AST currently has a number of ISEP systems successfully performing decolorization within the sweetener industry. Most of the recently installed ISEP systems for decolorization are designed using dual compartment vessels with both acrylic and styrenic strong base anion resins in the same resin chambers for color reduction in excess of 80%. The resins are regenerated with a brine solution with a small amount of caustic. The systems also incorporate a periodic acid cross regeneration step for resin conditioning.
As refineries look for ways to improve their decolorization process while reducing operating costs, the AST ISEP Continuous Contactor presents a very attractive option for this process.
Needed
R&D for the North American Beet Sugar Industry, Tom Schwartz, Executive
Vice President, Beet Sugar Development Foundation,
The Beet Sugar Development Foundation was established over
50 years ago. Its membership includes,
but is not limited to, beet sugar processing companies in
With that in mind, this paper will present a summary of those topics and items which the Member Companies of the Beet Sugar Development Foundation feel are areas where research is needed or lacking. It will concentrate on the area of beet sugar processing, but will, however, relate the agronomic side of the equation when appropriate to the discussion. As we enter the next century, we must look at the entire picture of sugar beet production and beet sugar processing. New technology on the agronomic side of sugar production may, in fact, change the direction of needed research on the processing side of our business.
Sugar Production Technology into the 21st Century; Part 1: Drivers for Technology Change; Part 2: R&D Response, Dr. Trevor Theobald, British Sugar, U.K., David Sargent, British Sugar, U.K., and Nicholas Broughton, Group Technical Director, British Sugar, UK
The development of new technologies within the sugar industry is driven mainly by the need to add value to company shareholders. This paper discusses some of the challenges facing the global beet and cane sugar industries and considers the role that technological development may have in meeting these.
The paper is divided into two parts. The first part tackles the drivers for technology change. The second part pulls together the views on how the industry might tackle these challenges.
Chromatographic
Separation Using SMB Technology, Marc-André Théoleyre,
R&D Manager, Applexion, S.A.,
Based on the SMB process developed 20 years ago, chromatographic separation is now quite a standard in the sugar industry. Basically, the conventional SMB is a two-fraction separation system. For multiple fraction separation, several SMB in series are needed.
The FAST process developed in 1996 is suitable for three or more fractions separation in one step. It is the most adapted process for multiple fraction chromatographic separation.
Recent
Application of Membrane Filtration in the Cane Sugar Industry, Marc-André Théoleyre, R&D Manager, Applexion,
S.A.,
For several years, membrane filtration has been a standard in the corn refining industry, especially for clarification of corn starch hydrolyzates. Applexion is promoting that technology in the sugar industry and especially in the cane sugar industry.
Three main applications have been used in industrial conditions for several years:
Cane juice clarification at the sugar mill, NAP Process;
Raw sugar clarification at the refinery;
Recycling of used brine from decolorization resin at the refinery.
These new processes open new ways for making sugar. Based on our industrial experiences, using these technologies in industrial conditions, will be discussed.
Recent
Developments in Sugar Clarification with Tubular Polymeric Membranes, Tom
Tyndall, Process Engineer, PCI Membrane Systems,
Extensive on-site test work with tubular polymeric membranes has demonstrated their ability to clarify sugar streams at 85-95°C, consistently removing suspended solids and dextrans, for process test periods over 21 hours.
Application of Ecosorb Technology in the Sugar Industry, John Weaver, Product Manager, Graver Technologies, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Finely divided adsorption media are well suited for polishing sugar liquors because their large surface provides the rapid adsorption kinetics needed to effectively remove trace amounts of color, off-taste and odor. However, when powdered media are operated in industrial processes it often creates difficult filtration processing conditions. When finely divided adsorption media are immobilized on a larger carrier as done in the manufacturing of Ecosorb® products they can be operated as precoats for increased efficiency and at a lower hydraulic pressure drop for improved filtration performance.
This paper reviews the use of Ecosorb products for the production of liquid sugar and for polishing final liquor. It also reviews practical and legal matters regarding dust in the work place and explores other possible uses for finely divided media in sugar refining.
Applications
for Stainless Steel Crossflow Membranes in Sugar
Processing, Scott Wittwer, Product Manager, Graver Technologies, Inc.,
The typical sugar cane mill and refinery presents a challenging environment for most processing equipment. With a limited operating season, variable weather and feed quality, processing equipment reliability is a high priority. For these and other reasons, Scepter® tubular stainless steel microfiltration membranes were chosen for installation in a large prototype clarification system at a sugar mill with an annexed refinery. The choice was made on the basis of the inherent ruggedness of the membrane design and pilot scale testing on a range of process streams. The system has run nearly continuously for more than a year on both raw and refinery streams, and been used successfully for specialty sugar production. Membrane performance data on various streams and cleaning procedures for optimum performance will be reviewed.
Top of Page
