PROBLEM BASE LEARNING

HAFZA SYED 20082005

Module Title and Code Chemical Process Technology (CE-504)

Academic Year 2nd Semester 2023
Assignment Date December 4th, 2023
Date of Submission December 12th ,2023
Max. Marks 10

Topic Sugar Industry

Assessment Questions The juice clarification step is crucial for removing impurities, but the
current process faces challenges in achieving consistent clarification
efficiency.
The solution requires enhancing the removal of impurities and
improving overall juice quality by
Optimizing the clarification process parameters, such as
 pH control,
 coagulant dosage
 settling time
 other parameter suggested by you
 discuss the environmental impact of sugar industry

Special Note to Students Each student has been assigned a personalized task based on their seat
number. These assignments will be thoroughly assessed according to
set standards to guarantee a just and consistent evaluation process.
Additionally, students are advised to utilize the reference books and
research papers to aid them in completing their tasks efficiently. This
approach accommodates different learning techniques and facilitates a
comprehensive comprehension of the given subject matter.
Sugar processing

Sugar production involves two distinct operations:

(a) processing sugar cane or sugar beets into raw sugar and (b)
(b) processing the raw sugar into refined sugar.
Cane and beet sugar extracts contain sucrose and undesirable amounts of polysaccharides, lignins, proteins, starches,
gums, waxes, and other colloidal impurities that contribute colour and/or taste to the crystalline product and reduce
product yield. The raw juice, therefore, is subjected to heating, liming addition, and clarification to remove proteins
and colloidal matter. Sugar refining is a highly energy-intensive process; hence, membrane technology is highly
attractive. However, because of high osmotic pressure and high viscosities, the role of membrane application is
limited to dilute streams for clarification and purification at the juice extraction stage. Possible operations that could
be replaced by UF or MF are shown in the dotted areas in . UF and MF could be used for removing these colloidal
and macromolecular impurities with little or no addition of lime, carbon dioxide, or sulfite before the clarified juice
is evaporated and crystallized. Further, removing macromolecules and reducing lime levels reduces fouling and
scaling of the evaporators (singh, 2015).

Cane sugar processing consists of the following steps: sugar cane is crushed, the juice is heated and filtered, then sent
to a series of crystallization steps to create crystals of raw sugar, followed by centrifugation to remove any remaining
juice or syrup. The last step produces a small stream of remaining syrup called cane mill molasses containing up to
55% (wt.) sucrose and substantial amounts of invert sugar (glucose/fructose mixture) impurities. Sucrose is the
fraction that becomes crystallized sugar, and has considerable commercial value but cannot be extracted economically
because of the impurities. Several US patents describe a process to recover sucrose from molasses and other syrups
incorporating NF and MF. In this process, the molasses is pre-treated by MF and/or UF to remove colloids,
polysaccharides and other high molecular weight impurities to prevent fouling of NF membranes. NF membranes
retain more than 75% sucrose and small amounts of invert sugar while the permeate contains most of the invert sugar
and less than 10% sucrose. The retentate flows back to the first crystallizer/centrifuge stage where it crystallizes into
raw sugar, and is then processed in a refinery to make refined sugar. The desugarised molasses is useful as animal
feed. Although beet sugar contains no invert sugars, molasses can still be treated by the NF process (singh, 2015).
Clarification Process.

Clarification is the one of main important processes in the sugar manufacturing process. Because clarification affects
the juice filterability, sucrose crystallization and the quality and yield o raw sugar produced. The main purpose of
sugar cane juice clarification is to produce clarified juice (CJ) with the lowest concentration of insoluble and soluble
impurities. Screening of juice eradicates only the coarse particles since flocculation is necessary to remove the fine
and colloidal particles. Therefore flocculation technique is used in the clarification process to provide clarified Juice.
Mixed Juice is heated from ~35-55°C to~76 0C and treated with Lime as milk of lime or lime-saccharate to raise the
pH from ~5.2 to 7..5 - 7.8. Lime is added to react with inorganic phosphate present in the cane juice to form calcium
phosphate floc. These macro-flocs have a higher density relative to juice and settle by gravity. The settled
flocculated mud impurities are extracted from the clarifier to recover trapped sucrose. In order to recover the trapped
sucrose, rotating vacuum filters are used. The filtrate is recirculated and combined with Mixed Juice.In sugarcane,
the natural phosphates are occurring in two forms; inorganic (soluble) and organic (insoluble) phosphates. Only the
soluble phosphate will react with the lime to form a Calcium Phosphate precipitate. Since presence of phosphates in
cane juice is essential for good clarification process, phosphate should be added externally before liming if natural
content (about 200 mg/l) low in mixed juice. Apart from that during the defecation process, a wide range of chemical and
physical reactions takes place in the juice. The main chemical reactions include: Precipitation ofamorphous calcium
phosphate, proteins denaturation (another organics, such as pectin, gums and waxes), inversion of sucrose due to the
combined action of pH and temperature, degradation of reducing sugars to organic acids due to high pH and
temperature, precipitation of organic and inorganic acid salts, hydrolysis of starch by the natural amylase in the juice
and formation of color bodies due to the polymerizationThe poor quality of clarified juice contributes to scaling of
the evaporators and pans, and also increases the probability of sucrose loss to molasses. Clarification also have an
impact on crystal morphology, color, crystal content, and polysaccharide and ash contents of raw sugar. And also
Juice clarification hasa great impact on factory evaporators’ heat transfer coefficients particularly if scaling occurs from the
excessive addition of lime . Therefore it is important to optimize main operating parameters such as pH, temperature,
type & dosage of flocculent, etc. to minimize impact to the
subsequent process and overcome existing problems associated with the juice clarification process in local sugar fact
ories. Amongthem pH is the one of important parameter in clarification, since pH of about 7 is necessary to neutralize the
charge on the fine suspended particle in the juice to facilitate coagulation and settling. In addition, pH is important to
the rate at which certain reaction occurs especially the precipitation of
calcium phosphate. The juice pH was shown to have suggestions onthe inversion losses, loss of sugar, color
formation, sugar quality, and scaling in subsequent processes. Therefore this research has carried out some recent
laboratory work to quantify the effects of different pH levels to clarified juice quality and floc settling behavior reflected by
deposited mud volume.

1. pH Control.

Adjusting the pH of sugar cane juice is crucial for the clarification process. Typically, a slightly alkaline pH is
maintained. pH control helps in promoting the effective action of coagulants and aids in the formation of flocs that
can be easily separated from the juice. Among tested treatments, pH 7.5 is selected as the best for turbidity
improvement of the clarified juice while pH 8.5 is the second best. However pH 8.5 (370 ml) was able to deposited
significantly high mud volume than pH 7.5 (270ml). Further, the amount of residual Ca2+ ions in the clarified juice
at pH 7.5 (2715 ppm) is clearly lower than the amount of Ca2+ ions remaining in the clarified juice apt 8.5 (2945
ppm). It is expected to obtain high turbidity and higher mud volume with low sugar inversion at optimum pH.
Therefore the results suggest optimum pH range lie around pH 7.5 to 8.5. Conducting similar experiment by using
mixed juice extracted from sugar factory mills with pH range around 7.0 to 8.4 at 0.2increments is suggested to
validate the optimum pH (Ariyawansha, 2021).

2. Coagulant Dosage.

Coagulants, such as lime (calcium hydroxide), are commonly used to induce the coagulation of impurities in sugar
cane juice.The dosage of coagulants needs to be carefully optimized to ensure efficient removal of impurities without
causing excessive chemical usage or introducing impurities into the clarified juice. dextran based polymer flocculant
can be used to clarify sugarcane juice in sugar industry. It was found that when the dosage of carboxyl activator was
1/10 of PL and the dosage of PL was 1/2 of dextran, the clarification ability of the product to sugarcane juice was the
best. When the dosage was only 118 mg/L, the clarification efficiency reached 91.4%. The clarification mechanism is
charge neutralization and adsorption bridging (Yang, 2023)

3. Settling.

After the addition of coagulants and potential heating, the juice is allowed to settle or undergo centrifugation to
separate the clarified liquid from the solid impurities. Settling time or centrifugation speed and duration are critical
parameters that need to be optimized for efficient separation. The optimum settling time in sugar cane clarification
typically ranges from 1 to 3 hours, although it can vary based on factors such as particle size, coagulant efficiency,
clarifier design, and juice characteristics. During settling, coagulated particles in the sugar cane juice are allowed to
separate from the clarified liquid. Continuous monitoring of clarity and quality is essential to determine the point at
which optimal settling has occurred. It's recommended to conduct pilot tests, considering factors like temperature and
coagulant dosage, to fine-tune settling time and ensure consistent production of high-quality clarified juice for further
processing into refined sugar.

Other Paramtere.

4. Heating.

In some clarification processes, the sugar cane juice is heated. Heating helps in promoting the coagulation of
impurities and facilitates subsequent separation.It also aids in the denaturation of enzymes and proteins, contributing
to the overall clarification efficiency.The values of time-temperature (65 ºC/50 minutes) of the heating during the
clarification process and the decantation's time (40 minutes) were established through preliminary assays and were
considered the best parameters to promote an adequate flocculation and separation of sugar cane juice's constituents.

Enviornmental impact of Sugercan industries.

The sugar industry can have significant environmental impacts at various stages of production, from cultivation to
processing. Here are some key environmental concerns associated with the sugar industry.Sugar cane cultivation often
requires large amounts of land. In some regions, this has led to deforestation and the conversion of natural ecosystems
into sugar cane plantations, contributing to habitat loss and biodiversity decline.Sugar cane cultivation is water-
intensive. Excessive water use can lead to depletion of local water resources, affecting ecosystems and communities.
Additionally, runoff from fields may carry agrochemicals, fertilizers, and soil into water bodies, causing water
pollution.

The use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in sugar cane cultivation can result in soil and water contamination.
Chemical residues may persist in the environment and impact non-target organisms, including aquatic life. The sugar
industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions through various processes, including the use of fossil fuels for
machinery and transportation, as well as the burning of sugar cane fields before harvesting. This burning releases
carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Sugar processing involves significant energy consumption,
particularly in the extraction and refining stages. Traditional processing methods, such as open-pan boiling, can be
energy-intensive and contribute to the industry's overall carbon footprint.

Sugar processing generates substantial amounts of waste, including bagasse (fiber from sugar cane), molasses, and
filter cake. While some by-products are utilized (e.g., bagasse for energy), improper disposal or mismanagement of
waste can lead to environmental issues.The clearing of land for sugar cane cultivation can result in increased soil
erosion. Without proper soil conservation practices, erosion can lead to sedimentation of water bodies, affecting water
quality and aquatic ecosystems. In some regions, the expansion of sugar cane plantations has led to social conflicts,
displacement of communities, and changes in traditional land use patterns. These issues can have cultural and social
implications for affected populations.
References
Ariyawansha, S. (2021). OPTIMIZING PRE LIMING PH FOR EFFICIENTJUICE CLARIFICATION PROCESS
IN SRILANKAN SUGAR FACTORIES. International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and
Technology, 6, 14-20.

singh, R. (2015). Membrane Technology and Engineering for Water Purification (2nd ed.).

Yang, J. (2023). Preparation, flocculation and application in sugar refining of eco-friendly dextran-polylysine complex
flocculant. Separation and Purification Technology, 306.