CHEMICAL PROCESS INDUSTRIES

(CH-211)

SUGAR INDUSTRY

INSTRUCTOR: ABDUL WAHAB

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

(DChE)
1
Introduction
Organic, sweet, crystalline, short-chain, soluble carbohydrate

Monosaccharide • Simple sugar

• e.g., Glucose, Fructose, Dextrose

 Sugar

• Compound Sugar
• formed by the union of two monosaccharides
Disaccharide with the loss of water molecule
• Sucrose (table sugar) , Lactose, Maltose
Functions of Sugar

Sweetener

Preservative

Su Tenderizer

ga
crystallizing agent
r
Caramelizing agent

Fermenting agent
 Sources of Sugar
Sugar Cane Composition

 Water =70%,

 Fibrous material =10-16%,

 Sucrose = 9.5-16%,

Sugar Beet Composition

 Water =75%,

 Sucrose =12-21%,

 Pulp = 5%,
Sugar Production and Consumption
 Pakistan Sugar Industry

 In the manufacturing sector, Sugar Industry is the 2nd largest after textile and contributes

2% to GDP.

 81 sugar mills operating in Pakistan

 As per world statistics Pakistan Holds,

 – 5th Position in terms of area under Cane Cultivation.

 – 9th position in terms of Cane Sugar Production.

 Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
 Sugar Cane

 Belongs to grass family.

 Bamboo-like stalk, grows to the height of 3 to 5 m.
 Contains 11 – 15 % sucrose.
 Failure to process sugar cane within 24hr of harvesting
may cause sucrose losses to glucose and fructose due to
inversion.
 Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane

1. Harvesting of Sugar Cane 2. Transportation & Handling

• MANUAL: canes are harvested by the help of • Animal driven carts

manpower/ labor. • Trolleys
• MECHANICAL: canes are harvested by the • Trucks
machine (harvester)
Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane

3. Material Handling & Storage 4. Washing

 Stored in cane yards  Agitator washing with strong and warm jets, &
 Carried from cane yard to feeding area by brushes are used to remove mud or debris before
Cranes, Conveyer belts entering the crushers.
 Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
Shredder

5. Cutting, Chopping & Shredding • large powerful hammer-mill that shreds the
cane into a fibrous material.
• The cane stalk containing the sugar juice is
Cutting operation is the first operation in industry.
ruptured but no juice is extracted.
 Cutters are mechanical equipment to cut canes into desired size.

 Cutter operated by electric motor shaft pulley & belt arrangement & consist no. of cutting
blades to cut the cane.

 Shredder is used to remove leaves and undesired solid particles from cane.

Cutting
Shredding
Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
6. Juice Extraction (Tandem Milling)
 The shredded cane is fed through a series of crushers that exerts heavy pressure to extract the
sugar rich juice, which is then pumped away for further processing.
 The remaining fibrous material is called bagasse. 
 Water/weak juices may also added to soft the cane and extract further juice.
 About 93 – 95 % juice is extracted from the cane
Tandem Mill?

• Rolling Mill where rolling is done in one pass.

• There are several stands and reductions take place
successively.
• Rollers are attached to each other in triangle shape

93 – 95 % juice
 Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
7. Juice Processing
• Screening to remove the floating impurities.
• Lime: as Coagulant, precipitant of impurities & pH controller
• Phosphoric acid may be added for further clarification and cleaning.
• Calcium phosphate: as flocculent
 Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
7. Juice Processing
Clarifiers / Continuous Settlers / Thickeners
• The obtained juice is then heated with high-
pressure steam and allowed to enter the
gravitational settling tank.
• In CS, juice travels at very low superficial
velocity so that the solids settle out and clear
juice exits.
• To recover the sugar from settled-out muds,
Continuous rotary-drum vacuum filters are used.
 Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
7. Juice Processing
Continuous Rotary Drum Vacuum Filters
 Clarified mud from the clarifier is further filtered in rotary filter.
 Rotary filter consist a rotary drum & vacuum atmosphere in its
center.
 Mud & sludge are stick on the periphery of rotating drum by the
action of suction. Solid cake removes from the drum by doctor
blade.
 Settled-out mud contains 1 to 4 % of the weight of cane charged
and is used as manure.
 The settled-out mud can optionally be washed by using water flow
for further separation of any remaining amount of sugar content.
 Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
8. Evaporation
 Juice from Clarifiers / Settlers contains ~85 % water. • Two types of evaporators
 It is then evaporated by steam to obtain thick supersaturated – Single effect evaporators
– Multiple effect evaporators
solution (~40 % water, pale-yellow juice).
 1 liter steam to evaporate 4 liter juice

Pressure decreasing
effect evaporator
Triple/quadruple

55 ᴼC
110ᴼC

vacuum

1st effect 2nd effect 3rd effect

Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
 Brix: 65ᴼ → 75ᴼ at 60 ᴼC
9. Crystallization
 ~40 % →~10 % water

 Thick juice is evaporated to supersaturation to get

purest form of substance.

 Carried out in single effect high-vacuum boiling pans

 Addition of nucleate (Seeding)

 By the addition of thick juice and controlled

1. Nucleation
evaporation, the crystals are grown to desired size stages of 2. Initiation
and shape. crystallization 3. Elongation (growth)

• The first grade molasses is obtained by first

evaporation in VACUUM PAN. It is called sugar pulp.

Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
9. Crystallization

 The mixture of syrup and crystals (massecuite) is

dumped into the crystallizer.

 Crystallizer is a horizontal agitated tank provided with

cooling coils.

 Additional sucrose deposits on already formed

crystals and crystallization is completed.
Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
10. Centrifugation
• Separates sugar from molasses
• Centrifuge operates at 1500-1800 rpm
• Molasses pass through perforations

• Sugar crystals are washed with hot water

• Raw sugar and molasses are separated.
• High quality raw sugar with light brown color.
• Blackstrap molasses.
Before
After centrifugation
centrifugation
Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
11. Drying, Screening & Packing

 The moisture content in sugar after leaving centrifuge which varies b/w 0.5-2 % needs to be reduced to about
0.05% for safe storage.
 Sugar is tumbled through large cylindrical dryers where sugar is contacted normally in cross flow with hot air
and Moisture will migrate from the sugar to the air. 
 SCREENING: sugar crystals are separated in the form of over, under & desired size.
 PACKING: final process where screened crystals are packed in different size of bags.
Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane
Final Product
 Raw sugar, that contains about 97.8 % sucrose is then delivered further to sugar refinery. Where

more refined sugar is produced having white color (table sugar).

 By product: Molasses: thick, dark black colored liquor

• used as a source of carbohydrates, animal feed & for citric acid preparation etc.
Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane

By-Products of Sugar Industry

Sugar Manufacturing From Sugar Cane

Milling Clarification Filtration Evaporation

Crystallization
Crushing

Centrifugal separation
Washing

Transportation to Sugar Storage

Industry Harvesting
 23
Fertilizers
Raw Sugar Storage

Raw sugar is stored in specially designed equipment called Hopper.

Raw Sugar Refining
1- Affination

• Affination is a process in which raw sugar crystals are treated with a warm, heavy syrup (60-800 brix),
to remove film of adherent molasses.
• This operation softens or dissolves the adherent film of molasses but does not remove the any sugar.
• Affination is performed in Mingler, Centrifuge & Melter

Raw sugar
Affination
from hopper
Raw Sugar Refining
1- Affination

 Mingler:
• Mingling is a mixing process that helps to remove the adherent film of molasses.
• Heavy scroll conveyors fitted with strong mixing flights.
Raw Sugar Refining
1- Affination

 Centrifuge:
• Mixture of syrup and sugar crystals coming out of the mingler is centrifuged to separate the
sugar crystals
• Obtained sugar cake are sprayed with water for further purification

Washed sugar crystals

Affination
Centrifuge
(Mingling) Syrup
Raw Sugar Refining
1- Affination

 Melter:
• Obtained sugar crystals are now melted/dissolved into half of their weight of hot water (650
brix) at about 65 degree Celsius.

Melter
Washed sugar crystals
Affination
Centrifuge
(Mingling) Syrup

D iuted to
Mingler Syrup 54 degree
Char
brix
house
Raw Sugar Refining
2- Clarification / Defecation
 Mechanical Process
 Diatomaceous earth
• Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, sedimentary rock.
• It has a particle size ranging from 10 to 200 micrometres.
• Low density, high porosity.
• pH is adjusted and the mixture is filtered in a press.
• Pre-coat is used to assist the filtration process.
• Clean solution is obtained with improved colour.
• Normally a batch process.
Raw Sugar Refining
2- Clarification / Defecation
 Chemical Process
1. Frothing Clarifier
• Liquor containing entrapped air bubbles, enters the classifier at about 65 degree Celsius.
• In the classifier it is heated causing froth to form.
• Froth rises upward to the surface carrying gelatinous tricalcium phosphate and entrapped
impurities.
• Resulting liquor is filtered and sent to the decolorization process.
• Coloring matter is reduced by 25 to 45 percent.
Raw Sugar Refining
2- Clarification / Defecation
 Chemical Process
2. Carbonation
• Carbonation is the process of addition of Carbon dioxide to the melted sugar.
• Calcium Carbonate will be precipitated out.
• Precipitates can be removed by filtration.
• 60 percent of colouring matter present can be removed.
Raw Sugar Refining
3- Decolorization
 Percolation through bone-char
• After the removal of insoluble impurities still soluble coloring matter is to be removed.
• Soluble impurities are removed by percolation through bone- char.
• Percolation tank has 3m diameter and 6m depth.
• Percolation is carried out at 82 degree Celsius and clear
• white syrup is obtained.
• When bone-char losses its decolorizing ability, it can be revivified by heating it to 400 to 500
degree Celsius in vertical pipes and avoiding char-oxidation.
• It also removes the inorganic impurities.
• Primarily used for filtration and decolorization.
Raw Sugar Refining
3- Decolorization
 Percolation through Activated Carbon
• Coarse carbon granules can be used in beds for adsorption purposes.
• Revivification can be done by roasting at high temperature of about 1000 degree Celsius.
• Activated carbon is normally preferred due to longer operating cycle, but it can not remove
inorganics.
• Used for small installations and seasonal batches.
• Micro-porous structure with high surface area available for adsorption purposes.
Raw Sugar Refining
3- Decolorization
 Chemical Additives
• Dioctadecyl dimethylammonium chloride (Talofloc).
• And flocculating agents of Polyacrylamide (Taloflote).
• Clarity and Capacity can be increased up to 75%.

 Ion Exchange method

• Ion exchange method is used to remove inorganic salts.
• Cation exchanger removes cations from the salt leaving it acidic.
• Anion exchanger removes free acid.
• Costly process than activated carbon and bone-char.
Raw Sugar Refining
4- Evaporation & Crystallization
 Evaporation
• Sugar syrup evaporated up to super saturation by evaporating water from the fine liquor in specially
designed equipment to concentrate the sugar solution into a stream known as thick liquor.

 Crystallization
• Thick liquor is transferred to boiling vessels known as pans where under controlled vacuum the
liquor is boiled at low temperature to further concentrate the solution. As water evaporates and
the liquor concentrates, sugar crystals begin to form, their growth being controlled by careful
adjustment of the boiling conditions.

 Centrifugation
• To obtain refined sugar crystals
Raw Sugar Refining
5- Drying & Storage
 Granulator
• Used to dry sugar crystals.
• It is a horizontal rotating drum with 2m in diameter and 8m long.
• Series of narrow shelves attached to its inner surface lifts the crystals and allow them to fall through
the stream of hot air flowing through the granulator.
Raw Sugar Refining
6- Screening, Grinding and Packing
• Grading on the basis of size
• Grinding to yield powdered sugar depending upon the requirement.
• Powdered sugar is very hygroscopic in nature therefore 3% corn starch is added to it.
• Containers opaque, airtight, moisture/odour proof
• Glass canning jars or cans for liquid sugars
Raw Sugar Refining

Evaporation &
Filtration Decolorization Drying & Storage
Crystallization

Screening, Griding
Clarification/ & Packing
Defecation

Affination
 Types of Sugar s

• Turbinado Sugar—closest to raw sugar available, only partially

refined, light brown in color, with coarse crystals and a caramel
flavor.
• Granulated Sugar—standard sugar used in the kitchen. The
crystals are white, fine and uniform in size.

• Powdered Sugar—made by grinding granulated sugar through different degrees of

fine screens. It can absorb moisture.
• Brown Sugar— is granulated sugar with molasses added back in. It is high in
moisture and tends to clump, so it is important to store it in an airtight container.
Factors Affecting Sugar Storage

Temperature
Moisture
Quality of sugar
Light
Grain size and distribution
Energy Economy In The Sugar Manufacturing Process 

Bagasse can be used to generate steam. Steam can be used for

electricity generation thus save consumption of fuel.
Bagasse is also used as raw material for paper industries as fertilizer
and cattle feed.
The final mother liquor; molasses is used for the production of ethyl
alcohol by fermentation process.
Press mud is used as phosphatic fertilizer in farms.