CHAPTER II

RAW MATERIAL COMPOSITION

Before we begin to know how to calculate the complete mill material balance, lets have a look
first to the composition of sugar cane as the raw material for the milling.
James E. Irvine3) defined the composition of sugar cane into 2 (two) main groups:

Water, occupies

73-76%.

Dry matters, occupies

24-27%.

The dry matters itself consist of dilatable portion 10-16% and non-dilatable portion, that is fiber
amounting to 11-16%.
Because the dilatable dry matter inhabits the cane juice, hence the cane juice is a mixture of
water and the dilatable dry matters.
In general the dilatable dry matters are:

Sugars, consisting of:

Salts, consisting of:

Organic acids, consisting of:

- saccharose (sucrose), 70-88%

- glucose,

2-4%

- fructose,

2-4%

- non-organic acids,

1,5-4,5%

- organic acids,

1,0-3,0%

- carboxylic acids
- ammoniac acids

Another organic matters, non-sugar: - protein

- starch
- gums
- wax, fats, etc.

Minerals, such as:

- potassium, sulfate, chloride, calcium, magnesium,

silica, phosphate, iron, carbonate and others.

Based upon the technical approach mentioned earlier, then the materials grouped into matters
constitutes the sugar cane that will be use in the calculation of a complete mill material balance.
We know that the raw material for the milling is sugar cane. As the result of the milling we
obtain juice as the extracted matter and bagasse as the residue.
Technically the composition of those materials can be grouped into the followings2):
3)
2)

James E. Irvine, Mead-Chen, Cane Sugar Handbook - Chapter 2. Tenth Edition, 1977.
See C.R. Murry & J.E. Holt, The Mechanics of Crushing Sugar Cane, 1967.
1

Cane, as the raw material is considered to consist of juice and fiber.

Juice, as the result of extraction, also contain in cane and bagasse, is considered to consist
of water and Brix.

Bagasse, as the milling residue, is considered to consist of juice and fiber.

Because juice is considered to consist of water and Brix as mentioned above, hence:

Bagasse is also considered to consist of water, Brix and fiber.

And then we knew also:

Dry matter in bagasse, which considered consisting of fiber and Brix.

Now therefore:

Bagasse is also considered to consist of water and dry matter.

Furthermore its known:

Water content in bagasse, which is normally, called moisture.

Brix free cane water in this regard is not available.