The Effects of Processing Conditions

on Carbonation Elimination

VEL

M.

jESIC, LINDA

L.

WHEELOCK,

and

LESTER

T.

ZANT0 1

Received j<J1' Publicatkln April 1972

Introduction

This paper considers key points from Holly Sugar Corporation

Research Report 53 (3)2, defining the relationship of operating
conditions to impurity elimination in carbonation. Discussion in the
following summary will include total carbonation elimination and then
organic acid elimination. Studies were made at the Tracy Plant in
California using a bench scale Benning carbonator.
Summary

The tests centered around three operating controls: alkalinity of

filtered first carbonation juice, CaO addition, and temperature. In
three sets of experiments, two controls were held constant while the
third was varied within a range. The constant con trol values were:
Temperature - 84-87 C
CaO on beets - 2.2%
Alkalinity - 0.095 - 0.1 05%CaO
Thin juice was prepared for analysis from filtered first carbonation
juice by adjusting the pH to 9.2 with phosphoric acid, heating to 80C.,
and filtering.
I. Results of the alkalinity tests as diagrammed in Figure 1 indi
cate that maximum elimination occurs at a n alkafinity of
0 .123% CaO. This means that as the carbo nation alkalinity
increases to 0.123% CaO, colloids and other precipitable non
sugars increase in rate of precipitation . Above the alkalinity
0.123% elimination decreases due to colloid peptization. If the
alkalinity is lowered by 0.010 % from the optimum value,
carbonation elimination is decreased 1.2%, corresponding to
a bout 0.90 pounds less sugar extracted per ton of beets.
2. CaO addition has a definite effect on carbonation elimination
as shown when % CaO on beets is plotted versus % carbonation
'Project l.eader, Research Chemist and Project Leader in Research Department Holl y Sugar
Corporation. Colorado Springs, Colorado.
'Numbers in parenthesis refer to literatu re cited.

VOL.

17 . No. 2.

181

1972

OCT .

ALKALINITY

VS. CAR BONATION

ELIMINATION

45

S
z
~

:J
w

40

/0

:;z
o
OJ
a:

<3

0/

35

"
o

--

o
o

,/'
/0

30L-__- L____L -__- L____

.04
.07
.05
.06
.08

\
__~____~__~_____L_ _~L___~

.09

ALKALINITY

.10

.12

.11

.13

.14

1% CAOI

Figure I.-Alkalinity vs. carbonation elimination.

CAO ADDITION

VS. CARBONATION

EliMINATION

45

z
o

--

";;0
~

40

__

'"
"

0 __

en

a:

"
()

'"

D __

35

---

30L-__

~~

---

o --

____-L______

____J _____
1.80
2.20
'4 CAO ON BEETS

lAO

~1~

__

______

~I

____~

2.60

Figure 2.-CaO addition vs. carbonation elimination.

"4 CAO ON

so

NONSUGA~S

vs.

CARBONATION El. I M INATION

100

60
%

c...o

"0

" 0

ON NONSUGARS

Figure 3.--%CaO on nonsugars vs. carbonation elimination

182

JOURNAL OF THE

A. S. S. B. T.

elimination,
versus
carbonation
CaO on
beets from lAO to
. This
means that for
pounds of available quick lime,
there is a
of
4.5 pounds of sugar per ton of beets.
money spent for additional lime is recovered
in
creased sugar extraction.
The results from
2 and 3 are
pu blished find ings
Dede k (1) on
states, "that under the most favorable
of the amino acids, 40% of the dextran and 80%
are removed. Previous to this time, the
effect was discarded.
In addition to adsorption,
found that other benefits,
lower lime salt
and
filtration rate
K) and
rate
carbonation
are realized from using
3. In figu re 4,
has no marked effect on carbonation
elimination. From a practical
ature must be maintained at a
absorption. While all of the effects of
ation are not too
colloid

Two studies were made to determine the effects carbonation control

had on organic acid elimination. The initial study revealed that
acids which form
insoluble calcium salts
succinic and
to operating controls and
90%. At the same
citric and malic
soluble calcium salts were sensitive to
which form
controls. Consequently, additional studies were made of
malic acid.
1. From Figu re 5, the effect alkalinity has on citric and malic acid
elimination is not
clear. However, in
6, where
malic acid is increased
the
feed
approximately
I
an increase in alkalinity
decreases the residual
acid in thin
'
These results are
to some
(5) that solu
bility increases with alkalinity, but are supported by the
recent
of the Brunswick
Institute
results are clear when
the
reac
tion as shown in the equation
Ca .
+ K .
Ca Rst + K . (OH)
where K is a cation and Rs
a
soluble sa lt of an
acid.

VOL. 17, No.2, OCT. 1972

183

TEMPERATURE

'IS.

CARBONATION ELIMINATION

45

S
z
~

w 40

i
~

-0_

35

3~~O--------~7~o~------~a7o--------~90~------~'OO
TEMPERATURE

Figure 4.-Temperature vs. carbonation elimination.

ALKALINITY VS. RESIDUAL ORGANIC ACIDS

(RAW JUICE CONTROL)

MALIC ACID
CITRIC ACID

.20

(X)

(0)

'"'"
"::>
(/)

"

0
tZ

~ .10

--

-L

_0

-x

'"a.w

O~

____L -__________
.060

__________L -__________

.100

.080
ALKALINITY

________

.120

.140

(%C.O)

Figure 5.-Alkalinity vs. residual organic acids (raw juice control).

ALKALINITY

vs.

RESIDUAL ORGANIC ACIDS

(MALIC ACID ADDED TO RAW JUICE)

MALlC ACID
CITRIC ACID

IX)
10)

.20

'"
"::>
<!

----- -----

X-

(/)

----

---- X _____

-----

t
Z

w
u .10

'"a.w

-0_

.060

-----

-----

o
.080
ALKALINITY

.100

.120

.140

1% C.O)

Figure 6.-Alkalinity vs. residual organic acids (malic acid added to

raw juice).

184

A. S. S. B. T .

JOURNAL OF THE
ALKALI NITY VS. RE S IDUAL ORGA NI C ACIDS

(CI TRIC AC ID ADDED TO RAW JUIC E I

MA LIC ACID I Xl
CITRIC ACI D

(0)

.4 0

--

x -

.2 0

,oeo

.080

.120

.100

ALKALINITY

.140

("4 CAO)

Figure 7.-Alkalinity vs. residual organic acids (citric acid added to

raw juice).
CAO ADDITION VS. RESIDUAL ORGANIC ACIDS IRAW JUICE CONTROLl

.20

-_x_

x_ _

a:
<{

'"
'"
OJ

0 ___

_ _

t
~ .10

"

a:

UJ

0.

LTO

1.90

2.50

2.30

2 .10

PERCENT

CAO

ON

2.70

BEETS

Figure 8.-CaO addition vs. residual organic acids (raw juice control).
TEMPERATUR E VS. RESlQUAl ORGANIC ACIDS

""""
. '0

""""-

MALIC

""""

""-

>

""-

""""-

z .2 0

""

""""

'----

ACID

""
""""
0

.10

70
TEMPERATURE

(X'
(0'

60

CO NTROL )

C ITRIC ACID

""""
~

(RAW JU IC E

80

~
~

""""-

""""

""
90

,00

( C )

Figure g.-Temperature vs. residual organic acids (raw juice control).

VOL. 17, No .2, OCT. 1972

185

As the alkalinity increases, the reaction goes to the right and

more calcium salts of organic acids are precipitated.
2.

Increased CaO addition in carbonation slightly increases the

citric an d malic acid elimin ation as seen by the decrease in
residual acid in thin juice. Figure 8.

3.

Increased temperature definitely increases cilric and malic

acid elimination as seen in Figure 9 . This is probably caused by
the fact that the solubility of calcium salts of these acids
decreases with temperature .

Conclusions
1)

The mainten a nce of first carbonation optimum alkalinity end

point increases carbonation elimination if carbonation is per
formed in a simplified system such as the Benning.

2)

There is no evidence to support total carbonation elimination

dependence on ca rbonation temperature .
The cost of higher additions ofCaO is offset by the increased sugar
extractions. \1onetary bonuses in the form of low color and lime
salts and in better settling and filtration rates are realized .

3)

4)

The elimination of citric and malic acid increases when the con
trols of alkalinity , CaO additions, and temperature are increased.

(1)

DEDEK, DR . j. , 1961. Absorptio n of Certa in :-.ion-su gars on Ca lcium Car

bo nate , Fourteenth Annual T echnical Conference - British Sugar Corp
oration L. T.D .
JESIC , V. M., L. T . ZANTO, and S. E. BICHSEL. 1970. Results of Carbon
at ion Studies at Carlto n , T racy, and Shoup, H olly Sugar Corporation Report
44.
JESIC, V. M., LiNDA L. WHEELOCK, and L. T. ZANTO. 1972. The In
fluence of carbon ation o perating conditi ons of total non-suga r elimin
ation and on o r ga nic acid e limination. H olly Sugar Corporation R eport '53.
SCHNEIDER, VON F., E. REINEFELD , and K . M. BUESENER. 1971. Gnter
suchungen zun Fallungsverhalten von k o h saftinha ltsstoffeR. Zucker,
No. 16.
SILIN, P. M. 1967 . T echnology oj Beet Sugar Production, 218, Moscow .

Literature Cited

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)