No.

23/2002
Agdex 712/25

Sugarcane : Measuring Commercial Quality

Jim Engelke, Department of Agriculture, Kununurra.
There are a number of measurements that contribute to
assessing the quality of sugarcane:

pol (sucrose) per cent in juice;

brix (total soluble solids) per cent in juice;
pol (sucrose) per cent in cane;
brix per cent in cane;

fibre per cent;

commercial cane sugar (CCS); and
purity
The process of determining sugarcane quality requires
several measurements. The diagram below summarises the
process.

The process of determining sugarcane quality requires several measurements.

The diagram below summarises the process.
Whole cane
Shredded
Squeezed

Juice
(1st expressed juice)

Shredded cane

Brix in juice

Polarimeter reading

Schmidt Reference tables

Sample taken weighed,

washed and dried and
then reweighed

Pol (sucrose ) in juice

(1st expressed juice)

Fibre per cent

Brix in cane
= Brix in juice x 100 - (fibre % + 3)
100

Pol (sucrose ) in cane

= Pol in juice x 100 - (fibre % + 5)
100

Commercial cane sugar (CCS)

= Pol In Cane - 0.5 impurities in cane

Important Disclaimer
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and the State of Western Australia accept no liability
whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.

For more information visit our web site www.agric.wa.gov.au

Pol (Sucrose) percent in juice

Sucrose content is often referred to as per cent pol, with pol
being derived from the name of the machine that measures
the sucrose content, a polarimeter. A polarimeter works by
sending polarised light through a known quantity of sugar
juice (for example, a 100 mm or 200 mm column filled with
juice) and measuring the rotation of the light after passing
through the liquid. Standards have been developed by
mixing known quantities of sucrose with water and
measuring the light rotation.
The resulting rotation figure can then be converted to a
figure that estimates sucrose (or pol) per cent in juice.
Either a set of conversion tables or a formula can be used to
obtain the sucrose per cent in juice. To use the tables the
brix, or total soluble solids, in juice must also be known.
Brix is measured using a brix spindle, density meter or
refractometer.
Brix

Polarimeter
reading

19.0
71 17.16
72 17.41
73 17.65
74 17.89
75 18.13
76 18.37
77 18.61

Walker four roller mill that squeezes juice from the shredded
cane

19.5

20.0

20.5

21.0

21.5

22.0

22.5

17.13
17.37
17.61
17.85
18.09
18.34
18.58

17.09
17.33
17.58
17.82
18.06
18.30
18.54

17.05
17.30
17.54
17.78
18.02
18.26
18.50

17.02
17.26
17.50
17.74
17.98
18.22
18.46

16.99
17.23
17.47
17.71
17.95
18.19
18.66

16.95 16.92
17.19 17.16
17.43 17.40
17.67 17.63
17.91 17.87
18.15 18.11
18.39 18.35

With the fibre percentage it is then possible to

calculate percentage brix and sucrose in cane.
Brix and pol (sucrose) per cent in cane
There are two steps to calculating the brix and
sucrose in cane.

Cane is squeezed through a series of rollers to extract

the juice. The first pair of rollers squeezes a higher
proportion of the brix and pol than subsequent
rollers. Sampling of juice is routinely performed at
Table 1.1 Extract of the reference tables for converting polarimeter the first set of rollers. Therefore the first step is to
correct the brix and pol measurements in first
and brix readings to a per cent sucrose in juice.
expressed juice to more accurately represent those of
For example, a sample that has a brix reading of 21.0 and a
the total juice in cane.
polarimeter reading of 75 equates to 17.98 per cent sucrose
in juice using the table above.
Using the results of mill experiments carried out by Dr G.
Kottmann, CSR formulas are used to calculate the brix and
The formula to calculate per cent pol in juice is:
pol in cane.
Per cent pol (sucrose) in juice =
The results of these experiments showed that:
{-6.517 + (25.3 x PR*) 0.0118 x (PR x PR) + (2.937 x
brix) 0.207 x (brix x brix)} / 100
a. For every 100 parts soluble solids (brix) in the first roller
juice there are approximately 97 parts in the whole juice
*PR = polarimeter reading
of cane.
Calculating pol in juice is the first step in calculating per
cent pol in cane.
Therefore multiplying the brix reading in first
expressed juice (1EJ) by 0.97 is a better estimate of brix
Fibre in cane
in the total juice of cane.
To calculate the sucrose in cane or CCS a figure for fibre is
also needed.
Method for Determining Fibre Percentage at the Sugar Mill
Over a period of 24 hours samples are collected immediately after the cane has passed through the shredder. These
samples are combined, and a 500 gram sub sample taken.
Sub sample is put through a cutter grinder.
The ground sample is then placed into a fibre machine where it is washed to remove brix (soluble solids) and
fine dirt.
The sample is then dried using hot air and weighed.
The final weight divided by the initial weight provides a fibre percentage.
Example: Original weight of 500 grams, final weight of 75 grams.
Fibre percentage = (final weight / original weight) x 100
= (75 / 500) x 100
= 15 %

Sugarcane harvesting in the Ord.

b. For every 100 parts of pol in first roller juice there are
approximately 95 parts in the whole juice of cane.
Therefore multiplying the pol in first expressed juice by 0.95
gives an estimate of the pol in the total juice in cane.
The second step is to account for the fibre percentage of the
cane.
This is necessary as higher levels of fibre make it more
difficult to extract the juice in cane, whereas lower levels of
fibre make it easier for the rollers to squeeze out larger
proportion of the total juice.

To obtain the values for brix and pol in cane a fibre per cent
is required. The fibre per cent is then deducted from a value
of 100 (representing all components of cane) then divided
by 100.
In the case of fibre per cent equal to 15
= 100-15 / 100
= 0.85
Therefore in the case where cane fibre is equal to 15 per
cent, the corrected brix and pol (sucrose) in cane values
are then multiplied by 0.85.

Aerial view of Ord Sugar Mill owned by Cheil Jedang, a Korean based company.

Commercial cane sugar

(CCS)
Commercial cane sugar (CCS)
is calculated knowing both
brix in cane and pol in cane.
CCS was originally known as
POCS or pure obtainable cane
sugar.
CCS provides an
estimate of the percentage of
recoverable sucrose from cane.
Assumptions that are made
when calculating CCS include:
25% of the impurities in cane
are removed in clarification
and the remaining 75% is in
molasses. For every 60 parts
impurities going to the
molasses 40 parts of sugar are
also removed. As a result high
impurity cane reduces the
potential for raw sugar
production.
Impurities in cane = brix in
cane pol in cane

Ord sugar mill laboratory where cane quality is determined.

Therefore with a fibre equal to 15 per cent we get:

CCS = pol in cane - 0.75 (impurities in cane x 40/60)

Brix per cent in cane = (brix in juice x 0.97) x 0.85

Pol (sucrose) per cent in cane = (pol in juice x 0.95) x 0.85

Which can be reworked into a simpler equation as

follows:

The formulas are expanded in the following calculations.

CCS = pol in cane 0.5 impurities in cane

Brix per cent in cane

Therefore from the example;

Brix in cane = brix in 1 e J x (100 (% fibre + 3))/100

CCS = 14.38 - (0.5 x 2.84)

Therefore with brix in juice of 21.0 and fibre of 15% it is

possible to calculate brix in cane.
Brix in cane = 21.0 x (100 (15 + 3))/100
= 17.22

= 12.96
Purity of cane
Cane purity is a measure of the level of sucrose present in
cane relative to the total level of soluble solids.

Pol (sucrose) per cent in cane

Purity is generally expressed in percentage terms.

Pol in cane = pol in 1 e J x (100 (% fibre + 5)/100

Purity of cane = (pol in cane/brix in cane) x 100

Therefore with our brix reading of 21.0, the pol in juice

calculated to be 17.95 and fibre of 15% it is possible to
calculate pol in cane.

Purity of cane = 14.38/17.22 x 100

= 83.5 %

Pol in cane = 17.98% x (100 (15 + 5))/100

= 14.38%

741/02 - 200 - 6/2002

ISSN 0726-934X

Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2002. This material may be reprinted provided that the article and the author(s)
are acknowledged. Published by the Department of Agriculture Western Australia, Locked Bag No.4, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983