“Tips for Sugar quality

improvement”
Organized By

Lal Bahadur Shastri Ganna Kisan

Sansthan, Lucknow, UP
Dr. M. B. Londhe
Technical Director
Rahi Techno Services, Pune
Email – mblondhe1961@gmail.com
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 Sugar Quality Assessment
Sugar colour as per Indian sugar standard
Sugar colour in IU
Insoluble matters in sugar
Keeping quality of sugar
Sediment test
Acidity in sugar

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Sugar Colour as per Indian Sugar Standard

Latest revision of Indian sugar standard is in 2003

IS 15279:2003 –Sugar & Sugar products-Methods of
test
IS 5982:2003 – Plantation white sugar specification
IS 1151:2003 – Refined sugar –specification
IS 5975:2003 –Raw sugar specifications
IS 498 : 2003 – Gradation for vacuum pan
(plantation white) sugar
IS 7424:1987 – Modulated reflectance of plantation
white sugar
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 IS 5982:2003 -Plantation white sugar specification
Characteristics Requirement
Loss on drying % by mass, Max 0.10
Polarization, Min 99.5 0 Z
Reducing sugar, percent by mass, Max 0.10

Colour in ICUMSA units, Max 150

Conductivity Ash, percent by mass, 0.10
Max
Sulphur dioxide, mg/kg, Max 70
Lead, mg/kg, Max 5.0

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 Cane Quality Aspects
Proper dressing of cane
Reduce binding material
Mechanical harvesting increases tops in
cane and increases colourants load in
process
Reduce Staleness of Cane
Burnt Cane increases RS degradation
products and increases clear juice colour

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 Milling station
Better physical and chemical sanitation at mills
– Increase in RS/100 brix - less than 10 %
Formation of Dextran create problems in juice
clarification
Imbibitions water temp- ?
◼ Low temp – Less colorants extraction but high
quantity for achieving similar results
◼ High Temp- Good extraction of sugar as well as non
sugars
◼ Prefer Higher temp and manage with extracted
colorants
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 Milling station
Bagacillo content in mixed juice should
not exceed 1g dry bagacillo per liter of
mixed juice
◼ Double screening by using rotary screen –
0.45 to 0.50 followed by 0.30
◼ Use of secondary screen for Hot juice
Uniform crush rate – MT cane
crush/minute

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 Juice Clarification station

Minimum Bagacillo in clear juice

Use of juice flow stabilisation system –
prefer VFD drives for screened juice
pumps and link it with mill automation
system - Flow variation shall be less
than 2 % of normal juice flow
Variation in Sulphited Juice pH – shall be
less than 0.10 pH.

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 Juice Clarification station
Shock pH Vs Sulphited juice pH – Primary
important is sulphited juice pH leaving juice
sulphiter – variation shall be minimum
Shock pH –
◼ Also important and shall be above 9.50 pH
◼ Uniform mixing of lime with juice is of prime
importance
◼ Neutralisation of juice to 7.10 pH after liming is also
prime importance – Needs SO2 production
appropriate management – otherwise shock pH
concept will lead erratic results

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 Juice Clarification
MOL addition method –
• Mol addition v/v or by control valve and sensing final
sulphited juice pH?
• Only v/v addition and no appropriate generation of
SO2 for neutralisation is creating problems such as
variation in clear juice pH, clear juice colour
variation, and sugar quality variation
• Suggestion – Primary we can set v/v MOL addition
but its secondary control shall be linked with final
sulphited juice pH

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Uniform Mixing of MOL with
Juice

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 Hot juice rotary screen

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 Sulphur Burner operation
Use of batch type liquid sulphur dosing creates problems
in final sulphited juice pH
SO2 generation process shall be continuous
Use of modern Film type sulphur burners with waste heat
recovery systems shall be preferred.
Sulphur burner VPC temp – No temp guazes calibration –
no uniformity in observation- with calibrated guazes , the
temp shall be lower than 600 oc – Needs higher burning
area
We can use VFD for air control to the level of ± 20 % of
air quantity

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 Uniform Mixing of SO2 with Juice

Similar to MOL , uniform mixing of SO2 with juice is

important
Sparger designs are not appropriate with bigger dia.
vessels unless these provides baffling for changing the
direction of flow
Design of four parallel pipes SO2 distribution with
smaller hole dia and covering total cross section is of
prime importance

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 Juice Clarifications
Phosphate dosing
◼ Normal 150-175 ppm
◼ For 50 ppm addition – 8 Kg per 100 MT of cane – such
addition is not techno feasible
◼ With available P2O5 – better clarification can be achieved
Colour precipitant
◼ New generation developed chemicals
◼ No Uniformity in results and variation is too high
MOL preparation
◼ Shall be grit free
◼ Hydro cyclone followed by 60 mesh screen is essentia

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 Suggestions for Clarifier Operations for
Reducing Bagacillo in Clear Juice
Clear juice as well as muddy juice shall be withdrawn
by overflow
The practice of withdrawing mud of one after other
compartment shall be avoided
Flocculent chamber must be overflowed within 2-3
days
Withdrawal of clear juice from both side of clarifier shall
be equal
The air venting connection must be provided for each
compartment above the juice collection nipple height.
The angle between vent pipes and outer shell of
clarifier shall be less than 30 0

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 Continued…
Brix of sulphited juice shall be maintained below
14.5 %
The mud volume in each compartment must be
maintained 30 to 35 % volume of compartment
In multifeed clarifier does not permit the facility
of venting the air above clear juice collection
point. As the air accumulates, eddies get
created and disturbs the calm condition of
settling.
It is necessary to provide the air venting
arrangement. This can be provided by
providing a pipe passing though central shaft or
by providing small hole of less than 25 mm
diameter at top of compartment except for top
compartment.

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 Continued…
The distance between two collection points shall be
lower than 400 mm.The total area of nipples of juice
collection coil shall not exceed 1.25 times of juice
collection coil area.
Juice collection coil shall be circular; however many
times pipe bending facility may not be available. In
such cases the collection coil shall be at least of 10
segments having equal length.
Hourly basis all compartment Cl juice transmittance
shall be checked
For steady settling the juice velocity in side clarifier
shall be less than 12 m/Hr

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Clear juice collection coil

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 mbl_rahi.techno_pune_ganna_lucknow
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 % transmittance of clear juice
•Clear juice colour measurement is definitely useful for quality control
but it can not be used for routine judgment. In place colour
measurement, we use measurement of % transmittance at 560 nm of
unfiltered clear juice for routine quality control
• no need for dilution of juice
• Time required for % transmittance measurement – Less
than one minute per sample
• Colour measurement does not incorporate effect of
turbidity
• Normal value of % transmittance – 45 to 55 %
• Higher the % transmittance better is the clear juice clarity
•Considering all above facts, for routine quality control, measurement
of compartment wise unfiltered clear juice % transmittance at 560 nm
is recommended
•% transmittance may get affected by pH, Brix %

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 % transmittance of unfiltered clear juice at 560 nm
X - Time in Hrs; Y - % Transmittance

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Compartment wise variation in % transmittance of clear juice

Variation in % trans of clear juice

50.0

45.0
% trans at 560 nm

40.0

35.0

30.0 Comp 1 Comp 2

Comp 3 Comp 4

25.0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Hours from start

Large variation in % transmittance of clear juice

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 Variation in pH of clear juice

7.20

7.10 pH
7.00

6.90

6.80

6.70
Hours
6.60
0 10 20 30 40 50

Although we say clear juice pH is almost constant but practically

there are large variation in clear juice pH. The above graph
explains variation in clear juice pH in one of the good sugar mill
in UP

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 Further improvement in clear
juice colour & turbidity
• Separate treatment of vacuum filtrates
• Use hydro cyclone for grit separation in milk of
lime
• Use of hydrated lime instead of quick lime
• Use of various colour precipitants
• Online clear juice filtration system
• Use of vibro screens for bagacillo removal at
filtrate station

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 Evaporation Station
o Exhaust steam temperature - 123 + 2 oc
o Reducing 1st vapour temperature by using clean
HS in operation and controlling exhaust temp at 1st
calandria
o Variation in clear juice pH shall controlled more
precisely
o Addition of 15-20 ppm phosphoric acid
o Increase in colour from clear juice to unsulphited
syrup should be less than 10%. To achieve this
o Good evaporation rate in each body
o Floating bodies
o Clean HS
o Lower retention time
o Quadruple in place of DEVC + Quad or Quintiple
o Use of later effect vapours for juice heating as
well as for pan boiling

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 Syrup sulphitation
▪ Sulphitation of syrup below 5.0 pH
should be avoided
▪ Excess SO2 get evaporated during pan
boiling and mother liquor again becomes
coloured.
▪ Higher SO2 creates problems - low pH of
injection water, foaming, corrosion etc
▪ pH of sugar decreases below 6.1. Excess
SO2 gets evolved during storage and
faster colour deterioration
▪ Low pH sugar - Higher difference in
sugar colour by method 9 & method 10 -
70 units.
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 Major steps to be taken during A boiling

• Production of small size sugar

• Ensure vacuum minimum 625 mm of Hg

• Use of short tube length (900 mm) pans

• Use of dry seed for footing

• Avoid use of B seed for footing

• Use of massecuite circulators for batch pans

operation

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Major steps to be taken during A boiling
•Do not use Hydrous or Hydro sulphite of soda
•Use of Hydrogen peroxide as pan aid will be helpful
•Use of conditioned AL molasses for topping of A
pan
•Pan washing with 110 0c vapors
•A pan washing is to be diverted to B massecuite
crystallisers
•Avoid AL molasses sulphitation
•Avoid false grains
•Use of author developed A1 massecuite boiling
scheme

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 A1 m/c boiling scheme
A1 boiling scheme Proposed by Rahi Techno Services, Pune Dec_2019
Total massecuite % cane - 50.0 - 52 .0
A m/c Syrup/B seed/A1 Seed/C Seed/ Rori /AL
Syrup
Pty - 83, Bx % - 58 A1 m/c Syrup /AH
% cane - 26.0 B m/c AH/A1H/CL
C m/c A1H/CL/BH

A m/c A1 m/c B m/c C m/c

Pty - 89.0 +, Pty - 78-80, Pty - 73-74, Pty - 54.0,
% cane - 28.0-30.0 % cane - 3.0-5.0 % cane - 12.0-13.0 % cane - 7.5

AH A1H BH FM
Pty - 76-77, Pty - 65-66, Pty - 52-53, Pty - 32-

CFW
AL A1 Sugar B Sugar Pty - 79.0,
Pty - 90.0, Pty - 98.0, Pty - 96.0,
CL
Pty - 65.0,
Rori Sugar
Dry seed
% cane - 2.0-3.0 CAW
Melter Pty - 94.0,

Sugar
Advantage
Pty - 99.6,
Controlled C m/c & FM purity
Higher bolder grain - 80 % on cane
Excellent sugar quality - below 90 IU
Minimum re-circulation of non sugar

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 Low grade boiling

Avoid use of BH molasses for topping of B

massecuite or use of final molasses for topping
of C massecuite

For pan washing use 110 0c vapour instead of

exhaust steam

For massecuite pumping, continuous or

frequent use of live steam should be avoided

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 Centrifugal Station
•Flat bottom centrifugals was found superior
over steep cone centrifugals

•The use of super heated wash water (115 oc)

was found better as compared to steam wash

•Avoid massecuite leakages through pug mill

gate

•Use of live steam /exhaust for seed melting

should be avoided
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 Centrifugal Station
• Centrifugal timers
•Ist wash water -- as low as possible
•IInd water wash --higher side, rpm – 900+
•Use III wash – as per design of panel
•Screen wash timing-- double than normal
•Spinning time – Higher than 25 seconds

•Uniformity of water wash at

centrifugals
• Cleanliness of water wash nozzels
•Control of left over sugar after
scrapper application
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 Sugar Gradation & storage
Appropriate cooling & drying of sugar
• Use of polythene lined gunny bags
• This does not permit temperature
equilibrium with atmosphere as in the case of
gunny bags
• Sugar packed in polythene lined gunny bags
deteriorates very fast due to higher temp
• Avoid ingress of moisture
• Cover sugar hopper at safe distance with
polythene mats

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 Sugar sampling & testing
▪ Sugar colour in different lots even bags from
same lot varies widely
▪ Not following of various quality control
techniques in sugar processing
▪ Analyse the colour value of each strike sample
regularly
▪ The variation in colour of these samples should
not be more than + 10 ICUMSA
▪ Sampling method
•Collect about 100 g sample from each strike and store in
cylinder
•Built up the samples for whole day
•Variation in sugar quality may be observed visually
•End of day mix the sample and analyse for qualitative
test
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 Thanks

For
patience hearing

Rahi techno services pune

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