USE OF ADSORBENTS TO IMPROVE THE PHOSPHATATION PROCESS,

INCREASE YIELDS, AND REDUCE COST PER TON OF REFINED

SUGAR PRODUCED - COMMERCIAL RESULTS

Jerry Lengen - Business Development Manager, Sugar Segment; Graver Technologies

Idalberto Delgado - Sugar Applications Engineering Manager; Graver Technologies
Francisco Gonzalez – Sugar Applications Engineer; Graver Technologies
Mario Canales – Business Development Manager, Sugar Segment; Graver Technologies
Roberto Medina - Sugar Applications Engineer; Graver Technologies

Summary

Refining sugar requires the removal of color, turbidity, ash and other impurities from the raw
sugar. Each processing step has limitations on the degree of purification that can be achieved in a
cost-effective manner. Use of Ecosorb® S-451 in the clarifier (removed with the clarification
scums) significantly increases the amount of decolorization achieved in the clarifier. This reduced
color can be used to reduce the degree of affination required upstream to meet the required color
to feed the IER or GAC columns. Or it can be used in conjunction with reduced washing in the
recovery house and/or white centrifugals to significantly reduce the amount of sugar losses in the
molasses while still sending the same clarified liquor color to the IER or GAC columns. Either
approach reduces the volume sent to the recovery house significantly, resulting in lower sugar
losses. Additional benefits include extending the filter cycle life of deep bed and/or polish filters
and a significant decrease in steam consumption in the recovery house (due to the decreased
volume of run-off sent to the recovery house, and the decreased remelt volume sent back to
process to be recrystallized).
Additionally, use of S-451 allows the effective treatment of high color raw sugar without
overloading the recovery house, with no reduction in daily production capacity.
Keywords: phosphatation, Ecosorb, adsorbents, decolorization, clarification, affination,

Introduction
Clarification by phosphatation is a well-accepted option for removal of color and turbidity, as well
as significant quantities of other minor impurities. These impurities consist of a combination of
particulates, colloidal materials, and some soluble and semi-soluble substances.
However, there are limitations on the degree of color and turbidity removal capacity in the
process, even with the addition of color precipitants and other cationic flocculants. The addition
of Ecosorb® S-451 to the raw melt prior to clarification, and removed with the clarifier scums, has
been shown to significantly improve color reduction in the overall phosphatation process. In
addition, significant reductions in chemical usage were achieved. However, the greatest benefits
found were an overall increase in sugar yield; the ability to efficiently process higher color raw
sugar with no decrease in production rates, and a significant reduction in energy consumption as a
result of less washing required in the recovery house.
This paper summarizes the results of 4 full scale refinery evaluations:
1. Stand-alone refinery with IER (no affination)
2. Stand-alone refinery with affination and GAC (very high color raw sugar)
3. Stand-alone refinery with affination and GAC (average color raw sugar)
4. Back-end refinery using an alternative powder adsorbent in the clarifier

1. Stand-alone refinery with phosphatation followed by IER columns (Figure 1)

Sweet water tank

Sweet water
Raw
Melting Ecosorb
Sugar

Phosphatation Desweetening

Clarified Liquor tank

Discarded
Scum

Deep Bed Filters

Ion Exch. Columns

Concentration

Final
Pan Station Molasses
Two-Boiling Scheme
Run
off Recovery House
Centrifuging Crystallization
Three-Boiling Scheme

Refined
Sugar
Remelt (Sugar “A”)

Remelt (Sugar “B”)

Figure 1
This refinery typically treats raw sugar of around 2,000 IU color and turbidity in the range of 100
– 150 IU, sending clarified liquor to the IER around 700 – 750 IU color and 50 – 70 IU turbidity.
By late summer the raw sugar in storage starts increasing in color, and the normal process is to
increase the degree of washing in the centrifugals in the recovery house to keep refined sugar color
in spec, and to minimize the increase in clarified liquor color feeding IER. This of course leads to
higher volumes of A sugar run-off feeding B sugar, more washing in the B sugar centrifugals,
more B strikes, and more final molasses produced per ton of raw sugar, and with higher sugar
content. The end result is an increase in over-all sugar losses and a decrease in production
capacity.
A commercial scale trial was run, over a 2 week period on raw sugar that was starting to increase
in color. An Ecosorb S-451 dosage ranging from 0.075% to 0.1% based on dry weight raw sugar
(0.7 – 1.0 kg per ton) was used.
Comparing performance to the period just prior to the trial gave the following results:

Table 1
Starting raw sugar color was 75 IU higher Table 2. Color of the processed sugar A and
during the trial, and the turbidity nearly B coming from the recovery house.
double. Use of Ecosorb reduced the color
feeding the IER and ultimately to
crystallization, allowing a reduction in
washing in both the white centrifugals and
in the recovery house. The combination of
sending less volume to the recovery house As can be seen in Table 2, it also resulted in
and washing less in the recovery house higher colors in both A Sugar and B Sugar,
resulted in a much lower volume of which the S-451 was able to reduce in the
molasses being produced, and a lower sugar clarified liquor feeding the IER to levels at
content in the molasses. Both contributed to or below typical values with good quality
the higher yields achieved. raw sugar.
This significant reduction in sugar losses in the recover house resulted in an increase in sugar
yield from 97.0% to 99.0%, based on raw sugar melt.
Additional benefits seen:
 A significant reduction in chemical usage - phosphoric acid 20% and calcium saccharate
24% (the solids contributed by the S-451 resulted in a decreased demand for solids from
calcium phosphate, allowing a reduction in both chemicals)
 Deep bed filter cycles increased by 30% (further optimization possible), resulting in a
reduction in the amount of sweetwater generated
 A significant improvement in turbidity reduction (from 49% to 73%)
 Sweetwater color reduced dramatically due to the residual decolorizing capacity of the S-
451 in the scum desweetening process
 Energy savings from less B Sugar being produced (less strikes)
 An increase in production capacity estimated at 5% from less sugar being sent back to the
process
  Technical Manager there commented that, “clarification just ran better”
This yield increase, coupled with the reduction in chemical consumption and the energy savings,
are more than enough to offset the extra cost of the S-451.

2. Stand-alone refinery with affination and GAC (very high color raw sugar – “Crisis
Mode”)
This refinery received some unexpectedly high color raw sugar, to the point where the degree of
affination required to send acceptable clarified liquor color to the GAC columns overwhelmed
the capacity of the recovery house, forcing a 10% reduction in operating rate, which was
unacceptable to this refiner. And even at the reduced rate, the clarified liquor color was
substantially higher than normal (800 IU compared to the normal 600 IU).
An Ecosorb S-451 trial (which had been discussed as a possibility for some time) was fast-
tracked to see if it could get them back up to the required operating rates as quickly as possible.
The S-451 was dosed into the A sugar melt tank (Figure 3) from a slurry tank at 20% “as is”
concentration (approximately 8% solids) in water. This temporary set up was easy to install for
the trial, but required manual dosing of S-451 once every 4 hours.
At a dosage of 0.05%, they were able to start reducing the degree of washing in affination, and
within 24 hours they were able to increase to full production rates, while maintaining the same
800 IU clarified liquor color that they produced at 90% of normal production capacity.
At 0.10% dosage the washing in affination was further reduced, and clarified liquor colors were
as good or better than normal (around 550 IU) at full operating rates.
Figure 2
Figure 3 Ecosorb S-451 added to process
 Figure 4 Clarifier with and without Ecosorb S-451
One of the most striking changes from the addition of S-451 to the clarifier, was the almost
immediate color change in the scum from the normal tan/light brown to dark grey/black (Figure
4). Fortunately, we warned them about this change, otherwise (figurative) alarm bells would
have gone off from the operators and shift supervisors.
Unfortunately (but fortunately for the refiner), the stock of high color raw sugar was depleted
before a detailed economic analysis could be completed. However, early indications are that not
only did the use of S-451 allow them to maintain normal production, it also reduced costs
significantly. The results were promising enough that the refiner agreed to run a more controlled
evaluation on “normal” quality raw sugar.
3. Stand-alone refinery with affination and GAC (normal raw sugar quality)
A second, more controlled evaluation was run at the same refinery, this time on raw sugar
considered to be a little better than average (1,300 – 1,600 IU).
The goal was to optimize S-451 dosage, chemical usage, and washing in affination to achieve the
lowest processing cost per CWT (hundred weight) of refined sugar.
Target dosage was 0.05%. Actual dosage used during the trial week was 0.042%. S-451 was
dosed over a two-week period. Because of the time required to see the full effects of the addition
of S-451 (needs to work its way throughout the scum desweetening system, sweetwater tanks,
etc., and back out again), we considered the 1st week of S-451 addition, and the week following
the termination of S-451 addition to be transition weeks. The Base Case was considered to be
the average of one, two, and three weeks before the initial transition week and trial (“Pre-trial”),
and two and three weeks after the trial and final transition week (“Post-trial”).
 Table 3 S-451 Trial Results

Raw sugar Sugar Lost

A strike Acid lime Steam S-451
Color in Molasses
Week
lb/cw
IU ft³/cwt lb/cwt lb/cwt lb/cwt lb/cwt
t
3 wks prior 1,340 0.155 0.93 0.08 0.13 3.34 0
2 wks prior 1,573 0.190 1.21 0.08 0.13 4.09 0 Pre-Trial
1 week prior 1,444 0.152 1.19 0.08 0.13 3.29 0
Start S-451 1,919 0.155 1.29 0.08 0.13 3.35 0.031 Transition
Trial Week 1,376 0.134 0.68 0.058 0.094 2.89 0.042 Trial
End S-451 1,917 0.141 0.84 0.08 0.13 3.05 0 Transition
2 wks after 2,292 0.158 1.19 0.08 0.13 3.41 0
Post-Trial
3 wks after 2,499 0.138 1.59 0.08 0.13 2.98 0

As is typical with most stand-alone refineries, the weekly average raw sugar color varied quite a
bit. Near the end of the S-451 run there was a significant rise in raw sugar color, so the most
meaningful comparison is probably with the Pre-Trial Base Case results.
Washing in the affination step was optimized to maintain a clarified liquor color feeding GAC as
close to normal as possible, while decreasing the load sent to the recovery house from affination.
Because of the reduced washing, not only was the volume of affination syrup sent to the
recovery house lower, the color of the affination syrup was much higher than before the trial. So
along with a reduced number of A and C strikes in the recovery house, there was also a
significant increase in the color of A sugar compared to standard operation. Normally this would
result in higher color in the main melter, in the clarified liquor feeding the GAC, and ultimately
in the fine liquor feeding the pans, requiring more washing in the white centrifugals and an
increased volume of run-off sent to the recovery house, basically defeating the purpose of
reducing the washing in affination.
With the addition of S-451 to the A melter, the color of the main sweetwater tank was reduced,
as well as the color in the main melter, despite the fact that the washed raw sugar color was
significantly higher than before the trial. The resulting clarified liquor color was equal to or
lower than standard, along with refined sugar colors and the degree of washing required in the
white centrifugals.
The use of S-451 to remove some of the color and other impurities, rather than relying solely on
washing (in affination, and/or the recovery house, and/or the white centrifugals), and recycling
most of that color back to the process, results in higher yields as well as significant energy
savings.
The quantity of sugar lost in the molasses was determined by calculating both the volume of
molasses produced and the sugar content of the molasses. Both were significantly lower during
the trial. This combination resulted in significantly lower sugar losses, and the most significant
portion of the savings seen during the trial (Table 3). Refined sugar produced per ton of raw
sugar would have given a more direct result, but we did not have that data available to us.
Table 4

Sugar
Total
Lost in Acid Lime Steam S-451
Week cost
Molasses
$/cwt $/cwt $/cwt [dtm/cwt] $/cwt $/cwt
3 wks prior 0.24 0.038 0.009 [0.055] 0 0.345
2 wks prior 0.32 0.038 0.009 [0.068] 0 0.430 Pre-Trial
1 week prior 0.31 0.038 0.009 [0.054] 0 0.411
Start S-451 0.33 0.038 0.009 [0.055] 0.057 0.493 Transition
Trial Week 0.18 0.027 0.007 [0.048] 0.076 0.335 Trial
End S-451 0.22 0.038 0.009 [0.050] 0 0.315 Transition
2 wks after 0.31 0.038 0.009 [0.056] 0 0.414
3 wks after 0.41 0.038 0.009 [0.049] 0 0.51 Post-Trial

Table 5

Raw sugar 0.26 $/lb

Steam 0.016519 dtm/lb steam
S-451 1.81 $/lb
Lime 0.1187 $/lb
Acid 0.5831 $/lb

Cost Analysis
Taking into account only cost of chemicals (including S-451) and the value of the sugar lost as
molasses, the cost per CWT was reduced somewhere between 15 and 25%. We also show the
reduction in steam consumption due to the reduced number of “A” and “C” strikes in the
recovery house, but we did not have the energy costs per dekatherm. We also did not track
refined sugar color during the trial to determine if we could reduce the wash times in the white
centrifugals to further improve the economics. Here are the factors identified as contributing to
the over-all savings:
1. Phosphoric acid: reduced from 800 to 580 ppm.
2. Lime: reduced from 1,300 to 940 ppm.
3. Washing time in affination centrifuges: reduced from 6 to 4 seconds.
4. Affination syrup generated: reduced by 33%.
5. Number of “A” strikes: reduced by 20% (Recovery House).
 6. Number of “C” strikes: reduced by 20% (Recovery House).
7. Sugar losses in the blackstrap molasses: reduced by 40%, with a corresponding increase
in sugar yield per CWT of the same amount.
8. Steam savings at the Recovery House around 19 %.

4. Back-end refinery using an alternative powder adsorbent in the clarifier

The final example is an integrated mill-refinery, with the mill processing cane into standard
sugar for sale (typically 10 – 15% of total volume) and sending the balance to the refinery for
production of refined sugar. (Figure 5)
Figure 5

Ecosorb S-451 treatment in sugar refineries

FACTORY REFINERY
Cane
STANDARD SUGAR
Ecosorb S-451
MELTER
MILLING BAGAZO

MIX JUICE PAC TREATMENT

ALKALIZATION 1
Jugo filtrado SCUM/ SYRUP
ecosorb CLARIFICATION
SULFITATION CLARIFIED SYRUP

DEEP BED FILTER

ALKALIZATION 2

MUD/
JUICE ecosorb MUD
CLARIFICATION FILTRATION VERTICAL LEAF
FILTER
CLARIFIED JUICE

CAKE/
EVAPORATION Ecosorb
CRYSTALLIZATION

SCUM SYRUP
CLARIFICATION Run-off
CENTRIFUGATION
CLARIFIED SYRUP

CRYSTALLIZATION
DRYING

CENTRIFUGATION DRYING - REFINED SUGAR

- SPECIAL WHITE SUGAR
FINAL
MOLASSES STANDARD
SUGAR TO STANDARD
REFINERY SUGAR TO
STORAGE

For several years this refinery has utilized a non-regenerable powder adsorbent prior to
phosphatation, removing it along with the scums, as their only decolorizing process prior to
crystallization (Figure 5).
While the goal is to produce as close to 100% refined sugar as possible, a substantial portion of
the crystallized sugar produced does not meet the color, turbidity, and/or insoluble specifications
to be sold as refined sugar, and must be sold at a lower price as special plantation white.
Increasing the dosage of the current adsorbent to attempt to increase the proportion of refined
sugar produced resulted in poor separation in the clarifier and decreases in both deep bed and
polish filter cycle times, and an unacceptable increase in sweetwater generation.
Despite the substantially higher price of the S-451, based on our results at other refineries, the
refiner was willing to evaluate the S-451 to see if the proportion of refined sugar produced, as
well as overall economics, could be improved. The results were dramatic!
Using a higher dosage of a more expensive product gave the following results:
o Improved color removal (from 45% to 58% from raw melt to clarified liquor) (Table 6)
o Improved turbidity (37% lower) and insoluble removal (28% lower) in the final sugar,
even with reduced washing in the white centrifugals (Table 7)
o Reduced chemical consumption
 Phosphoric acid and lime reduced by 40%
 Flocculant reduced by 20%
 Filter aid (for precoating polish filters after DBF) reduced by 50%
o Total adsorbent cost rose from $ 1.03 to $ 3.22/ton of refined sugar (exact dosages and
prices confidential)
o Over-all materials costs (adsorbent + chemicals) increased from $ 2.75 to $ 4.64 per ton,
an increase of $ 1.89 per ton of refined sugar produced
o Even with less washing in the centrifugals, the proportion of refined sugar produced in
refinery increased from 54% to 80% (Table 8)
o Average value of all sugar produced in the refinery increased from $ 778 per ton to $ 785
per ton, while the increased raw material cost was only $ 1.89 per ton, resulting in a net
increase in profit of over $ 5.00 per ton of sugar produced
o Over-all recovery for the mill/refinery increased from 86.6% to 89.5%, increasing profit
by $ 2.44 per ton of cane processed (Table 9). This was primarily due to sending less
sugar back to the mill from several sources:
o Lower color and turbidity in the clarified liquor resulted in reduced washing in the
centrifugals, and less run-off sent back to the mill
o Reduced lime and acid resulted in less scum generation and less sugar sent back
to the mill
o Increased deep bed filter cycle life reduced the amount of excess backwash sent
back to the mill
Table 6 Color Removal comparison
Melted liquor color Clarified Liquor color % Removal
(IU) (IU)
S-451 380 160 58
Alternative Adsorbent 361 200 45
 Table 7

Turbidity (IU) Insolubles (ppm)

Raw White Raw White
Refined Refined
Sugar Plantation Sugar Plantation
S-451 161 28 11 61 17 11
Alt Adsorb 190 29 15 71 19 14

Table 8 Product mix produced in the refinery

Refined White
Plantation
S-451 80.1% 19.6%
Alt Adsorbent 54.0% 43.8%

Table 9

Increase in Sugar Increase in Profit

Sugar Mill overall Sugar produced
Stage Production ($/t of cane)
sugar recovery (kg/t of cane)
(kg/t of cane)
(%)
S-451 89.5 98.4 3.2 2.44
Alt 86.6 95.2
Adsorb

Based on these results, this refiner is continuing full scale testing to confirm over a longer period
of time.
Summary
1. Stand-alone refinery (no affination)
 Yield increase of 2%
 Lime and calcium saccharate reduced by 20 – 25%
 Deep Bed Filter cycle life increased by 30%
 Turbidity removal increased from 49% to 73%
 Energy savings (not quantified) from reducing the number of strikes in the recovery
house
 Capacity increase estimated to be 5%

2. Stand-alone refinery with affination and GAC: “Crisis Mode”

 Use of S-451 on very high color raw sugar allowed the refiner to achieve normal clarified
liquor color and refined sugar color without overloading the Recovery House or slowing
production
 3. Stand-alone refinery with affination and GAC: Normal raw sugar
 Use of S-451 before the clarifier allowed a 33% reduction in affination washing with no
increase in clarified liquor or fine liquor color
 The reduced volumes of affination syrup were higher color, resulting in not only less
molasses, but also molasses that was lower in purity (lower sugar content)
 Sugar loss in the molasses was reduced by 40% (0.43 lb per CWT, or 8.6 lb per short ton)
 Energy consumption in the recovery house reduced by 19%
 Increase profit of $ 0.06/CWT ($ 1.20 per short ton) taking into account only sugar losses
and chemical costs

4. Back-End refinery using an alternative powder adsorbent in the clarifier

 Use of S-451 in place of alternative adsorbent resulted in better color and turbidity
removal, and production of more high value finished product
 Reductions in volumes of scum, deep bed filter backwash, and run-off sent back to the
mill resulted in a significant increase in yield per ton of cane processed

Conclusions
1. Ecosorb® S-451 can cost-effectively allow refiners to handle high color raw sugar in
their phosphatation process without overloading the recovery house in refineries with and
without affination, or slowing production.
2. Even when processing “normal” quality raw sugar, the use of S-451 allows less washing
in the recovery house, increasing sugar yield, and lowering sugar losses in the molasses
that far out-weigh the additional cost of the S-451.
3. Along with increased sugar yield, there is a significant reduction in chemical usage in
clarification, and energy cost (less strikes in the recovery house), as well as an increase in
clarification capacity.
4. Use of S-451 resulted in longer deep bed filter and/or pressure leaf filter cycle life, lower
turbidity, and in general, a smoother operation.
5. S-451 in raw melt, remelt tank, and/or sweetwater tank, is easy to implement, requiring
only minimal capital investment
In the words of one of the Technical Managers involved in these trials, “Clarification just runs
better when you are using S-451”