REFINED AMORPHOUS SUGAR

摘要

This study was conducted to demonstrate a simple method for producing high quality refined sugar at low investment and running costs. Several factories using this process in Brazil were visited. The factory information presented in this paper was taken from one specific installation in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil. The process studied includes the melting, clarification, decolourisation and crystallisation of the sugar. The results from the study show that at a relatively low cost it is possible to produce a high quality low colour sugar. The low investment cost is due mainly to the simplified process and the simplicity of the equipment, as well as the absence of the expensive pans, centrifugals, crystallisers and recovery section. One of the big advantages of this process is that it produces only one type of sugar and thus only one colour of sugar. The crystallisation process is rapid and at high temperature and atmospheric pressure. It does not yield any molasses, thus dispensing with a lot of tanks, pumps, piping, valves and structures. The drying process does not need an external heat supply. It uses the heat of the crystal. The crystal produced by this process is very small. This almost powder size crystal has the advantage that the large size surface to volume ratio lends to quick dissolving. Because of the simplicity of the process, automation is also simple and of low cost. Even though this is not a new process (principally only used in Portugal and Brazil), it will surely be of interest to potential, new refiners who are worried about investment costs.