Worldwide the sugar industry continues to use conventional process for concentrating the clear juice through evaporators from 13-150 Bx to 62-650 Bx. Since, at present, the Indian sugar industry is aiming at ethanol production particularly from syrup and B heavy molasses not only for reducing the dependency on the crude oil and also helps to reduce the surplus sugar production. Due to these diversions, at times, the desired brix of syrup is difficult to be maintained at the evaporation stage due to issues related to drawl of vapours. Therefore, specific attention is to be paid on alternate processes including one based on membrane technology, which may be effective in the processing of sugar manufacturing during the partial diversion of Syrup or B- heavy molasses, by reducing the water evaporation load in the concentration process. Pilot plant trial were conducted with the use of Reverse Osmosis Membrane Technology for partial clear juice concentration, focusing on the main parameters like as permeation flux, membrane selectivity, and fouling of membranes and the initial results obtained are discussed herein.
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