Quality Parameters of Cane Juice and its Liquors During the Processing Stages of Raw Sugar under Prevailing Industrial Conditions.

Abstract

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the changes in cane juice quality and its liquors during the main stages of raw sugar processing under prevailing industrial condition at Kom Ombo raw sugar factory, Aswan, Egypt during 2016/2017 working season. Results revealed that a noticeable inversion of sucrose content due to microbial action in mill train system in compared with mixed juice. Also the mud filtrate juice was characterized by low purity and glucose ratio, the clarification process had no effect on the quality with the exception of the reduction of fructose level may be due to alkalinity and high temperature. Results showed also glucose was the dominating reducing sugar through the extraction and clarification steps. The starch content of the factory clear juice was much lower than those of the crude juice. Although the pre-evaporation, evaporation and syrup sulphitation steps had no remarkable effects on the carbohydrate ratios of the sugar liquors. The apparent purity of strike A (mixed of sugar crystals and liquors which obtained from crystallization and cooking processes) was higher than the other of the syrup indicating the addition of rich liquors at crystallization step. The final molasses had 42.1 purity and 70.7 RS%S. although the glucose was still the dominant reducing sugar in molasses. Fructose was present in relatively a high amounts indicating the inversion of sucrose or conversions of other reducing sugars into fructose. On the other hand starch remained in the final molasses revealed to its separation in the centrifuges, yet appreciable amounts were present in raw sugar due to the selective absorption of starch during sugar crystallization.