The relation of beet molasses composition to true purity Part 1. Composition

Abstract

R(~ceived for /Juhiiration A /l.g;ust 10, 1967 Molasses formation from beet sugar liquors has had the attention of technologists for more than 100 years. Its formation in the factory is dependent on many factors but probably the most important variables are the effect of some non-sug-ars In decreasing the rate of crystallization and others in increasing the solubility of sucrose in the molasses solution. Since equilib­ rium between crystallized sugar and sugar in solution is not reached in industrial molasses because of the time necessary to reach this equilibrium, factory molasses contains more sug-ar than a completely exhausted molasses. Molasses in this paper refers to factory discard molasses. In an attempt to determine what chemical factors were re­ lated to variations in molasses purity a composition study was made of molasses produced in the different beet sugar areas of the United States. Samples were selected from straight house and Steffen factories and analyzed for a large number of com­ pounds and groups of compounds. The analytical methods used and the data obtained are presented in Part I of the paper while the statistical evaluation of the data is presented in Part II. Experimental Molasses sample'S were obtained during the' 1956 campaign from a cross sectIOn of the beet sugar producing areas of the Fnited States. Straight house samples were obtained from Bet­ teravia, Clarksburg and ;-vlanteca, California; Brighton, Eaton and Swink, Colorado; Rupert, Idaho; Carrollton, Michigan; Crookston and Moorhead, Minnesota; Sidney, :Montana; Fre­ mont, Ohio; Belle Fourche, South Dakota; v\'est Jordan, Ctah; Toppenish, Washington, and Green Bay, \Visconsin. Spring and fall campaign samples were obtained from Betteravia. Swink ordinarily operates as a Steff en house', but the sample included in this study was produced from Kansas beets while the factory was operating as a straight house. Steffen house samples were 1 Western R egional R esearch Labora to ry. Agricnltural R esearch Service. U. S. Depart­