Sugar Beet Processing Research Articles

Biodiesel production from rapeseed oil over calcined waste filter cake from sugar beet processing

A solid catalyst was prepared from waste filter cake (WFC) from a sugar beet processing plant and used, after calcination at 900 °C within 2 h, for biodiesel production from rapeseed oil and methanol. The calcined WFC (CFC) catalyst was characterized by XRF, FTIR, XRD, TGA/DTG, TPDe, TPD-CO2, SEM, N2 physisorption, and Hg porosimetry. The CFC is a CaO-based catalyst with a rigid, sustainable macroporous structure with the largest particles of 2.0 × 0.5 µm, a specific surface area of 7.3 m2/g, and a basicity of 0.27 mmol/g. It provides high conversion of 97.9% in 1 h at the methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 9:1, the temperature of 60 °C, and the catalyst loading of 10% of the oil mass. Its catalytic efficiency is comparable to the WFC-based nanocatalysts and CaO-based catalysts from natural sources. CFC was reused twice with a negligible decrease in catalytic activity, ensuring a FAME content above 97% in 1 h. The biodiesel produced from rapeseed oil over the CFC catalyst has good fuel properties that fulfill most of EN 14214. Therefore, WFC is a promising source of a low-cost, highly active, basic, and environmentally friendly CFC catalyst, which could reduce biodiesel production costs. From this point of view, this catalyst has great potential for developing the process at the commercial level.

Analysis of risks and safety indicators of raw materials and products of the sugar industry of Kazakhstan

The objects of research are the process of sugar beet processing, sugar beet, sugar and molasses. The problem of determining critical control points in sugar beet processing and safety indicators of raw materials and products of the sugar industry was solved. The results were obtained based on the risk analysis and the system of control points for sugar beet processing, five critical control points were identified according to the criteria of physical, chemical and biological contamination. It was also found that in terms of safety indicators, raw materials – sugar beet, and finished products meet the requirements of regulatory documents for microbiological indicators and heavy metal content. The safety indicators of sugar beet, white sugar, molasses and beet pulp were studied. Microbiological indicators: CGB (coliforms), pathogens and S.aureus were not found in sugar beet samples. Microbiological indicators of QMAFAnM and yeast of white sugar, molasses and pulp 1–5*102, 6–7*102, 5–8*102 and 2–3*101, 1–3*101, 1*101 CFU/cm3, respectively, are within acceptable limits. The content of toxic elements did not exceed the permissible limits. For Kazakhstan sugar factories, no studies on hazard analysis and critical control points in the sugar industry have been conducted before, so the results of the study will fill this gap. The scope and conditions for the practical use of the results obtained are the possibilities of raising the quality of finished products and improving the safety of raw materials and finished products, increasing the shelf life of by-products (molasses, beet pulp) of sugar beet production. These opportunities are based on the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) in sugar beet processing

Dark fermentative hydrogen production from simple sugars and various wastewaters by a newly isolated Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum SP-H2

The hydrogen-producing bacterium SP-H2 was isolated from a thermophilic acidogenic reactor inoculated with municipal sewage sludge and processing a carbohydrate-rich simulated food waste. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, the bacterium was identified as Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum. The maximum growth rate was observed at 55–60 °C and pH 7.5. The H2-producing activity of the bacterium was studied using mono-, di- and tri-saccharides related to both hexoses (maltose, glucose, mannose, fructose, lactose, galactose, sucrose, raffinose, cellobiose) and pentoses (xylose and arabinose), as well as using real wastewaters (cheese whey, confectionery wastewater, sugar-beet processing wastewater). The highest H2 yield was observed during dark fermentation (DF) of maltose (1.91 mol H2/mol hexose or 77.8 mmol H2/L). The maximum H2 production rate was observed during DF of xylose (13.3 ml H2/g COD/h) and cellobiose (2.47 mmol H2/L/h). The main soluble metabolite products were acetate, ethanol and butyrate. The acetate concentration had a statistically significant positive correlation with the H2 content in biogas and the specific H2 yield. Based on the results of the correlation analysis, it was tentatively assumed that in the formic acid (mixed-acid) type fermentation, the rate of H2 production was higher than in the butyric acid type fermentation. With regard to real wastewater, cheese whey and confectionery wastewater were distinguished by a higher H2 yield (152 ml H2/g COD) and H2 production rate (0.57 mmol H2/L/h), respectively. The highest concentrations of confectionery wastewater and cheese whey, at which the DF process took place, were 5915 and 7311 mg COD/L, respectively. At the same time, SP-H2 dominated in the microbial community, despite the presence of indigenous microorganisms in wastewater. Thus, T. thermosaccharolyticum SP-H2 is a promising strain for DF of carbohydrate-rich unsterile wastewater under thermophilic conditions.

Evaluation of beet sugar processing carbonation sludge for the remediation of synthetic dyes from aqueous media

Evaluation of beet sugar processing carbonation sludge for the remediation of synthetic dyes from aqueous media

The use of interim products of sugar beet processing to produce a marketable product

Sugar beets processing is aimed at obtaining one marketable product - white sugar. Other useful constituents of beet are converted into production waste. Valuable components of the feedstock are removed along with production residuals - mineral and nitrogenous compounds, organic acids and many others. Yellow sugar is the interim product of the white sugar production. Usually, it is not produced as a commercial product. The main goal of this research is to study features of yellow sugar and the possibility to use it as a base for sugar-containing products with functional properties. The feasibility to increase the yellow sugar quality by using affination – removing impurities from a surface, has been explored. The process of affination allows to achieve the final product’s purity 98.0-98.7% and chromaticity less than 140 ICUMSA units. The affination process causes decrease in the number of microbes and volume of mucous-producing microflora in yellow sugar, while thermophilic microorganisms, yeasts, and molds completely disappear. The process of affination causes a decrease in the amount of mineral substances. Despite the volume of minerals in affined yellow sugar still being much higher than in refined (white) sugar, acceptable levels of toxic substances are not exceeded. Yellow sugar after the process of affination contains less sucrose than refined sugar and keeps partially mineral and organic composition of sugar beet. Within the research, we produced the marketable product with enriched composition from affined sugar and sugar syrup that has concentration 70%. The rosehip powder has been used to enrich the product composition, the volume of the rosehip powder was between 1% and 5%.

Sugar Beet Processing Wastewater Treatment by Microalgae through Biosorption

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of environmental pollution reduction of sugar beet processing factory wastewater by the biorefinery approach and integration of microalgae biomass production. In the present study, Chlorella vulgaris was cultivated in wastewater collected from a sugar beet processing factory at the beginning and at the end of a sugar plant campaign in an aerobic bioreactor on a laboratory scale under controlled conditions, with an air flow of 0.4 L/min, a temperature of 26 °C, and pH = 8. Microalgae showed effective nutrient remediation from wastewater. During wastewater treatment, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) removal efficiency was 93.7% and 98.1%, respectively; total organic carbon (TOC) content decreased by 95.7%. Nitrites and nitrates decreased by 96%, while the biggest decrease in metal ions was achieved for Ca and Mn (82.7% and 97.6%, respectively). The findings of this study suggest that coupling microalgae cultivation and wastewater treatment has a lot of potential for reducing contamination through biosorption, while also providing environmental advantages.

Processing of sugar beets assisted by pulsed electric fields

Pulsed electric fields (PEFs) are becoming more and more popular in different applications in processing agricultural products. The PEF technology is based on the application of high voltage short pulses that allow electroporation in the cell membranes. This review outlines the PEF applications used in processing sugar beets. New perspective technologies of the cold or warm aqueous extraction of sugar, cold pressing of sugar beet cossettes, and combined pressing-diffusion process are discussed. Electroporation devices for pilot and industrial applications in the sugar beet industry are also presented.

Substantiation of a method for producing sugar during deep processing of beet molasses

When processing sugar beets, the final waste is formed - molasses containing sucrose and other compounds. Under the conditions of traditional technology, further extraction of sucrose from molasses is difficult. The technology of deep processing of molasses using chromatographic separation (desugarization) has been developed and implemented, which allows additional extraction of sucrose. The resulting extract requires further processing at sugar factories. This article is devoted to the choice of a method for processing the extract under the conditions of sugar production. Various options for processing the extract are considered: after the completion of the processing of sugar beet and during the joint processing of beet and extract. You can send molasses to a desugarization station once, work with a partial return of molasses, or carry out continuous processing of molasses obtained in the crystallization department of a sugar refinery by desugarization. Each processing option has its own advantages and disadvantages. The performed numerical analysis shows that processing the extract with a second pass stage will lead to the maximum total sugar recovery. The second most efficient is endless recycling. An improvement over endless recycling in the molasses recycling process is achieved by optimizing the separator settings due to the consistent quality of the processed feed. Endless processing leads to the accumulation of non-sugars, which destabilizes the quality of the molasses and makes it difficult to set up the separator.

Remediation of Cd and Cu contaminated water and soil using novel nanomaterials derived from sugar beet processing- and clay brick factory-solid wastes

Producing nanomaterials from hazardous wastes for water and soil treatment is of great concern. Here, we produced and fully characterized two novel nanomaterials from sugar beet processing (SBR)- and brick factory-residuals (BFR) and assed their ability for Cd and Cu sorption in water and reducing metal availability in a contaminated soil. The SBR removed up to 99% of Cu and 91% of Cd in water, and exhibited a significantly faster and higher sorption capacity (qmax (g kg−1) = 1111.1 for Cu and 33.3 for Cd) than BFR (qmax (g kg−1) = 33.3 for Cu and 10.0 for Cd), even at acidic pH. Soil metal availability was significantly reduced by SBR (up to 57% for Cu and 86% for Cd) and BFR (up to 36% for Cu and 68% for Cd) compared to the unamended soil. The higher removal efficacy of SBR over BFR could be attributed to its higher alkalinity (pH = 12.5), carbonate content (82%), and specific surface area, as well as the activity of hydroxyl –OH and Si-O groups. The nano-scale SBR and BFR, the former particularly, are novel, of low cost, and environmental friendly amendments that can be used for the remediation of metal-contaminated water and soil.

БІОГАЗОВА УСТАНОВКА СІЛЬСЬКОГОСПОДАРСЬКОГО МАШИНОБУДУВАННЯ МЕТАНОВОГО БРОДІННЯ БУРЯКОВОГО ЖОМУ

The relevance of the study is due to the need to increase the productivity of biogas plants due to the expansion of the raw material base. In Ukraine in 2022, 23 sugar factories were operating, the waste from which is beet pulp. It would be possible to build a biogas plant near each of these factories, the raw material for which would be sugar beet processing waste. The purpose of the work is to determine the optimal volume of loading beet pulp into the methane tank to obtain the maximum yield of biogas. The research was carried out at a laboratory biogas installation consisting of a methane tank with a useful volume of 30 liters and a “wet” type gas holder. The methane tank operated with a periodic system of raw material loading. The temperature of the substrate was 38 °С. 2.1 kg, 1.5 kg, 1 kg, 0.5 kg and 0.25 kg of beet pulp with pH=3.69 was added to 20 liters of digestate. The content of beet pulp in the substrate was 10.5; 7.5; 5.0 and 2.5%, 1.25%. With all variants of pulp content in the substrate, the maximum biogas output was obtained the next day after loading the substrate into the methane tank. At the same time, the pH of the substrate decreased sharply. Subsequently, methane fermentation of the pulp occurs in accordance with the way it is carried out for other types of substrates: after reaching the stationary phase on the first day of methane fermentation, a die-off phase is observed, during which the population of methanogens decreases due to depletion of substrate nutrients. At this time, the pH of the substrate gradually increased and reached its initial value at the end of methane fermentation. As a result of the study, it was established that beet pulp is successfully subjected to methane fermentation without the addition of cattle manure when loading up to 10% of the volume of the substrate. However, the increase in the loading volume of beet pulp leads to a decrease in the yield of biogas.The maximum yield of biogas during the fermentation of beet pulp with a periodic system of loading the methane tank is observed already on the next day, and after two days the yield of biogas decreases sharply. The optimal content of beet pulp when loading it into a methane tank, at which the biogas output will be maximum (1.762 l/(h. kg of CO)) is 2.3%.

Sugarbeet Processing Lime Effects on High‐pH Soils and Crops in the Northwest U.S.

AbstractPrecipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) is a by‐product of sucrose extraction from sugarbeet and is considered a good lime material for acidic soil treatment. In the sugarbeet‐growing area in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, most soils have a pH of 7.5–8.5 and do not require lime applications to adjust soil pH. However, there is a need to find more offsite beneficial use or disposal methods for PCC, and agricultural land application is a practical method to dispose of PCC. A study was conducted to assess the effects of added PCC to a common alkaline soil on yields and soil chemical properties in a sugarbeet–dry bean–barley rotation. The data will be used to help determine if PCC can be land‐applied on high‐pH soils. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by reading the article and taking the quiz at https://bit.ly/3dkUh3N. View all CEUs online at https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning‐Center/Courses.

Strategic priorities for the development of the agri-food sector of Ukraine's economy

The article proves that the current stage of development of the agro-food sector of the country's economy is characterized by strong positions in world exports of agricultural raw materials and low-processed products (cereals, sunflower oil, etc.) and has import dependence on certain deep-processed products. . It is obvious that this situation does not contribute to food security, but also is an obstacle to increasing the global competitiveness of the studied sector and the country as a whole. It is argued that new risks, threats and opportunities necessitate the substantiation of strategic priorities for the development of the agri-food sector of the country's economy, taking into account current trends of innovation and sustainability. It has been determined that the development of deep processing of livestock products should be a priority in the meat processing industry and the deterrents of its implementation have been identified. Measures to implement this strategic priority are substantiated, namely the commissioning of new facilities for slaughter and deep processing, equipped with high-efficiency energy-saving innovative equipment, setting up the organization of raw material collection (including by-products). It is determined that the priority directions of development of milk supply chains should be: technical re-equipment, modernization and reconstruction of milk production, introduction of resource-saving and environmentally friendly technological lines; construction of new and modernization of functioning milk-receiving cooling and primary milk processing points, creation of small-sized milk processing shops on a cooperative basis; development of deep processing of raw milk and creation of production of such products as casein, whey powder, lactose, whey proteins, etc. The directions of development of deep processing of grain and sugar beets are given, which will promote the diversification of the product range. It is proved that in the current conditions of agri-food sector development the instruments of state regulation of certain types of production should be considered in the complex of support of both agricultural producers and processing enterprises, which will promote synergy for each level of the supply chain. It is argued that the development of agri-food production will be influenced by scientific and technological changes, increasing global challenges, increasing demand for food, slowing productivity growth in the sector and reducing its resource potential, growing urban population and implementing sustainable development principles. take into account in the strategic perspective. It is substantiated that one of the priority areas is the development of the sector of waste processing in agri-food production and food at the stage of consumption is a necessary condition for ensuring sustainability and competitiveness of agri-food production, which will increase added value and create new jobs natural environment, etc. Key words: agri-food sector, strategic priorities, in-depth processing, meat and dairy production, innovation, sustainability.

The problem of optimizing the schedule of perishable agricultural products processing

Subject. The article addresses the economic, scientific, technological, and production activities of processing plants within the agri-industrial complex. Objectives. The study aim to analyze and describe the specifics of storing perishable agricultural products, and the impact on both the further processing and final results of a processing enterprise. Methods. We employ methods of analysis and synthesis, grouping and comparison, abstraction, generalization, and analogy. We provide a mathematical model that describes the sugar beet processing, taking into account the level of sugar content, based on methods of mathematical modeling and optimization theory. Results. Our analysis of the influence of storage time of perishable agricultural products on their further processing showed that this factor can have a serious impact on the results of processing enterprises. We investigated the issue, using the case of such an important technical culture as sugar beet. We highlight an important factor, which can significantly improve the results of economic activity of enterprises, i.e. the formation of a schedule for the order of processing of sugar beet with different levels of sugar content. Conclusions. To maximize the final output, the sugar beet processing should start with batches of maximum sugar content. We provide assessments, characterizing the level of final output, should this rule be violated. The findings may serve as a basis for developing more general mathematical models, which describe the sugar beet processing and consider other factors, including the dynamics of the process of beet pile fields replenishment with sugar beet of various sugar content.

Improvement of the liquid-jet sulfitators construction to increase the efficiency of sulfitation treatment of sugar production liquids

The article discusses and analyzes the construction of liquid-jet sulfitators used in the beet sugar industry. The importance of sulfitation treatment in the sugar beet processing and raw cane sugar technology is noted and the main advantages of its use at various technological stages are given, namely, preparation of extractant used for diffusion sucrose extraction out of beet cossettes, thin juice processing, thick juice with B- and C-remelts processing, as well as raw cane sugar remelt processing. The advantages and disadvantages of liquid-jet sulfitators in comparison with other constructions are noted and criteria for their improvement are given. It has been noted that the created ejection, which sucks in the sulphitation gas into the contacting chamber, and the fact that the absorption of sulfur dioxide occurs on a larger surface than in other types of structures the main advantages of liquid-jet sulphitators. The main disadvantages are the short length of the contacting chamber, which is insufficient for ensuring complete absorption of sulfur dioxide, as well as instability of the generated ejection when the productivity changes. This determines the criteria given in the article for the improvement of liquid-jet sulfitators. The description of the developed construction of the sulphitator centrifugal-jet nozzle of sugar production liquids is given, which provides: the stability of the sulphitation gas supply in a wide range of plant productivity; stability of the hydroaerodynamic regime of the system «treated liquid – sulphitation gas» inside the sulphitator; sufficient contact time for complete dissolution in the treated liquid of the sulfur anhydride contained in the sulphitation gas. The advantages of the developed centrifugal-jet sulfitators in comparison with typical liquid-jet sulfitators are noted: ensuring the operation range of 50-120% of the nominal capacity (plant production capacity); significant reduction in the technical sulfur consumption for the sulphur anhydride production, which is used as a reagent for the sulfitation treatment of liquids in beet sugar processing; reduction of harmful emissions into the atmosphere due to 100 % sulfur anhydride dissolution in the treated liquid.

APPLICATION OF ELECTRODIALYSIS FOR PURIFICATION OF DIFFUSION JUICE IN SUGAR PRODUCTION

An analysis of the main production processes used in the sugar industry and ways to improve production efficiency is presented. In the sugar industry of the Republic of Belarus, an extensive way of increasing production efficiency is mainly used — improving the existing technological scheme mainly without introducing new technologies. This path carries low risks, but has natural limitations. The paper considers an alternative option for increasing the efficiency of sugar production, which is based on the use of new electromembrane technologies that complement the traditional technological scheme or partially replace its stages. The most promising and little-studied method of processing sugar beet processing products in order to increase production efficiency is electrodialysis. The aim of the study is to study the effect of electromembrane treatment of diffusion juice of various degrees of purification on improving the efficiency of sugar beet processing. The results of model tests of the electrodialysis process in real production conditions with a steadystate sugar production mode on a pilot membrane installation with a cation-anionic set of membranes are presented. The results of calculations confirming the effectiveness of the use of electromembrane processing in the technology of sugar beet processing are presented.

The beet sugar factory of the future

The beet sugar industry is facing several challenges for the future. The climate change is requiring a transition from the traditional fossil fuel to a greenhouse gas neutral energy source. The available possibilities for this purpose will be outlined in this paper. The recent EU sugar market reform has markedly increased the competition between sugar companies and the resulting lower sugar price has a significant impact on the profit margin of sugar production. In order to keep up with these challenges it is key to make an appropriate use of the available opportunities to improve the cost-efficiency of sugar beet processing. The different means to advance the sugar business are better asset utilization, continuous process improvement, introducing innovative process technologies and further developing a sugar factory into a biorefinery with a further valorisation of (co-)products and wherein synergy is obtained between different on-site process operations. Why and how these different available tools can improve the competitiveness of sugar factories will be discussed in detail. A proper combination and choice of the suggested changes and opportunities will enable sugar factories to get prepared for the future.

Nitrate and nitrite pathways and dynamic changes in bacterial communities during beet sugar processing.

Bacterial community successions were surveyed during the processing stages of sugar production using high-throughput sequencing methods. Furthermore, the correlation between bacterial community and nitrate/nitrite content in beet sugar processing were investigated. In an analysis of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene, 254 122 effective sequences were obtained from samples, which included sugar beet, cossettes, diffusion juice, second-phase diffusion juice, light juice and thick juice. The results showed that dominant genera included Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Leuconostoc and Burkholderia. Moreover, significant changes in bacterial communities were observed in samples. Regarding the relevant nitrogen metabolic potential, this study revealed communities with the ability for nitrate and nitrite metabolism. Furthermore, a shaking experiment involving diffusion juice and second-phase diffusion juice was performed, and results showed that the nitrate level declined 73% and 98% in 36 h, respectively. These results suggested that the bacterial communities contribute to nitrate and nitrite transformation. This study illustrated that the bacterial communities and their specific effects on the formation of nitrate and nitrite during beet sugar processing. The results presented the basic concept involving the nitrate- and nitrite-forming pathways directly related to the mechanism of bacterial community growth. This study could facilitate an understanding of the correlation between nitrite content and microorganisms to guide beet sugar manufacturers regarding the control of nitrite and nitrate content. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

ELECTROCHEMICAL CORRECTION OF THE MINERAL COMPOSITION OF BEET MOLASSES

Application of sugar beet molasses as a secondary resource for the extraction of sugar is a topical issue, which will reduce the loss of sucrose during the processing of sugar beets and increase the economic efficiency of the sugar industry of the Republic of Belarus. Initially it is necessary to reduce the ash content for further desugarisation molasses. This study investigated removal of the ash content of the beet molasses solution with electromembrane equipment applying. The article reflects the results of studies on the possibility of reducing the salinity of a solution of beet molasses using electrodialysis at various voltages applied to the electrodes from 10 to 30 V. In the initial raw material and the final product, the electrical conductivity, optical
 density and dry matter content were determined, on the basis of which a conclusion was made about the expediency of using electrodialysis.

Home Sweet Home: the Effect of Sugar Protectionism on Emigration in Italy, 1876‐1913

AbstractProtectionist policies have often relevant effects at the regional level. This paper analyzes the impact of sugar import duties on emigration in nineteenth century Italy. Both for climatic reasons and the nature of the soil, the cultivation and processing of sugar beets was geographically concentrated. Our theoretical model illustrates how a tariff that favours local producers may affect residents' incentives to migrate abroad. Using a new set historical data, the predictions of the model are tested through quasi‐experimental methods which use the exogenous variation in sugar cultivation across areas to estimate the effect of interest. Results show that protectionism reduced the relative incentive to migrate away from sugar‐producing areas.

Key performance indicators and set-points in sugar beet processing

Each sugar factory needs appropriate guidance to produce the desired white sugar product and co-products in their installed process equipment from the received sugar beet in a cost-effective way. Based on the generally known principles of sugar technology and supported by the extensive experience in beet sugar processing, this paper provides an overview of important key performance indicators (KPIs) which a factory could use as targets to optimize their beet processing. The recommended technological process set-points, which are required to fulfil the defined KPI targets, will be covered too. The theoretical background of sugar process technology is at the basis for the determination of the recommended process control parameters and will be used to explain the preferred choices of KPIs and process set-points.