Tons Of Sugarcane Research Articles

A review on sugar industry wastewater: sources, treatment technologies, and reuse

Sugar industries have an important place in the Indian economic development. However, the wastewater generated from these industries bear a high degree of pollution load. Sugar industries in India generate about 1,000 L of wastewater for one ton of sugar cane crushed. Wastewater from sugar industry, if discharged without treatment, poses pollution problems in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this review, the sugar industry wastewater generation sources, characteristics, recent advancements in the aerobic, anaerobic, and physico-chemical treatment technologies, and the areas needing further research have been explored. Possibility of treated wastewater reuse was also investigated. Most of the research work for sugar industry wastewater treatments has been carried out by anaerobic treatment processes. However, oil and grease are not easily degraded by anaerobic processes. Also, an anaerobic process partly degrades nutrients whereas, aerobic processes consume higher energy. Anaerobic-aerobic combined systems can remove organics completely. Unfortunately, very few studies are available for anaerobic-aerobic combined systems, and more work is needed in this field.

THE ESTIMATION OF RETURNS AND PROFITABILITY FOR PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING OF SUGARCAN AND SUGARBEET IN EGYPT

The study aims at raise the level of the sugar production in Egypt through the studying and analysis of the following items: 1 - Local production, national consumption, food gap and the average per capita. 2 - The trend of total production and the inputs supplies of the sugarcane and sugar beet crops. 3 – Cost structure, total revenues and economic efficiency indicators for the studied crops. 4 – The technical and economic efficiency measures for manufacturing a ton of sugarcane, sugar beet, and refined sugar. Value chain analysis of the goods, in order to estimate the revenue and profitability for the production and processing of tons of sugarcane crops, sugar beet and product ton of refined sugar in Egypt.The study found the following main results: 1 - net return of the pound invested amounted to about 0.76, 0.81 pounds / pound, and that each of the sugarcane and sugar beet crops, that is in the beet crop surpassed cane crop. 2 - The value of the products to manufacture per ton are estimated at 1734.12, 731.38 pounds for cane and beet crop, respectively. And that the net return to manufacture a ton of about 862.82, 248.18 pounds for the two crops, respectively. Finally, the net return on the investor pound has reached 0.99, 0.51 pounds per ton of cane and beet, respectively. 3 - to get tons of refined sugar, necessary manufacturing 9.407 tons of sugar cane crop whereas it needed 7.587 tons of beet crop. And that the value of sales of products from the manufacture of sugar beet crop represents 34.02% than that of the sugar cane crop.

Old mill revitalized with modern drive technology

For the reconstruction of SF Cepiring sugar factory on Java a new gear and the new drive for the milling train were supplied by Siemens. The system consists of a Siemens gear and a Siemens motor with matching converter. The cane processing capacity of the factory could be increased from 3,000 to 4,000 tons of sugarcane per day without further conversions.

Life cycle inventory of electricity cogeneration from bagasse in the South African sugar industry

The South African sugar industry has a potential for cogeneration of steam and electricity using bagasse. The sugar industry has the potential to generate about 960 MW per year from bagasse based on the average of 20 million tons of sugar cane crushed per year. Renewable energy sources like bagasse are generally regarded as cleaner energy sources as opposed to coal-derived energy. However, the environmental benefits of power production from bagasse must be verified using a systematic scientific methodology. This study develops the life cycle inventories for bagasse power production in South Africa. The life cycle inventory can help to evaluate the environmental impacts of the cogeneration throughout the life cycle. The data for this inventory stage of the research was supplied by the sugar industry, and the analysis mostly uses South African data in the inventory stage. The study presents life cycle inventories based on a functional unit of 1 GWh of bagasse-derived electricity produced in the South African sugar industry. A comparison of the current generating output with a proposed higher output shows that more energy can be produced in addition to reduced inventory levels and this has the potential to improve environmental performance of bagasse power generation in South Africa.

Síntese de nanotubos de carbono a partir do bagaço da cana-de-açúcar

A tradicional produção de açúcar, associada à crescente produção de etanol, faz da indústria sucroalcooleira um dos principais segmentos da economia brasileira. As indústrias brasileiras de açúcar e álcool processaram cerca de 630 milhões de toneladas de cana em 2009, gerando, aproximadamente, 142 milhões de toneladas de bagaço. Este trabalho apresenta uma possibilidade de destinação para o bagaço da cana através da queima controlada associada à síntese de nanotubos de carbono (CNTs), materiais que possuem inúmeras possibilidades de aplicações tecnológicas devido as suas excepcionais propriedades. Foi utilizado o processo de pirólise a 1000ºC associado a um sistema catalisador, visando à recuperação dos gases gerados como matéria-prima para a síntese dos CNTs. As emissões gasosas foram analisadas por cromatografia e os materiais produzidos foram caracterizados com o emprego de MEV, MET, TGA e espectroscopia Raman. Os resultados mostraram que o uso do catalisador resultou na diminuição das emissões gasosas. Nanotubos de carbono com comprimentos de 10 a 40 µm e diâmetros entre 20 e 50 nm foram produzidos.

Characterization of Nanomaterials Produced from Sugarcane Bagasse

The traditional sugar production associated with the growing production of ethanol combustible made of the sugarcane industry to be one of the most important segments of Brazilian economy. Brazilian industries of sugar and ethanol processed about 630 million tons of sugarcane in 2010, which generated approximately 142 million tons of bagasse. A novel technique to produce nanomaterials using the gases generated during the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse was developed. In this work, the microstructural characterization of such nanomaterials is presented by using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Results showed that the nanomaterials were in the form of long, straight, tubular structures with smooth walls and axially-uniform diameters, which is characteristic of carbon nanotubes. Typical lengths were in the order of 50 μm and diameters were in the range of 20 nm to 50 nm. Therefore, sugarcane bagasse may be pyrolyzed to generate bio-syngas for power generation while, at the same time, produce addedvalue byproducts, such as carbon nanotubes.

Scientific challenges of bioethanol production in Brazil

Bioethanol (fuel alcohol) has been produced by industrial alcoholic fermentation processes in Brazil since the beginning of the twentieth century. Currently, 432 mills and distilleries crush about 625 million tons of sugarcane per crop, producing about 27 billion liters of ethanol and 38.7 million tons of sugar. The production of bioethanol from sugarcane represents a major large-scale technology capable of producing biofuel efficiently and economically, providing viable substitutes to gasoline. The combination of immobilization of CO₂ by sugarcane crops by photosynthesis into biomass together with alcoholic fermentation of this biomass has allowed production of a clean and high-quality liquid fuel that contains 93% of the original energy found in sugar. Over the last 30 years, several innovations have been introduced to Brazilian alcohol distilleries resulting in the improvement of plant efficiency and economic competitiveness. Currently, the main scientific challenges are to develop new technologies for bioethanol production from first and second generation feedstocks that exhibit positive energy balances and appropriately meet environmental sustainability criteria. This review focuses on these aspects and provides special emphasis on the selection of new yeast strains, genetic breeding, and recombinant DNA technology, as applied to bioethanol production processes.

Seleção de famílias RB visando à alta produtividade e precocidade na maturação em cana-de-açúcar

The aim of the present study was to evaluate ten RB (Republic of Brazil) families of full-sib sugarcane with production poten- tial and early maturity to select individuals for use in breeding programs and for commercialization. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four replicates. The experiment was carried out in Igarassu, Pernambuco, Brazil, during the 2009/2010 crop season. Morphological and technological traits were evaluated ten months after planting. Multivariate analy - sis was used to quantify genetic divergence and Mahalanobis distance was used as the dissimilarity measure. The hierarchi- cal mean connection method and Tocher's optimization method were applied and phenotypic path analysis was performed. Considering the agro-industrial traits, the families FA-2, FA-3, FA-5, FA-8 and FA-9 can be selected for sugar production. The results regarding the apparent percentage of soluble solids indicate that the families FA-4, FA-5, FA-6 and FA-10 have a ten- dency towards early maturation. The mean number of culms can be used for indirect selection of more productive families, as this variable has a substantial direct positive effect on tons of sugarcane per hectare.

Seleção de famílias RB visando à alta produtividade e precocidade na maturação em cana-de-açúcar

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar dez famílias RB (República do Brasil) de irmãos germanos de cana-de-açúcar com potencial de produção e precocidade na maturação, visando à seleção de indivíduos para uso no melhoramento e comercial. O delineamento experimental adotado foi em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, em área agrícola localizada em Igarassu, Pernambuco, Brasil, durante o ano agrícola de 2009/2010. Foram avaliados caracteres morfoagronômicos e tecnológicos na cultura aos dez meses após o plantio. A análise multivariada foi utilizada para quantificar a divergência genética, e a distância generalizada de Mahalanobis foi empregada como medida de dissimilaridade. O método hierárquico de ligações médias e o método de otimização de Tocher também foram aplicados, além da estimativa das análises de trilha fenotípicas. Em vista de suas características agroindustriais superiores, as famílias FA-2, FA-3, FA-5, FA-8 e FA-9 podem ser selecionadas para produção de cana e açúcar. Os resultados relacionados à porcentagem aparente de sólidos solúveis indicaram as famílias FA-4, FA-5, FA-6 e FA-10 com tendência para maturação precoce. A variável número médio de colmos pode ser utilizada na seleção indireta de famílias mais produtivas, uma vez que teve efeito direto positivo e elevado sobre tonelada de cana por hectare.

Characterization of pressmud: A sugar industry waste

The increasing demand of energy has been a prime source of motivation for the development of alternate fuels. The concept of biological degradation of organic wastes by anaerobic digestion for the generation of methane has been used by waste management industries for many years. Pressmud is an industrial waste available from the sugar mills. For every 100 tonnes of sugarcane crushed about 3 tones of pressmud cake is left behind as by-product. The objective of this work was to study the characterization of pressmud and its uses and importance. This paper reports its proximate analysis, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis etc. The thermo gravimetric (TG), derivative thermo gravimetric (DTG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA) were also carried out. The overall objective of these analyses is to find out the suitability of pressmud for energy generation and the distinct behavior of pressmud indicates that this sugar industry waste is highly suitable for energy production.

Greenhouse gas emission associated with sugar production in southern Brazil

BackgroundSince sugarcane areas have increased rapidly in Brazil, the contribution of the sugarcane production, and, especially, of the sugarcane harvest system to the greenhouse gas emissions of the country is an issue of national concern. Here we analyze some data characterizing various activities of two sugarcane mills during the harvest period of 2006-2007 and quantify the carbon footprint of sugar production.ResultsAccording to our calculations, 241 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent were released to the atmosphere per a ton of sugar produced (2406 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per a hectare of the cropped area, and 26.5 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per a ton of sugarcane processed). The major part of the total emission (44%) resulted from residues burning; about 20% resulted from the use of synthetic fertilizers, and about 18% from fossil fuel combustion.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that the most important reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from sugarcane areas could be achieved by switching to a green harvest system, that is, to harvesting without burning.

Energy recovery from sugarcane biomass residues: Challenges and opportunities of bio-oil production in the light of second generation biofuels

The lack of an alternative energy carrier to electricity with storage capability for use in off-season has to date been an unsolvable question for the sugar agroindustry. The improvement in cogeneration capacity via implementation of condensing extraction steam turbines or biomass integrated gasifier/gas turbine combined cycle and the barriers for their implementation were analyzed. The introduction of a fast pyrolysis (3 tons/h) module (FPM3) as a solution for off-season energy demand in the sugarcane agroindustry was also analyzed. The production cost of 1 ton of bio-oil for FPM3 condition was calculated at 87 USD/ton of bio-oil (0.104 USD/l of bio-oil). The economic feasibility of the FPM3 was estimated, comparing the added values for two alternatives: first alternative regarding the sugar and bioethanol simultaneous production (first generation biofuel production) and second alternative regarding the sugar and bio-oil simultaneous production (second generation biofuel production). Although the highest added value figure for a ton of sugarcane (49.30 USD) was gotten by the second alternative, the bioethanol production for cars fuel continues to be most attractive business option because of large fuel ethanol market demand.

A decision support tool for modifications in crop cultivation method based on life cycle assessment: a case study on greenhouse gas emission reduction in Taiwanese sugarcane cultivation

Background, aim, and scope Nowadays, various crops are cultivated to supply emerging needs in sustainable fuels and materials. In addition to the development of crop processing technologies, cultivation processes in a cropping system could be modified to meet the emerging needs, along with the conventional needs in food supply. This study provides a decision tool for modifications in cultivation of crops based on life cycle assessment. Sugarcane cultivation in Taiwan is chosen as a case study to present such a decision tool, because it is an important potential indigenous resource for energy (for example, bio-ethanol) and materials (for example, bio-plastics). First, this study presents the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of 1 ton of sugarcane in Taiwan, which makes it possible to understand how it is consistent to develop this bio-resource in terms of both objectives: i.e., resource security and reduction of global warming impact. Next, sensitivity of the parameters in cropping systems, such as amount of irrigation, fertilization and tillage are assessed from a viewpoint of GHG emissions, using the LCI model constructed in the first step. Finally, equivalent impact level (EIL) lines are presented for some important parameters in the cropping system to support considerations in modification of agricultural methods. Because the objective is to discuss parameters in cultivation processes, the scope of study is limited to cradle-to-gate of raw sugarcane transported to the cane processing plant.

COLHEITA MECÂNICA E MANUAL DA CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR: HISTÓRICO E ANÁLISE

The sugarcane is one of the most important crops for Brazilian commercial terms. Nowadays the sugarcane agro-industry processes around 300 million tons of sugarcane a year, produced in approximately 5,4 million hectares. Although the mechanized harvested area is less than 25%, it tends to increase in nest years, especially due to governmental laws. The adoption of the mechanized harvesting system causes among others the raise of strange matter and loss of raw material in the field.

COLHEITA MECÂNICA E MANUAL DA CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR: HISTÓRICO E ANÁLISE

The sugarcane is one of the most important crops for Brazilian commercial terms. Nowadays the sugarcane agro-industry processes around 300 million tons of sugarcane a year, produced in approximately 5,4 million hectares. Although the mechanized harvested area is less than 25%, it tends to increase in nest years, especially due to governmental laws. The adoption of the mechanized harvesting system causes among others the raise of strange matter and loss of raw material in the field.

CONDICIONANTES FÍSICOS E IMPACTOS DOS TORNADOS DO FINAL DE MARÇO DE 2006 NO INTERIOR PAULISTA

The study evaluated the atmospheric conditions that generated some tornadoes on 29 March 2006 in Piracicaba and Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, as well as the physical characteristics of the areas. It also collected the impacts in several sources, including media, municipalities and civil defense, and by application of questionnaires, the perception of the local population. In Santa Bárbara d’Oeste there were 15 people injured, one death, many displaced people and high loses. In Piracicaba loses in the urban area were estimated in R$ 1,5 million, besides 350 thousand of Ton of sugar cane that fell down; wind speed reached at least 158 km/h, affecting public services, and damaged around de 3% of the trees. By the analysis of the news it was possible to recognize the general dimension of the phenomenon, but several inconsistent information were detected. In general, the perception of the population corresponded to the physical reality of the phenomenon. By the responses one can infer that Santa Bárbara d’Oeste experienced more registers of similar phenomena.

Enzymatic direct synthesis of acrylic acid esters of mono‐ and disaccharides

AbstractBACKGROUND: There is an increased need to replace materials derived from fossil sources by renewables. Sugar‐cane derived carbohydrates are very abundant in Brazil and are the cheapest sugars available in the market, with more than 400 million tons of sugarcane processed in the year 2007. The objective of this work was to study the preparation of sugar acrylates from free sugars and free acrylic acid, thus avoiding the previous preparation of protected sugar derivatives, such as glycosides, or activated acrylates, such as vinyl acrylate.RESULTS: Lipase catalyzed esterification of three mono‐ and two disaccharides with acrylic acid, in the presence or absence of molecular sieves was investigated. The reactions were monitored by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the products were analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry. The main products are mono‐ and diacrylates, while higher esters are formed as minor products. The highest conversion to sugar acrylates was observed for the D‐glucose and D‐fructose, followed by D‐xylose and D‐maltose. Molecular sieves had no pronounced effect on the conversionCONCLUSIONS: A feasible method is described to produce and to characterize sugar acrylates, including those containing more than two acrylate groups. The process for production of these higher esters could potentially be optimized further to produce molecules for cross‐linking in acrylate polymerization and other applications. The direct enzymatic esterification of free carbohydrates with acrylic acid is unprecedented. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry

Green house gases emissions in the production and use of ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil: The 2005/2006 averages and a prediction for 2020

Abstract This work presents the evaluation of energy balance and GHG emissions in the production and use of fuel ethanol from cane in Brazil for 2005/2006 (for a sample of mills processing up to 100 million tons of sugarcane per year), and for a conservative scenario proposed for 2020. Fossil energy ratio was 9.3 for 2005/2006 and may reach 11.6 in 2020 with technologies already commercial. For anhydrous ethanol production the total GHG emission was 436 kg CO 2 eq m −3 ethanol for 2005/2006, decreasing to 345 kg CO 2 eq m −3 in the 2020 scenario. Avoided emissions depend on the final use: for E100 use in Brazil they were (in 2005/2006) 2181 kg CO 2 eq m −3 ethanol, and for E25 they were 2323 kg CO 2 eq m −3 ethanol (anhydrous). Both values would increase about 26% for the conditions assumed for 2020 mostly due to the large increase in sales of electricity surpluses. A sensitivity analysis has been performed (with 2005/2006 values) to investigate the impacts of the huge variation of some important parameters throughout Brazilian mills on the energy and emissions balance. The results have shown the high impact of cane productivity and ethanol yield variation on these balances (and the impacts of average cane transportation distances, level of soil cultivation, and some others) and of bagasse and electricity surpluses on GHG emissions avoidance.

Is rum toxic?

Introduction : During his second voyage to the Americas, Christopher Columbus brought to the West Indies, at the end of the 15th century, the sugar cane Saccharum officinarum , originally from Asia. It was only during the 17th century, somewhere around 1640, that an alcohol obtained from the sugar cane or more exactly from molasses, a residue of the sugar cane manufacture, appeared in different islands of the Caribbean. Rum (in French, rhum ) is obtained by distilling fermented cane juice (agricultural rum) or molasses (industrial rum). Today, every year more than 200 000 tons of sugar cane produce 8 M litres of rum and 4000 T of sugar in Martinique. Methods : The authors describe the manufacturing procedure of rum in Martinique (fermentation and distilling processes), then present the various qualities of agricultural and industrial rums and explain the criteria necessary for their A.O.C. appellation. As we know, rum contains 40 to 50% alcohol and is drunk pure or as a cocktail with sugar cane syrup or fruit juices. It may be dangerous for health. So, two pathologies must be considered: those where sugar is concerned and those where alcohol is involved. Some epidemiological studies have been conducted to sum up the situation of Martinique regarding these two problems. Results : In Martinique, type 2 diabetes appearing in the adult is the most frequent form. The prevalence of diabetes is 8 to 10%, which is 2 to 3 times higher than in metropolitan France and the rest of the world. While it is widely recognised that alcoholism has negative health effects, moderate consumption has been found in some research to have a positive effect on longevity. However, in the case of abuse, oxidative and nonoxidative pathways of alcohol metabolism have numerous detrimental consequences that contribute to tissue damage and diseases seen in alcoholic patients. Martinique is in particular exposed to excessive alcohol consumption: 14% of the male population and 2.7% of the female population show an addiction to alcohol. Young people under 18 are two times less likely than young people in metropolitan France to declare that they consume alcohol on a regular basis and four times less likely to declare repetitive drunkenness. As concerns the death rate related to alcoholism, it is considered that 80 to 95% of deaths due to liver cirrhosis, alcoholic psychosis, alcoholism and upper digestive tract cancer are related to an excessive alcohol consumption. On this basis, 85 to 100 deaths can be attributed to alcohol every year in Martinique. In comparison with metropolitan France, Martinique shows a lower death rate for liver cirrhosis and upper digestive tract cancer, but a higher death rate for alcoholic psychosis and alcoholism. This could be due probably to a genetic predisposition of the population. Conclusion : Rum is a strong alcoholic beverage. Its consumption is not forbidden but requires caution, and people may be informed of its adverse health consequences. As for the question: is rum toxic? The answer is: it all depends on how you manage it.

Cuba's New Sugarcane Cooperatives Ten Years Later

The break-up of the state monopoly on land was the most important agricultural policy of Cuba's 1993–95 economic reform process. A new form of agricultural organization replaced the inefficient sugarcane state farm: the Basic Unit of Cooperative Production (UBPC). Official data released at the end of 2003 were used to evaluate the economic performance of the new cooperatives after the first ten years. The first result shows an average rate of decline in the number of UBPC of around 60 units per year. Parameters measuring production also show average annual negative rates of decline: 38,800 harvested hectares, and 860,000 tons of sugarcane. Agricultural yields remained stable during the study period. Other important indicators such as revenue, cost and profitability also show negative trends. Factors that appear to be limiting efficiency and profitability include, among others, a timid system of material incentives, lack of autonomy, excessive governmental control over input and product markets, and absence of foreign investment.