Process for recovering useful products from carbohydrate-containing materials

• US 4,101,338 A
• Filed: 04/27/1976
• Issued: 07/18/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sucrest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sucrest Corporation
• Inventors: Monti, Anthony, Moroz, Raymond D., Rapaport, Robert M., Broeg, Charles B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marantz, Sidney
• Application Number:
  US05/680,721
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 127/9, 127/46 R, 127/46 A, 127/46 B, 127/48, 127/56, 127/54
• US Class Current: 127/46.3
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/78 by ion-exchange
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 20/148 for fractionating, adsorption or ion exclusion processes combined with elution or desorption of a sugar fraction
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 35/06 using ion exchange
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/007 Separation of sugars provided for in subclass C13K C13K3/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Process for fractionating carbohydrate-containing materials, such as molasses, by contact with an ion exclusion resin wherein a first portion of the material and a second, less dense portion of the material are sequentially fed to the resin. This scheme of adding the carbohydrate-containing material to the column of ion exclusion resin lessens the channeling problem. Also, a process for treating molasses comprising adding ferric ions to the molasses to form a precipitate and passing the so-treated molasses through an ion exclusion resin.

Claims

1. In a method for treating carbohydrate-containing materials to separate carbohydrate therefrom, wherein said material is flowed through and contacted with an ion exclusion resin, the improvement comprising the steps of:

a. contacting said resin with a first portion of said carbohydrate-containing material;

b. thereafter sequentially contacting said resin with a second portion of said carbohydrate-containing material, said second portion having a density lower than that of said first portion;

c. thereafter sequentially contacting said resin with dilute aqueous medium capable of eluting material adsorbed by said resin; and

d. collecting from said resin an eluted solution, the solids of which are comprised predominantly of carbohydrate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the density of said second portion is at least about one-half that of said first portion.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said carbohydrate-containing material is molasses.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said first portion has a density of from about 45°

to about 55°

Brix and wherein said second portion has a density of from about 10°

to about 25°

Brix.

5. A process according to claim 3 wherein said molasses is first pre-treated prior to contact with said resin by

adding to molasses a polyelectrolyte and subjecting the resulting molasses to centrifugal force sufficient to effect the separation of solid matter therefrom.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the molasses subjected to centrifugal force is at an elevated temperature.

7. The process of claim 5 wherein said molasses is blackstrap molasses.

8. The process of claim 5 wherein the density of said molasses subjected to centrifugal force is above about 40°

Brix.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the density of said molasses subjected to centrifugal force is above about 70°

Brix.

10. In a method for treating carbohydrate-containing material to separate carbohydrate therefrom wherein said material is flowed through and contacted with an ion exclusion resin, the improvement comprising the steps of:

a. contacting said resin with a first portion of said carbohydrate-containing material;

b. thereafter sequentially contacting said resin with a second portion of said carbohydrate-containing material said second portion having a density greater than that of said first portion;

c. thereafter sequentially contacting said resin with a third portion of said carbohydrate-containing material, said third portion having a density lower than that of said second portion;

d. thereafter sequentially contacting said resin with a dilute aqueous medium capable of eluting material adsorbed by said resin; and

e. collecting from said resin an eluted solution, the solids of which are comprised predominantly of carbohydrate.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said carbohydrate-containing material is molasses.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the density of said second portion is in the range of about 45°

to about 60°

Brix.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the density of said first and third portions is in the range of about 10°

to about 25°

Brix.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said dilute aqueous medium comprises water.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said exclusion resin comprises a sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene polymerizate in the sodium form.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein said exclusion resin through which said carbonhydrate-containing material is flowed comprises a packed column of said resin having a height to diameter ratio of less than about 5:

1.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the temperature of said first and third portions is less than that of said second portion.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the temperature of said second portion is at least about 20°

F. higher than said first and third portions.

19. A process for treating molasses to recover useful products therefrom, comprising the steps of:

a. adding ferric ions to a molasses solution and removing the precipitate formed thereby;

b. passing the thus treated molasses solution through an ion exclusion resin material capable of preferentially adsorbing sugar from the solution;

c. thereafter passing water through said resin; and

d. separating the resulting effluent into a first fraction comprised largely of salts;

a second fraction comprised of a mixture of salts and sugars; and

a third fraction comprised largely of sugars.

20. The process of claim 19 wherein the molasses solution to which ferric ions are added has a solids concentration of no greater than 30%.

21. The process of claim 19 wherein water is removed from said first effluent fraction to obtain a concentrated salt solution.

22. The process of claim 19 wherein said molasses is backstrap molasses.

23. The process of claim 19 wherein the molasses having the precipitant removed therefrom is thereafter treated to remove high molecular weight material therefrom prior to passing through the ion exclusion resin, said removal of high molecular weight material comprising passing said molasses through a membrane filter.

24. The process of claim 23 wherein said membrane filter comprises cellulose acetate.

25. The process of claim 19 wherein said third effluent fraction is thereafter decolorized and concentrated.

26. The process of claim 25 wherein said decolorizing comprises passing said third effluent fraction through a bed of activated carbon material and a decolorizing resin.

27. The process of claim 19 wherein said molasses solution has a pH in the range of about 2.0 to about 2.5 upon the addition of ferric ions.

28. The process of claim 27 wherein said pH is about 2.1 to about 2.5.

29. The process of claim 27 wherein said ferric ions are added in the form of a member selected from the group consisting of ferric chloride, ferric sulfate, and mixtures thereof.

30. The process of claim 27 wherein said molasses solution is at a temperature of between about 60°

F. to about 120°

F. upon the addition of ferric ions.

31. The process of claim 27 wherein ferric ions are removed from the molasses solution after removal of the precipitate therefrom.

32. The process of claim 31 wherein the removal of ferric ions comprises adding a phosphate-containing material to the molasses and thereafter raising the pH of the molasses to above about 7.0.

33. A process according to claim 19 wherein said resin material comprises a sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene polymerizate having a cross linkage or percent of divinylbenzene of at least 4%.

34. The process of claim 33 wherein the density of the molasses solution passed through said resin is no greater than 60°

Brix.

35. The process of claim 33 wherein the size of the individual particles comprising said resin are such that they are retained on a 20 to 50 mesh (U.S. Sieve) screen.

36. The process of claim 33 wherein the size of the individual particles comprising said resin are such that they are retained on a 50-80 mesh (U.S. Sieve) screen.

37. The process of claim 33 wherein the temperature of the water passing through the ion exclusion resin is at least about 20°

(°

F.) less than the temperature of the molasses solution passed through said resin.

38. The process of claim 37 wherein the temperature of the molasses solution passed through said resin is about 180°

F.