Treatment of sugar juice
First Claim
1. A process for treating impure cane derived sugar juice, which process comprisessubjecting, in a clarification stage, impure cane derived sugar juice to microfiltration/ultrafiltration to decrease the levels of suspended solids, organic non sugar impurities and/or colour therein;
- sequentially passing the resultant clarified sugar juice through at least one ion exchange stage by bringing the clarified sugar juice into contact with a strong acid cation ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form, and thereafter into contact with an anion ion exchange resin in the hydroxide form;
withdrawing a purified sugar solution from the ion exchange stage;
concentrating the purified sugar solution, to produce a syrup;
subjecting the syrup to primary crystallization in at least one primary crystallization stage, to produce refined white sugar and primary mother liquor or molasses;
subjecting the primary mother liquor to secondary crystallization in at least one secondary crystallization stage, to produce impure crystallized sugar and secondary mother liquor or white strap molasses.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process for treating impure cane-derived sugar juice comprises subjecting, in a clarification stage, the juice to microfiltration/ultrafiltration to decrease the levels of suspended solids, organic non-sugar impurities and/or color therein. The resultant clarified sugar juice is sequentially passed through an ion exchange stage by bringing the juice into contact with a strong acid cation ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form, and thereafter into contact with an anion ion exchange resin in the hydroxide form. A purified sugar solution is withdrawn from the ion exchange stage, and concentrated to produce a syrup. The syrup is subjected to primary crystallization in a primary crystallization stage, to produce refined white sugar and primary mother liquor. The primary mother liquor is subjected to secondary crystallization in a secondary crystallization stage, to produce impure crystallized sugar and white strap molasses.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A process for treating impure cane derived sugar juice, which process comprises
subjecting, in a clarification stage, impure cane derived sugar juice to microfiltration/ultrafiltration to decrease the levels of suspended solids, organic non sugar impurities and/or colour therein; -
sequentially passing the resultant clarified sugar juice through at least one ion exchange stage by bringing the clarified sugar juice into contact with a strong acid cation ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form, and thereafter into contact with an anion ion exchange resin in the hydroxide form;
withdrawing a purified sugar solution from the ion exchange stage;
concentrating the purified sugar solution, to produce a syrup;
subjecting the syrup to primary crystallization in at least one primary crystallization stage, to produce refined white sugar and primary mother liquor or molasses;
subjecting the primary mother liquor to secondary crystallization in at least one secondary crystallization stage, to produce impure crystallized sugar and secondary mother liquor or white strap molasses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
remelting or redissolving the low colour white sugar to produce a remelted sugar solution which is then subjected to the primary crystallization in the primary crystallization stage;
returning the primary mother liquor or molasses produced in the primary crystallization stage to the decolourizing crystallization stage;
subjecting the tertiary molasses from the decolourizing crystallization stage to mill crystallization in a mill crystallization stage to produce the white strap molasses and impure crystallized white sugar; and
returning the impure crystallized white sugar to the decolourizing crystallization stage, with the decolouring crystallization and the mill crystallization constituting the secondary crystallization.
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14. A process for treating impure cane derived sugar juice, which process comprises subjecting, in a clarification stage, impure cane derived sugar juice to microfiltration/ultrafiltration to decrease the levels of suspended solids, organic non sugar impurities and/or colour therein;
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sequentially passing the resultant clarified sugar juice through at least one ion exchange stage by bringing the clarified sugar juice into contact with a strong acid cation ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form, and thereafter into contact with an anion ion exchange resin in the hydroxide form;
withdrawing a purified sugar solution from the ion exchange stage;
subjecting the purified sugar solution from the ion exchange stage to further decolourizing in a decolourizing stage, to obtain a decolourized purified sugar solution;
concentrating the purified sugar solution, to produce a syrup;
subjecting the syrup to primary crystallization in at least one primary crystallization stage, to produce refined white sugar and primary mother liquor or molasses;
subjecting the primary mother liquor to secondary crystallization in at least one secondary crystallization stage, to produce impure crystallized sugar and secondary mother liquor or white strap molasses.
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15. A process for treating impure cane derived sugar juice, which process comprises:
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subjecting, in a clarification stage, impure cane derived sugar juice to microfiltration/ultrafiltration to decrease the levels of suspended solids, organic non sugar impurities and/or colour therein;
sequentially passing the resultant clarified sugar juice through an ion exchange stage comprising a simulated moving bed ion exchange system wherein the clarified sugar juice is brought into contact with a strong acid cation ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form, and thereafter into contact with an anion ion exchange resin in the hydroxide form;
cooling the clarified sugar juice to a temperature below 30°
C. before it enters the ion exchange stage, or while it passes through the ion exchange stage;
withdrawing a purified sugar solution from the ion exchange stage;
concentrating the purified sugar solution, to produce a syrup;
subjecting the syrup to primary crystallization in at least one primary crystallization stage, to produce refined white sugar and primary mother liquor or molasses;
subjecting the primary mother liquor to secondary crystallization in at least one secondary crystallization stage, to produce impure crystallized sugar and secondary mother liquor or white strap molasses.
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Specification