Jaimie Donovan

Industrial Separation Processes

Sugarcane
Sugarcane is a plant that is used to make sugar. It belongs in the Biosphere, or the living part of the Earth, which also contains cells made up mostly of complex carbon compounds. The Sugarcane plant itself is made up of roots from which a main stalk protrudes. The leaves shoot of the stalk from leaf sheaths. The Sucrose from the Sugarcane plants comes from photosynthesis, in which the plant provides energy for itself. This can be written as: Carbon dioxide + water=sucrose + oxygen 12 CO2 + 11 H2 O=C12 H22 O11 + 12 O2 Sugarcane, as a mixture, is made up of a variety of different sugars and compounds that are separated out into the various products produced. Once the Sugarcane has been grown and harvested, the first process it undergoes is washing and then crushing. The sweet juice is removed from the pulp in a milling tandem, which crushes the pulp to release the juices. This process of crushing is also known as Comminution. From here, Sulphur Dioxide is steamed through it in a process known as Sulfidation. This bleaches the juice, turning it from a murky brown to lighter brown. Lime solution is then added to the juice to regulate its pH and clarify it. This process is known as Alkalisation. The juice is then poured into tanks where it is distilled to produce purified juice. This is then further clarified by boiling. As it is boiling, any solid particles still in the juice rise to the top and are skimmed off. This process is similar to froth flotation. This produces syrup, which is then boiled to form crystals. Crystallisation is used to form them. The syrup is then poured into a centrifuging machine which removes the crystals from the syrup. The process relies on a variety of chemical and physical properties, including: Weight/ density Particle size State at room temperature Solubility Boiling Point

During the Production of Sugar from Sugarcane, several by-products are created. However, unlike in many other industries, these products are not wasted. When the juice is first separated from the

Jaimie Donovan remaining pulp, this pulp or bagasse is used to cover the fields growing sugarcane. When the juice is distilled, the think sludge-like mud is separated out. This is then used as a fertiliser for growing sugarcane. Finally, when the sugar crystals are separated from the syrup using centrifuging, this syrup or molasses is then cleaned and sold either as molasses or further refined as golden syrup. The production of sugarcane doesnt create much waste, as all the by-products are reused. However in the process, a lot of water and energy is used.

Jaimie Donovan

References SKIL - Learn How Sugar Is Made. (n.d.). Sugar Knowledge International Limited SKIL. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.sucrose.com/learn.html Silverman, J. (n.d.). HowStuffWorks "Sugar Production". HowStuffWorks "Science". Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edibleinnovations/sugar4.htm Sucrose - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose#Chemical_synthesis Sugar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar#Chemistry Sugar Australia. (n.d.). Sugar Australia. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.sugaraustralia.com.au/Industry.aspx?content=MillingBusiness Sugar Production from Sugar Cane. (n.d.). Practical Action. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from practicalaction.org/docs/technical_information_service/sugar_production_from_ca ne.pdf