Optimizing the performance of continuous centrifugals by online monitoring of the sugar colour

Transfer of colorants within the sugar end of a sugar factory has a major influence on sugar quality. Colour components are not only transported downstream from the Aproduct evaporating crystallizers towards the molasses, they are also transported upstream by returning the run-off from the batch centrifugals and by returning dissolved Bsugar and Csugar. If both B and Csugar crystals are dissolved and returned to the standard liquor, the colorants in these sugar crystals will contribute significantly to the quality of the standard liquor.

In the Nampa sugar factory (Idaho/USA) and in several other factories, the work of the continuous centrifugals has been monitored and optimized by installing a Neltec online colour measurement (the ColourQ 1700 CC) to indicate the colour of the sugar crystals within the continuous centrifugals. The influence of various parameters such as centrifugal load, water addition and steam addition on the colour of the crystals flowing up the screen has been tested.

This article gives a summary of the results achieved during these tests.

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Language: English

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