PROCESSING OF AGRI-INDUSTRIAL CROPS

SUGAR CANE CULTIVATION

STAGES OF THE SUGAR MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Harvest
The ripening of a specific area of cane can be relatively early or
late depending on the age of the cane, the variety, and the climate. The appropriate time for the
Harvest is determined by analyzing sugarcane juice. In the field, with the
help from a brixometer or manual refractometer, the degree analysis can be done.
brix, which is done in three parts of the cane: tip, middle, and base. The cane reaches
its optimal harvesting period when the difference in brix degree between the parts is
minimum and reaching a brix degree equal to or greater than 18. In the case of canes
Immature, the brix degree at the apex is much lower than that of the middle and base of the cane.

2. Reception of cane
The cane that enters the mill is weighed using a scale, in this area there
Samples of the cane are taken and quality determinations are carried out continuously.
in the laboratory.
3. Preparation of cane
The cane is unloaded using a crane and placed on feeding tables, at
the same that is washed with water at high temperatures to remove solids
coming from the field. Then the washed cane goes to a grinder and defibrillator.
4. Grinding
This is a continuous process that takes place in six mills that has a
capacity of 1100 tons daily, enters the chopped and defibered cane, for
to extract the maximum amount of juice from it, for which mills are used
of roller. To achieve a more efficient process, water is added in the last mill.
heated to a temperature between 60-80°C, this is called imbibition water, which
that helps to increase the extraction of sugarcane (Diaz & Portocarrero, 2002).
Control parameters
Soaking water temperature 60-80 °C
Pressure used in the mills 200 psi
% of acceptable sucrose > 50%
Control parameters of the grinding area
5. Purification
It is the process used to remove the maximum amount of impurities that
it has sugarcane juice. To carry it out, three factors are needed: lime, heat, and
sedimentation decantation, this process operates continuously allowing the
Continuous extraction of clear juice and dregs. From good clarification.
the quality of the resulting sugar largely depends on it (Duarte & Gonzales, 2019).
Control parameters
pH of raw juice 5.2-5.5
pH of sulfited juice 4.2-4.5
 PROCESSING OF AGRO-INDUSTRIAL CROPS
CULTIVATION OF SUGAR CANE
Juice inlet temperature 50-55 °C
pH of the clarified juice 6.6-6.8
Amount of flocculant 5-10 ppm
Amount of phosphates 300 ppm
Amount of bagasse 7-10 lb/Ton cane
Water temperature 60 °C
Thickness of the cachaza cake ¼”-½”
Humidity in cassava 70-80%
Control parameters of the purification area
6. Evaporation
The clear juice that comes from the clarifier contains approximately 85% water and
15% solids. This process aims to eliminate water to reach a
malt whose composition ranges around 58 - 62% solids.
For this process, multiple effect evaporators are used, which consist of taking
several evaporators and connect them in such a way that the evaporation produced in
the first serves as heating steam to the second evaporator and so on
successively, for which it is necessary to decrease the operating pressure at each
one of these in succession, so that the temperature gradient is produced
what evaporation produces.
Control parameters
Vapor pressure 22-25 psi
Temperature of the preheated juice 114-118 °C
Empty 24-25 °C
Temperature of the molasses 55-60 °C
pH of clarified molasses 6.6-6.8
Amount of flocculant 12-15 ppm
Amount of phosphates 300 ppm
Control parameters of the evaporation area
7. Crystallization
It is the production and development of crystals from the molasses that are fed.
to a container that is a vacuum vessel. The resulting material contains liquid
(honey) and crystals (sugar) are called cooked mass. The crystallization work is
it is carried out using the system of three boilings to achieve the greatest
sucrose concentration (Coronel, 2017).

Control parameters
Purity of the mixture 76-80%
Cooling temperature 40-45 °C
Heating temperature 50-60 °C
Texture of the dough 92-94%
Stirring speed 1-3 rpm
Control parameters of the crystallization area
 PROCESSING OF AGRI-INDUSTRIAL CROPS
SUGAR CANE CULTIVATION
8. Centrifugation
The centrifuges operate at high speeds and have several cycles, depending on
the sugar that is desired to be obtained can be white or brown sugar, these cycles
include washes with water or steam at predetermined intervals according to
to class and quality.
Control parameters
Concentration of crystals 35-40%
Washing water 0.4-0.8 liters/min
Sugar moisture 0.3-0.8 %
Washing water temperature 85-100 °C
Washing water pressure 50 psi
Centrifugation time 50 seconds
Total cycle time 180-200 seconds
Control parameters of the centrifugation area

9. Drying
It is used to eliminate the moisture from the sugar that is going to be packed, this is
transported by an elevator to the dryer, which is a rotating cylinder in the
when the sugar comes into contact with the hot air that enters
countercurrent. The sugar must have low moisture, approximately between 0.02
% - 0.04%, to avoid the clumps that are caused by excess moisture.
Control parameters
Heating steam 150 psi
Sugar humidity < 0.075%
Dryer rotation speed 6.8 rpm
Air drying temperature 50-60 °C
Control parameters of the drying area
10. Packaging
After the centrifugation process, the product undergoes different analyses.
of quality, the sugar is packaged in different presentations such as: 1, 2, and 5
50 Kg of white sugar and 12.5 Kg of white and brown sugar respectively.
Control parameters
Packaging speed on machine 20-30 covers per minute
automatics
Sugar moisture 0.02-0.05%
Packaging area control parameters
11. Storage
Packaged products are stored in warehouses under appropriate conditions.
for its preservation and then distributed according to demand.
 PROCESSING OF AGRO-INDUSTRIAL CROPS
SUGAR CANE CULTIVATION
PRODUCTS
Products and by-products obtained from sugarcane:
White sugar
It originates from sugarcane, going through different chemical processes to be
obtained, is characterized by having the highest amount of sucrose, the subprocesses
what makes sugar white is: sulfitation (it is used to eliminate
color of sugar, through the contact of the juice with sulfur dioxide which is
applied to hot raw juice) and alkalization (consists of the addition of lime to
sugar cane juice.
Brown sugar
It comes directly from the juice of the sugar cane, without having undergone any
chemical process to be obtained except in the crystallization process, which
it allows it to retain both its mineral properties and its original flavor.
The by-products are:
Molasses
It is a residue from the crystallization process. It has a dark brown color and an odor.
alcoholic when stored due to heat. Molasses is marketed in
liquid form and contains 56% sugars.
Cachaza
It is a byproduct composed of salts, insoluble lime, waxes, fats.
and gums present in cane juice. Currently, cachaza is used
as fertilizer.

Vinasse
It is a byproduct of the distillation of ethanol.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Colonel, S. (2017). Continuous improvement model for the milling process in the

Sugar Mill. 108.

Diaz, L., & Portocarrero, E. (2002). Manual for sugarcane production

(Saccharum officinarum). 148.

Duarte, O., & Gonzales, J. (2019). Technical guide for sugarcane cultivation.
PROCESSING OF AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIAL CROPS
SUGAR CANE CULTIVATION
Flowchart of sugarcane processing