Losses of Sugar during Cane Sugar Processing

Abstract

Sugar industry is considered as a backbone of Sudanese economy. The climate of Sudan is suitable for cultivation of different types of sugar cane. Five sugar factories have been established in the Sudan enjoying favorable climatic conditions which has led to increased productivity which in turn helps in boosting the national economy. Like other food industries in the Sudan sugar industry has suffered some setbacks such as reduction in sugar productivity which has undermined both national and international economy. This research has tackled the problem affecting the production of sugar during manufacturing process, which is the loss of sugar. This problem, however, has been aggravated because it has not been declared and not studied. This research work attempts to find a solution to the problem which has not been investigated. The delay in solving this problem is attributed to poor management system. Laboratory experiments have been conducted at Kenana sugar factory, which is considered as an advanced model for Sudanese industries, with the aim of determining the actual percentage of sucrose that is lost during the manufacturing process. The study has discussed in details the reasons that led to loss of sugar, more precisely the chemical factors that led to loss of sucrose through decomposition into glucose and fructose. The factors that led to decomposition have been studied starting from extracting juice from sugar cane to sucrose crystallization and separation. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the suitable chemical conditions for manufacturing in the sugar factories, which can be followed to reduce the amount of sugar loss to the least possible and acceptable value. The study was concerned also with the development of chemical analytical procedures of sugar, that were not previously applied in Sudanese sugar factories, which proved to be more accurate than the currently used ones.