Assessing the efficiency of sucrose recovery from final molasses

The sucrose loss in final molasses is the largest loss in raw sugar manufacture and consequently requires consistent close monitoring in order to maximise raw-sugar production. The main parameter used by the industry to assess the efficiency of recovery of sucrose in final molasses is the approach of the true purity of the final molasses to the Target Purity value, as defined in terms of the reducing sugars/ash ratio of the final molasses. Another efficiency assessment can be obtained by comparing the actual sucrose loss in final molasses to that predicted based on the quantity of soluble impurities in the cane supply, the predicted quantity of impurities leaving the factory in final molasses and the Target Purity of final molasses. Factory sucrose-loss data across three seasons are examined and compared to the target sucrose loss expressed as sucrose loss in final molasses%pol in cane. Using this benchmark, factories can monitor losses in molasses more closely and initiate investigations when marked deviations from target performance are identified. The effects of different methods of analyses of sucrose, dry substance, reducing sugars and ash on the determination of sucrose loss in final molasses are also considered. Key words Sucrose loss in molasses, sugar recovery, target purity, soluble impurities in cane