SugarcaneThis is a fruit that we commonly eat in our daily lives. It has a very high sugar content, is very sweet and juicy.Sugarcane can be divided into two types: the sugarcane we usually eat, which is high in water and low in fiber, suitable for eating fresh;The other type has a higher sugar content and is relatively coarse in fiber, with a poor taste, so it is mainly used for making sugar.

The process of making sugar from sugarcane

We usually eat sugarcane, which is mainly eaten by chewing on the sweet juice in the sugarcane stem, and then discarding the residue.However, we don't know much about how sugarcane is used to make sugar.So, how is sugarcane used to make sugar?Below, let's take a look together.

The process of making sugar from sugarcane includes juice extraction, clarification,SteamingFermentation, crystallization, honey separation and drying.The subsequent four processes have the same basic technology as the sugar beet making process.

Juice extraction:

The methods of extracting sugarcane juice include squeezing and osmosis.Squeezing is a method of extracting sugarcane juice by combining pre-processing and squeezing equipment with osmosis system.Osmosis is the method of extracting sugarcane juice by pre-processing and crushing sugarcane, through osmosis equipment and adopting a certain flow system, the sugarcane is soaked with water and diluted sugar juice, continuously extracting sugarcane sugar.

Sugarcane squeezing principle: The principle of squeezing is to cut sugarcane into strands and slices, put it into a squeezing machine, and squeeze the sugarcane cells containing juice through the squeezing roll and oil pressure, causing the cells to break, the sugarcane is compressed, and the cells are flattened while discharging the juice;By using the osmosis system, the sugarcane residue, which has begun to expand after being squeezed out, is added with water or diluted juice to dilute the sugar content in the cells and extract more sugarcane juice.

Sugarcane osmosis method: The basic principle is that there is a cell membrane between the cell cytoplasm and the cell wall in sugarcane cells, which can selectively absorb external substances, so the sugarcane sugar molecules can be transferred to the osmotic juice through washing, dilution, infiltration and diffusion, thus achieving the purpose of extracting sugar.Therefore, the osmotic operation of solid-liquid extraction can be used to transfer sugarcane sugar molecules to the osmotic juice through washing, dilution, infiltration and diffusion, thus achieving the purpose of extracting sugar.

Clarification:

By using the chemical and physical-chemical effects of clarifying agents and heating, and through solid-liquid separation methods, as much as possible, remove various non-sugar substances that affect sugar crystallization in the mixed juice, to obtain clarified juice with low color, clear and relatively pure.

Making sugar from sugarcane is a very important process, which can basically meet our daily sugar needs.

The principle of making sugar from sugarcane

We know that sugarcane has a very high sugar content, which is generally between 18% and 20%, and sugar cane used for making sugar may have even higher sugar content.Let's learn about the principle of making sugar from sugarcane together.

Sucrose is a non-reducing disaccharide formed by the dehydration and condensation of one molecule of glucose, one molecule of sugar and one molecule of fructose.Sucrose is highly soluble in water, and its solubility increases with temperature.Sucrose is also soluble in aniline, nitrobenzene, ethyl acetate, ethyl pentanoate, molten phenol, liquid ammonia, alcohol-water mixtures and acetone-water mixtures, but insoluble in organic solvents such as gasoline, petroleum, anhydrous alcohol, trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, carbon disulfide and pine oil.

Sucrose is a crystalline substance.The specific gravity of pure sucrose crystals is 1.5879, and the specific gravity of sucrose solution depends on the concentration and temperature.Under the action of heat, acid, alkali, yeast and other substances, sucrose and sucrose solutions will undergo various chemical reactions.The results of these reactions not only cause sucrose loss, but also generate some harmful substances for sugar making.When sucrose is heated to 160°C, it melts into a viscous transparent liquid, and when cooled, it recrystallizes again.The longer the heating time, the more sucrose can be decomposed into glucose and fructose.

Making sugar from sugarcane is a very complex process, which is a comprehensive result involving physical squeezing, chemical reactions and microbial actions.What sugarcane should be selected when making sugar

There are many different varieties of sugarcane, and each has its own characteristics and sugar content, so what kind of sugarcane is most suitable for making sugar?

Let's take a look together.

The sugarcane we usually buy in the market is called fruit sugarcane, which has a low sugar content, but it has a fruity aroma and is not hard and soft, and the fiber content is also low. The color is red, dark red, yellow, and white, depending on the variety.The sugarcane used for making sugar is called sugar cane, which has a higher sugar content, but the fruity aroma is not strong, and the color is also different, depending on the variety.

Whether it is fruit sugarcane or sugar cane mainly depends on the aroma and taste, not on the color.The chemical composition of sugarcane varies greatly depending on the variety, soil, climate, maturity, etc.Mature sugarcane has 70-77% water, 12-18% sugar, and 9.5-12.0% fiber, 0.5-1.4% inorganic substances, and 0.7-1.0% non-sugars.

Sugarcane is a raw material for making sugar, it must have enough sugar to meet the production of sugar factories, and the sugarcane stalks must have high sugar and fiber content and low non-sugar content.The sugar content of sugarcane gradually increases with the growth period, reaches the highest point at maturity, and then gradually decreases.

Sugarcane begins to lose water and reduce its weight as soon as it is harvested, and the sugar gradually converts to reducing sugar, which reduces its purity.It is more easily converted under dry and high temperature conditions.Therefore, sugarcane cannot be stored, and should be processed as soon as possible, preferably within 2 days of harvesting.Therefore, when we choose sugarcane for making sugar, we should choose sugarcane with high sugar and fiber content, and it must be fresh, so that we can maximize the utilization of sugarcane sugar for making sugar.How to utilize the byproducts of making sugar from sugarcane

Sugarcane is a treasure, after making sugar from sugarcane, we can produce a lot of byproducts, if these byproducts are discarded, it is not only environmentally unfriendly, but also a waste.

Can we reuse these sugarcane byproducts?

Let's take a look together.The main byproducts of sugarcane are sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane juice, and sugarcane fiber.Sugarcane bagasse is a by-product of sugarcane processing, which can be used as animal feed, fertilizer, and as a raw material for biofuel.

Sugarcane juice is the main product of sugarcane processing, which is the most important raw material for making sugar.Sugarcane fiber is a by-product of sugarcane processing, which can be used as animal feed, fertilizer, and as a raw material for biofuel.

The key to making white sugar is to remove the color.

In Tang Dynasty, the Chinese sugar makers invented a method of decolorization, which is to put sugarcane juice into a pot and boil it, then put it into a container similar to a funnel, and pour yellow mud on it, which is used as a decolorizing agent to decolor the sugarcane juice, so as to make white sugar.This method marks that the ancient Chinese sugarcane production can use a decolorization method close to the modern chemical decolorization method.Another factor affecting the color of sugarcane is the variety of sugarcane.There are four varieties: Du sugarcane, West sugarcane, Liyang sugarcane and red sugarcane.

Among them, red sugarcane is also called "Kunlun sugarcane", which is mainly used for eating.Liyang sugarcane is also called "Jia sugarcane", which can be used to make sugar.West sugarcane can be used to make sugar, but its color is not pure white, so it is slightly light in color.Only Du sugarcane is the best, with a sweet and thick taste, which is used to make sugar, and the color is white and snow-like.From the above, we can see that ancient Chinese sugarcane production strives for white color, as long as the color is well decolorized, the sugar produced will not change color.

Sugarcane production in China has a long history.

How to prevent discoloration in sugarcane refining?

Sugarcane refining is a complex and comprehensive process.

We know that today's sugar comes in two types, white sugar and brown sugar.

The key to producing "frost sugar" is decolorization.This method involves squeezing the sugarcane to extract juice, then boiling it to a certain concentration, and pouring it into a funnel-like container.Then, yellow mud is poured on top to act as a decolorizing agent.This results in white sugar.This method marks the beginning of sugarcane production in ancient China, which can use decolorization methods similar to modern chemical methods.

Another factor that affects the color of sugarcane is the variety.There are four main varieties: Du sugarcane, Western sugarcane, Lu sugarcane, and red sugarcane.Red sugarcane, also known as "Kunlun sugarcane", is mainly eaten raw.Lu sugarcane, also known as "Haotang sugarcane", can be used to make sugar.Western sugarcane can be used to make sugar frosting, but its color is slightly light due to its color.Only Du sugarcane is the best, it is sweet and thick, used to make sugar frosting, and its color is white and snow-like.

As can be seen from the above, Chinese sugar refining strives for white color, and as long as the decolorization technology is mastered, the sugar produced will not discolor.