The production of sugar PROGRAM COMENIUS PROJEKT „Sugar beat”

Production technology of sugar from sugar beets consists of several procedures in a sugar factory : Washing of sugar beets Cutting them Extraction of sugar from cut beets Cleaning diffusive juice by defecation, saturation Cleaning and filtration Thickening juice by evaporating water Crystallization of the sugar, washing and spinning crystals of sugar Drying of crystals of sugar Ready product

Washing of sugar beets Sugar beets are the raw material from which we produce sugar in Poland. They are picked from fields in the period when they have the biggest amount of sugar. The dug out sugar beets contain a lot of pollution, such as, leaves, stones and remains of sand, which have to be removed.

Cutting them Sugar beets are tapped by water and cut in narrow stripes. It increases the surface and facilitates extracting of the sugar.

Extraction of sugar from cut beets The extraction takes place in extractors, where cut sugar beets are in hot water. The extractor is a big container in which cut beets move towards the opposite direction of the water movement. There is higher concentration of sugar and as a result one can obtain a solution which is called raw juice. Usually, the juice after the process of diffusion contains on average 14 % of sugar.

defecation Cleaning diffusive juice by defecation, saturation The next stage of processing raw juice is the removal of solid pollution which cloud the solution. One of the two commonly used techniques at this stage is defecation and saturation. Defecation is adding lime milk to taste. Lime alkalizes the juice and precipitates pollution, for example, insoluble sediment.

Cleaning and filtration This sediment is separated, with the help of filters, from the yellow juice.

Thickening juice by evaporating water The juice makes its way towards a special place where the evaporation of water till the moment the shapes are created takes place.This place can hold 60 tons of solution. Additinally, small crystals are added to the condensed syrup in order to start crystallization.

Crystallization of the sugar, washing and spinning crystals of sugar The mixture of syrup and crystals of the sugar is spinned in centrifugal machines in order to separate crystals. Centrifugal machines are big metal drums with small holes in the side walls. In time of fast revolutions of centrifugal machines, the syrup flows away by the holes outside and the crystals precipitate on the walls of the drum.

Drying of crystals of sugar Before paching, spinned crystals are dried by hot air

Ready product After drying, cristalline sugar is a ready product.