Filtration and microfiltration in the production of commercial sugar without chemical treatment

Abstract

The industrial production of white sugar, or sucrose, includes, in the treatment of the broth, the addition of chemical inputs such as sulfur, lime, and polymers. For sustainable production, which makes it possible to manufacture organic sugar, or even if it does not contain levels, even if minimal, of sulfur compounds, it is important to eliminate all chemical inputs from the industrial process. To this end, the use of filtration and microfiltration of the broth in substitution to the chemical and physical-chemical processes of the traditional process was evaluated. Color, polarization, microscopy, and crystal size distribution analyzes were performed. According to the classification using the MAPA criteria, the sugar produced, which did not use any chemical input in its manufacture, can be classified as demerara sugar. This result is relevant to the industries of the sector, in a scenario in which sustainable processes are sought, products classified as organic and sugars with less and less acceptance of the presence of sulfur compounds.