Search

It is well known that in order to obtain crystalline sugar of a high quality category (Extra and TS1), it is necessary to ensure the production of concentrated sugar-containing intermediates with the lowest possible color, since it is these intermediates that directly determine the color of the resulting crystalline sugar. Laboratory studies have been carried out on the effect of sulfitation treatment using various reagents, namely, sulfurous anhydride and sodium bisulfite, of concentrated intermediates – thick juice and remelt syrup B+C of sugar production on the quality of beet sugar. It has been established that the sulfitation treatment of concentrated intermediates using sulfur dioxide provides a greater reduction in their color compared to sodium bisulfite – from 996,70 to 830,30 and 857,30 ICUMSA units respectively. It has been established that sulfitation treatment with using various reagents of concentrated intermediates provides a decrease in the color of sugar. So, according to the color index, sugar obtained in laboratory conditions from samples obtained using sulfitation treatment, according to the requirements of GOST 33222-2015, corresponds to category TS1, and obtained from an untreated sample, to category TS2. Thus, in a critical situation, sulfitation treatment can provide sugar with a higher quality category. It has been established that during long-term storage (up to 100 days) of concentrated sugar-containing intermediates, their color increases, however, preliminary sulfitation treatment using sulfur dioxide provides the smallest increase in color during storage, compared with treatment with sodium bisulfite. The increase in color after 100 days of storage relative to the initial values was 18,46 and 36,26%, respectively.

The article discusses and analyzes the construction of liquid-jet sulfitators used in the beet sugar industry. The importance of sulfitation treatment in the sugar beet processing and raw cane sugar technology is noted and the main advantages of its use at various technological stages are given, namely, preparation of extractant used for diffusion sucrose extraction out of beet cossettes, thin juice processing, thick juice with B- and C-remelts processing, as well as raw cane sugar remelt processing. The advantages and disadvantages of liquid-jet sulfitators in comparison with other constructions are noted and criteria for their improvement are given. It has been noted that the created ejection, which sucks in the sulphitation gas into the contacting chamber, and the fact that the absorption of sulfur dioxide occurs on a larger surface than in other types of structures the main advantages of liquid-jet sulphitators. The main disadvantages are the short length of the contacting chamber, which is insufficient for ensuring complete absorption of sulfur dioxide, as well as instability of the generated ejection when the productivity changes. This determines the criteria given in the article for the improvement of liquid-jet sulfitators. The description of the developed construction of the sulphitator centrifugal-jet nozzle of sugar production liquids is given, which provides: the stability of the sulphitation gas supply in a wide range of plant productivity; stability of the hydroaerodynamic regime of the system «treated liquid – sulphitation gas» inside the sulphitator; sufficient contact time for complete dissolution in the treated liquid of the sulfur anhydride contained in the sulphitation gas. The advantages of the developed centrifugal-jet sulfitators in comparison with typical liquid-jet sulfitators are noted: ensuring the operation range of 50-120% of the nominal capacity (plant production capacity); significant reduction in the technical sulfur consumption for the sulphur anhydride production, which is used as a reagent for the sulfitation treatment of liquids in beet sugar processing; reduction of harmful emissions into the atmosphere due to 100 % sulfur anhydride dissolution in the treated liquid.