Preliminary Results of a Modified Boiling System at Illovo Factory

As a result of deterioration in the colour and polarisation of the VHP sugar caused by abnormal cane quality during October of the 1983/84 crushing season, it was decided to test a modified boiling system at Illovo as proposed by van Hengel at the SASTA Congress of 1983. The results achieved for the period before, during and after the trial are presented and compared. It was found that the quality of the VHP sugar improved significantly. Introduction The new boiling system as proposed by van Hengel' was tested over a four week period during October/November 1983, at a time when, in spite of extensive use of sodium hydrosulphite in the A-massecuite, both colour and polarisation of the VHP sugar was outside the limits set by the industry. This resulted in high penalties being levied on the sugar delivered to the Terminal and Tongaat-Hulett Refinery. The change in boiling practice involved the graining of Aand C-massecuites. A magma of C-sugar and A-molasses was adopted for boiling the B-massecuite and the entire crop of B-sugar was remelted. Despite the fact that during the test period the cane quality deteriorated further, resulting in an increase in syrup colour, the colour and polarisation of the VHP sugar improved significantly, while the back-end of the factory operated more comfortably. SYRUP' cl-l I BLEND 1, I