Manufacturing-Processing PRELIMINARY PILOT PLANT STUDIES OF THE PRODUCTION OF RAW SUGAR FROM SORGHUM

Preliminary pilot plant experiments have been made in order to evaluate " a process for removing starch, a principal deterrent to the commercial usage of sweet sorghums (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) as a supplementary sugar crop. Defecation of the dilute raw juice at low temperature and at a pH of 7.7-7.9 with the addition of a flocculant resulted in an 89% removal of starch. A similar defecation of the 30-35 brix semi-syrup provided an overall elimination of 98% of the original starch. A and B sugars boiled from the processed syrups contained an average of 50 ppm of starch and were of good quality. C sugars contained an average of 140 ppm of starch and 7.44% carbonate ash. Higher than normal levels of minerals in the juices, principally K salts, and an excessive addition of ·CaCI 2 which was used to assure effective elimination of the objectionable aconitate ion, were considered responsible for the KCI content of the C sugars. Reduction of the quantity ofCaCI 2 used and processing of mature stalks are suggested as means of alleviating this situation.