In 1968 Buchanan reviewed the use of first expressed juice (FEJ) for the distribution of sucrose in cane consignments. Variable fibre % cane values, the lack of juice homogeneity and […]

The importance of obtaining representative samples from heterogeneous materials and the difficulties involved in doing so are discussed in analytical chemistry texts. Kolthoff et al. (1969) for example note that all […]

Moore (1972) states that crystallography, the science of the structure of crystals, began when relations between the faces of crystals were determined; in 1969 the interfacial angles (angle between lines […]

Spencer & Meade (1945) note than losses fall into two categories: determined losses, that is losses which can be measured, such as pol losses in bagasse and in filter cake, […]

Material balances over the pan floor are often needed. Here a 3-boiling system with a refinery liquor input, producing high pol raw sugar and final molasses is considered. Again the […]

Figure 1 represents an imaginary cane cleaning station which receives green whole stalk cane. For cane payment purposes the cane is weighed, sampled and analysed. It is then dry cleaned […]

In sugar factories and refineries material balances are very much part of the work done by sugar technologists. Material balances are required to calculate efficiencies and quantities of products in stock, to investigate potential problems, and to provide information in many other areas.

Refraction is an effect that occurs when light travels from a low density transparent medium to a higher density transparent one. The refractive index, n, of a medium is a measure for how much the velocity of the light is reduced inside the medium.

Polarimetry has been used in the sugar industry for a long time; Browne & Zerban mention that the Biot and Ventze polariscopes were used with sugar solutions in 1840 and 1842 respectively. The concept and its application in sugar analyses are described in chemistry textbooks (Willard et al. 1974).