Customer cases :
Port : Lattakia and Jordan port
Destination country: Syria
Time:From 2017 to 2023
Quantity: Placed 4 orders, total: 354.4
Purpose: Sugar Decolorization
Customer requirements:8~30mesh, 950mg/g iodine value, molasses value 175, ash content 15% max
Carbon Decolorization Product and shipping videos:
What is the sugar decolorization process?
Sugar decolorization is a process that improves the purity and quality of sugar products by removing pigments and impurities from syrup. The following are common steps in the sugar decolorization process:
1. Pretreatment
Before decolorization, the syrup usually needs to be pretreated to remove large particle impurities and insoluble substances. This usually includes the following steps:
**Filtration**: Remove large particle impurities through filter cloth or filter screen.
**Sedimentation**: Use gravity sedimentation to remove suspended matter.
2. Activated carbon decolorization
Activated carbon is a commonly used decolorizer that can effectively adsorb pigments and impurities in syrup.
**Activated carbon addition**: Add a certain amount of activated carbon to the pretreated syrup.
**Stirring**: Stir the syrup thoroughly so that the activated carbon is evenly distributed and in contact with the pigments and impurities.
**Filtration**: After a certain period of adsorption, remove the activated carbon and its adsorbed pigments and impurities by filtration.
3. Ion exchange resin decolorization
Ion exchange resin can remove pigments and impurities from syrup through ion exchange.
**Resin treatment**: The syrup is passed through a column containing a specific ion exchange resin, and the functional groups on the resin will adsorb the pigment molecules in the syrup.
**Elution**: Use a suitable eluent (such as water or dilute acid) to elute the resin and regenerate the resin for next use.
4. Membrane filtration
Membrane filtration technology removes pigments and small molecule impurities from syrup by selectively passing through the membrane.
**Ultrafiltration**: Use ultrafiltration membrane to remove large molecule impurities.
**Nanofiltration**: Use nanofiltration membrane to further remove small molecule pigments and impurities.
6. Fine filtration and concentration
The syrup after decolorization needs to be further finely filtered to remove the remaining tiny impurities, and then concentrated to make the syrup reach the desired concentration.
**Fine filtration**: Use fine filtration equipment for final impurity removal.
**Concentration**: Concentrate the syrup to the target concentration through evaporation or other concentration techniques.
7. Product quality inspection
The decolorized syrup needs to be inspected to ensure that its color, purity and other indicators meet the requirements.
**Color detection**: Use a colorimeter to measure the color of the syrup.
**Purity detection**: Use high performance liquid chromatography and other technologies to detect the purity and sugar content of the syrup.
Why choose activated carbon for sucrose decolorization?
1. The clarification process is the first step in sugar production. Coal-based granular activated carbon can remove pigments, odors, undesirable substances such as amino acids and polysaccharides in sugar liquid.
As well as impurities generated during processing, such as caramel and protein melanin. Treating sugar solutions with activated carbon can increase the surface tension of the liquid, reduce the viscosity, reduce foam during evaporation, speed up the crystallization rate, and increase the crystallinity of edible sugar.
The unique porous structure of activated carbon can absorb many pigments and impurities.
2. The pore size of bituminous coal granular activated carbon ranges from 1.5 nm to 5 µm, of which micropores are below 2 nm, mesopores are between 2-50 nm, and macropores are above 50 nm.
It is these developed pore structures that contribute to the excellent decolorization performance of activated carbon.
3. When using activated carbon for decolorization, the pH value of the sugar solution is very important.
When it is acidic, it will easily cause the conversion of sugar but the decolorization effect will be good, so it is better to control the pH ＞ 7,or neutral, Sugar liquid is difficult to decolorize, but it will increase the evaporation load in the future.
Generally, the concentration is controlled at about 50%. Temperature 70~80℃. One issue that should be noted is that activated carbon will cause the pH value to decrease during the decolorization process, which means that invert sugar will increase.
Therefore, the pH value of the sugar solution should be checked at any time. The pH of coal-based granular activated carbon is alkaline 8-11.
4. Since the 1950s and 1960s, American countries have adopted granular activated carbon for continuous decolorization, making large-scale and continuous decolorization possible.
Activated carbon that has failed after decolorization can also be regenerated and reused. The unloaded waste carbon is washed, dried with hot air until the moisture content reaches 45%, and sent to the regeneration furnace for regeneration.
When choosing coal-based granular activated carbon for Sugar decolorization, what else should we pay attention to besides iodine value?
1. Effects of methylene blue and molasses value on sugar decolorization?
The color of sugar solution mainly comes from the various organic impurities it contains, which are usually by-products produced during the production, storage and processing of sugar. These colored substances include molasses, caramel compounds, and some Maillard reaction products generated by the reaction of sugar and amino acids. According to the molecular weight and properties of these impurities, we can roughly divide them into two categories:
Macromolecule organic matter
Caramel compounds: These are the products of caramelization reaction of sugar at high temperature, with large molecular weight and dark color.
Maillard reaction products: The products of non-enzymatic browning reaction between sugar and amino acids during heating, with large molecular weight.
Small molecule organic matter
Some simple organic acids and other small molecule impurities: These substances have low concentrations in sugar solution, but they will also affect the color of sugar solution.
In general, the main source of color of sugar solution is still mainly macromolecule organic matter. The adsorption of these macromolecular organics requires activated carbon to have good macropore and mesopore structures, so in the process of sugar solution decolorization, the methylene blue value of activated carbon may be a more important indicator.
Activated carbon selection in sugar solution decolorization applications
Activated carbon with high methylene blue value: This activated carbon has a strong ability to adsorb macromolecular organics and is suitable for sugar solution decolorization. It can effectively remove caramel compounds and Maillard reaction products in sugar solution, significantly reducing the color of sugar solution.
Consideration of molasses value: Although the methylene blue value is more critical in this application, the molasses value cannot be completely ignored. Activated carbon with high molasses value can ensure that while removing macromolecular organics, it can also remove some small molecular organic impurities and improve the purity of sugar solution.
Considering these two indicators comprehensively, the most suitable activated carbon product can be selected to achieve the best sugar solution decolorization effect.
2. The effect of ash on sugar decolorization?
In the application of coal-based granular activated carbon in sugar decolorization, the ash content and its properties have a certain impact on the use effect and application. Ash refers to the inorganic residue remaining after the activated carbon is completely burned.
Activated carbon with high ash content may not be able to effectively remove pigments and impurities in the sugar solution during the sugar decolorization process, affecting the decolorization effect.
Chemical activity:
Certain components in the ash, such as calcium oxide and magnesium oxide, react with acids or alkalis in water to change the pH value of the sugar solution. This change may have an adverse effect on the quality of the sugar and may even cause the color of the sugar solution to darken or the taste to change.
Application advantages of Heycarb coal-based granular activated carbon in sugar decolorization:
1. Coal-based granular activated carbon plays an important role in the sugar decolorization process due to its large pore size, high specific surface area and excellent adsorption performance.
It can adsorb organic impurities, pigments and other substances in sugar liquid and separate them from the solution, thereby achieving the decolorization effect of sugar. Its highly developed pore structure provides sufficient adsorption sites to effectively remove impurities.
2. Cheap and economical.
3. Improve production efficiency: Coal-based granular activated carbon has a high adsorption speed and adsorption capacity, and can complete the decolorization process of sugar liquid in a short time and improve production efficiency.
At the same time, due to its reproducibility, it can be used repeatedly, reducing production costs.
4. Our raw coal crushed activated carbon is one of the few on the market with molasses value properties, which is of great significance for sugar decolorization.
Of course, the briquette crushed granular activated carbon has a molasses value, but the price is much higher.
5. High strength, you can feel the strength of our granular activated carbon through the product video
6. Low ash content. The lowest ash content of our raw coal crushed granular activated carbon particles can be less than 8%.
Sugar solution decolorization activated carbon:
Of course, due to different production processes, many customers also choose wood powder activated charcoal for sugar decoloration to adjust the pH value, and wood granular activated charcoal for decolorization and purification of sugar liquid.
MgO is added during the Coal Agglomerated/briquetting Granular activated carbon production process to improve the pore structure and adsorption performance of activated carbon for sugar syrup decolorization.
this results in the production of high-quality activated carbon with well-developed pore structure and strong adsorption capacity. It has the advantages of large adsorption capacity, fast filtration speed, and ease of regeneration.
It is widely used in the decolorization and refinement of sugars such as raw sugar, maltose, glucose, starch sugar, xylose, and lactose.
Related Chemical wood activated charcoal product links:
Related Steam Coal granular activated carbon product links:
| Specification | Orignal bituminous coal GAC | Coal briquetting GAC ( can add MgO 5-8%) |
Wood Powder Activated Carbon |
| Size(Mesh) | 8~30,12~40
(customized) |
8~30,12~40
(customized) |
100,200,
325mesh |
| Molasses Number | 170-200 | 200-270 | 150-220 |
| Caramel (%) | 60-80 | 60-110 | 100-130 |
| M.B. (mg/g) | 150-190 | 160-230 | 150-280 |
| PH | 8-11,4-7 | 8-11,4-7 | 3-11 |
| Ash % | 8,12,15 | ≤8 | ≤5 |
| Moisture Content % | 3 | ≤3 | ≤10 |
| Iodine No.(mg/g) | 900-1050 | 900-1100 | 900-1050 |
