Sugar analysis
From
raw juice to
dry sugar
Optimize your production every step of the way with the ParticleTech Solution
Monitor every step of the process
- Sucrose crystallization
- Juice purification
- Seed / Slurry
- Dry / Final product
Results provided
-
High quality images
- Shape parameters and Size distribution of crystals from 0.5 – 1500 µm
- ICUMSA® equivalent results (MA and CV% based on Powers, Rens, RRSB and Butler’s method)
- Scanning of high volume for statistically representative output
Thank you ParticleTech for the Sugar Analyzer, which has added much value to my work, and for the excellent service!
Melvin Carter
Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Nordic Sugar
Sucrose crystallization : sampling from vaccum pan
How does it work?
Take a sample by the pan and mix with dilution liquid immediately while still standing by the pan. Dilution liquid can be saturated sugar, saturated sugar with invert sugars or glycol – all at room temperature. Saturated sugar at room temperature has proven to work. When mixing massecuite sample immediately with dilution liquid, crystallization is interrupted, and crystals represent pan content.
Measurements: The prepared mixture is added to a standard titer plate (e.g. 12 wells) and measurements can begin:
- Titer plate is placed in ParticleTech Analyzer
- Press “start” in user-friendly software
- Scanning of the sample generates Best Focus image
- Algorithms are applied and ICUMSA® equivalent results, size distribution, shape etc. are calculated
- A colour scheme is used to show the crystals captured for analysis (Segmented Image)
- Output of the analysis is shown in a PC
- Time: Step 1 – 6 approx. 1-3 minutes
Typical use cases of ParticleTech Sugar Analyzer:
- Two main approaches to utilizing the ParticleTech Sugar Analyzer:
- As a troubleshooting tool for process specialists, who carry the instrument between sites and use it to pinpoint and solve operational problems (Approx. 30 % of instruments)
- As a continuous monitoring and optimization tool in the daily operational procedure, in line with other measurements such as brix-measurement, sieve analysis, color measurements, ash content measurements, etc. (Approx. 70 % of instruments)
- The typical operational challenges that are easily pinpointed and resolved/optimized with the ParticleTech Sugar Analyzer are:
- Individual pan monitoring and optimization
- Detection of false grain formation, leading to subsequent adjustment of supersaturation degree
- Detection of conglomerate formation, leading to a subsequent adjustment of the seeding strategy and/or supersaturation degree
- Early detection of altered/hindered crystal growth, such as detecting elongated crystal growth due to raffinose.
- Monitoring of crystal growth rates, leading to seasonal adjustments of boiling times and/or supersaturation degrees
- Monitoring and optimization of seed slurry production
- Easy pinpointing of suboptimal milling by directly measuring seed size and seed slurry concentration from each individual mill and subsequent adjustment of milling time/repair of malfunctioning mill
- Test and validation of sieve stacks
- Analysis of dry sugar retained on each sieve, indicating if the sieves are fulfilling their specifications.
Our customers have experienced the following improvements:
- Higher process throughput due to an overall reduction of crystal size variation
- Faster pinpointing and diagnostics of operational challenges
- Multiple customers have implemented ParticleTech Sugar Analyzer as a company-wide standard method in their daily production, resulting in ongoing optimizations across production sites.
A movable solution for the production floor
- ParticleTech Sugar Analyzer consists of:
- ParticleTech Analyzer (450 x 260 x 250 mm, 9.6 kg)
- Laptop
- Router
- Ethernet cables (2x): for computer and ParticleTech Analyzer
- Power cables (3x): for router, computer and ParticleTech Analyzer
- Flight case (627 x 497 x 353 mm)