METHOD OF PRODUCING WHITE SUGAR FROM SUGAR-BEET Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: sugar industry. SUBSTANCE: sugar-beet is picked up from storage area by means of grabbing container that can move and be overturned. Beet is conveyed in dry state to washing area by conveyor system. Beet waste separated from beet when being transported and washed is disintegrated to particle size 0.8-2.5 mm, pressed to give juice and pressed mass with content of solids not higher than 20%. Juice is combined with pulp-press water in amount not higher than 10% of the total of mixture. Mixture is heated to 72-75 C and transferred into at least one gravity packet-type settler where mixture is settled down to form decantate wherein content of colloid-dispersity materials does not exceed 20 g per 100 g of solids. Decantate is poured out into prepared water in amount not exceeding 50 wt.-% of prepared water to perform diffusion operation. Preliminary defecation of diffusion juice is accomplished by gradually alkalizing it with non-filtered first-saturation juice and lime milk. Pre-defecated juice is incubated for at least 10 min in pre-defecator-ripener, after which additional cooling crystallization is carried out in two interconnected cylindrical crystallizers that are incorporated into general process line by means of pipeline system providing hydrostatic pressure to make massecuite enter crystallizer and pass from one crystallizer into the other and then into centrifuge. Pipeline supplying massecuite into the first crystallizer and pipeline transferring it to centrifuge are arranged at an angle at least 11 deg. to horizon, whereas pipeline interconnecting crystallizers is positioned horizontally. Diameter of any pipeline is at least 0.2 diameter of crystallizer. EFFECT: enhanced process efficiency. 87 cl