The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-12-13

reaching from the storage place to the
factory. Before the bins are filled with
beets this canal is covered with
boards, beneath which runs a current
OF water.
when material is desired a board
is removed and the beets allowed to
fall to the stream of water, which
carries them to their destination. The
canal has a double purpose, much of
the soil being removed from the beets.
THE actual extraction of the sugar
was formerly done by means of pres
sure, but this rather primitive method
has given was to what is known as
the diffusion process This operation
is conducted in a series of a dozen or
closed metal tanks connected
by an elaborate system of pipes and
valves. Each tank in this battery has
a capacity of a ton or mor of beets.
and in operating it a tank is filled with
slices of beets that have been cut into
shape by knives placed on a revolv-
ing disk, and the top door closed. Hot
water is then admitted at the bottom
until all the space not occupied by
the beets is filled.
while the water is flowing into the
first tank the second is peing filled
with beet slices, and as soon as the
second tank is filled the conveyor
which brings the slices to the battery
is adjusted to deliver them to a third
tank, and so on, the current of slices
being diverated to an empty tank as
soon as n is filled. When the first
tank is filled with liquid it is allowed
to flow into tank No. 2, and through it
into No. 3, and SO one through the en-
tire series as fast as they are filled
with beets and the doors closed. The
current of hot water enters tank No.
l continuously, and the resultant
liquid passed through the system of
piping referred to until all but two OF
the tanks of the battery are filled.
The manipulation is then varied by
drawing liquid from the cell last filled
into a measuring tank before the cur
rent is turned into the next tank OF
fresh sl4ces. This portion of hot water
has passed through ten or more tanks
o. frnCh h0nf C1innC hoc orn~oui~ ~ n Rs
ly eight-tenths of the joice originally
contained in the beets, and is called
diffusion juice
Process of Diffusion.
"The sugar is extracted from the
beets partially Dy the displacement OF
the juice by hot water, but largely by
the process of diffusion, the sugar diff
fusing from the slices into the liquid
which surrounds them. The slices
contained in the cell which was first
filled have now been washed with 10
or IL successive portions of hot water
and contain less than one-half of one
per cent of sugar. This tank is then
emptied in order to make room for
more fresh slices, the process being
continuous. Every time a tank is filed
with fresh slices and juice and a por.
ton of the diffusion juice drawn OFF,
the tank at the opposite end of the
line contains exhausted slices and is
emptied. An elaborate process OF
publication follows the extraction OF
the diffusion juice before it is in con-
dltion for evaporation for the recov-
cry of the sugar contained in it. Lime
and carbonic acid gas are the agents
used, and both are obtained from a
kiln which is kept in operation for the
purpose. The kiln is charged with
coke and limestone at the top and the
burnt lime withdrawn at the bottom,
the combustion of the limestone form
ing carbonic acid gas in large quaint
ties. The gas is drawn from the top
OF the kiln Inc forced by pumps
through the juice, which has at that
time been transferred to the carbon
iZation tanks.
The entire process of publication
includes five filtrations and two sue
cessive treatments with lime and car
bonic acid gas. and filters through
which it is forced retain all Of the
pieces of pulp that may be contained
in it. After being treated with a large
excess OF lime carbonic acid gas is
forced through the hot juice until the
lime is precipitated. After filtration
the clear juice is again treated with
lime and carbon dioxide and again