Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-08-12
FROM BEET IO SUGAR
Interesting Process OF Extracting
Sugar from Sugar Beets-
Following a Beet
THROUGH A SUGAR FACTORY
Hsw the Pure Sugar by Aid Of Chemi-
Gals and Intricate Machinery Is
Taken From the Beet.

lhe manufacture OF beet sugar is
an interesting process and one that
has been practiced for over 100 years
in Europe. Until recent years almost
all the sugar used came from that
source. A few years ago the United
States government took up the mat
ter and experiments were started in
the United States. Finding it sue
cessful venture, farmers were induced
to take up this industry. Since that
time it has grown wonderfully
throughout the country and is taking
on immense proportions.
When the beets are delivered at the
factory, after having been deprived of
their tops, they are weighed by an
overseer and a sample bushel taken
from the wagon TO determine the tare
and make a test for the amount of
sugar in them. AS nearly an average
sample OF beets as is practicable is
selected The sample beets are weigh
ed then thoroughly washed and dried.
They are again weighed and the diff
ference between their weight and the
first weight is considered the tare.
The tests for sugar are made by ex-
pert chemists.
The beets on the wagons or cars
are nloaded in big storage bins with
sloping bottoms, through which runs
stream of water confined TO a hume
with movable covering. The beets
are later, when wanted in the factory.
allowed to fall into this nume. The
water floats them to the factory,
where they fall into an elevator,
which drains the water and carries
them to a washer. Here they are
subjected, by means of propeller
arms, TO a thorough washing, after
which they are automatically elected
into another elevator.
This elevator carries them to the
third floor, where thev fall into a
slicer which cuts them into long V
shaped strips. about sS inch wide and
I-S inch thick, and of various lengths
From the slicer the beets are trans
ported by gravity through chute 10
a diffusion battery. Here the sugar is
extracted by a series OF teachings
with hot water. the sugar being held
in the solution in the cells of the
beets, which cells also contain most
of the impurities Of the beet. The
object Of the diffusion is to obtain
the sugar with as few impurities as
possible
! When sufficiently concentrated, the
juice is drawn off by measure, enough
being taken to extract the sugar with
out too great fdilution. This is
accurately measured and a record
kept OF the time, number of cells
and density. This juice flows by grav-
ity into a heater (calorisator), where
it is heated to 100 degrees Fahren-
heit 1t is quite necessary to do this,
as all the albuminoids must be
coagulated before the presence OF
lime.
From the heater the juice flows
to the carbonater, where the heated
juice is admitted from two to three
per cent OF lime in the form OF milk
of lime. This lime combines with
greater part OF the impurities and
forms an insoluble precipate. 1t also
combines with the sugar, forming cal
cium sucrate, which would be lost in
I filtration If not decomposed.
This is done by injecting carbon
! deoxide, which is made in burning the
lime used III clarihcation. ust enough
gas is admitted to break up the COM
bination OF lime and sugar Great
care is taken, for if carried too far
the carbonic acid attacks the COM
pounds of calcium and in time will
/ liberate all the impurities again.
After clarihcation Cor carbonation), J,
as it is called in the sugar factory,
the whole contents of the carbonator
Juice and precipate- are drawn off
and forced through filter presses by
means OF a pump. The juice filters
rapidly through the presses, leaving
hard cake OF lime. The juice goes
into another set of carbonators, where
only half per cent of milk of lime
is admitted, and then put through
the same processes as at first. When
it leaves the second filter press it is
light straw colored liquid.
This liquid is pumped to the sui
phitors. Here sulphur deoxide is
forced through the juice with an air
pump. This decolorizes the juice and
precipates whatever lime remains.
The juice, MOVE milk white, flows
through set of mechanical filters to
eliminate all impurities remaining in
it. As the Juice now contains from
three to ten percent of sugar, and it
is desirable to concentrate this, il is
run into a mutiple-effect evaporator
This concentrates the sugar and il
comes out in a thick liquor. This
liquor is, after another filtration pro-
cess, boiled in the vacuum strike pan,
where the sugar is crystalized.
When this operation is completed
the mass is known as magma. This
is concentrated until it contains in
composition about IS per cent Of
sugar and rs per cent of molasses.
The magma is then removed into a
large iron tank with propeller arms
constantly revolving, which is termed
mixer Attached to and directly
underneath the mixer are a number of
centrifugals. After the magma has
been in the revolving centrifugals a
few minutes. il is entirely freed from
syrup. Then jet Of water is sprayed
on it TO remove the last traces of
molasses. The machine is stopped
Al fl IL