The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-07-13
SUGAR MEN or HAWAII TO
IMPROVE REFINING METHODS
echnoogst Of Experiment Station After Investigating Question On
Mainland and In Cuba Reports To Directors On New Methods
Of Manufacture That Should Be Followed To Make Better Prod
uct and Remove Cause Of Criticism "%.

Mr.. Norris summarizes the views of the
refineFs as follows: 4
The principal difficulties which they
had with our sugars, as compared with
Cuban sugars, were: '
r. 8 ]. In the Animation process (prelimi-
nary wash); Slower washing, larger
amount of wash water required, and
higher purity and larger volume Of
washings. So
2. In the DELEGATION and bag fltra.
ton: Slower filtration; larger number
of bags required and cloudy filtrate.
SO. In boiling: Heavy scale on
heating surfaces of evaporators and
vacuum pans. The Cuban sugars as a
rule give practically no scale.
80 In barrel syrups': More
cloudiness and sediment.
"The first difficulty was due, without
doubt, to the small grain and the higher
density of the mOlasses on the grain of
the Hawaiian sugars. Both the REIN
cries find that the sugars as a whole are
much improved in this respect this sea-
son; they also agree in criticizing GER
tain marks that have not yet Inn
proved. T" E
Mr.. Norris points out that one of the
refneries did not experience the second
named difficulty, but that the reason for
this is not fully explained. ~.
The superintendent Of one of the re-
fineries is inclined to attribute the see
ond difficulty to the presence of large
amounts of sulphates in the Hawaiian
sugars. Mr.. Norris believes that the
practise in Hawaii of starting grain on
lowgrade products, which is subse-
quently used as seed for commercial
sugar, has something to do with this
ldifiiclty. The report continues: .@
Too Mich sulphate na III
:" The third difficulty Is the one most
universally referred to by the Eastern
refners and is undoubtedly due to the
large amount of sulphate of lime in
/ Hawaiian sugars. l would say that the
bad reputation which Hawaiian raw
sugars now have, among the men d.
rectly in charge of the Eastern refner-
les, is due more to the. heavy scale
which is formed on the vacuum pan
coils and the consequent reduction of
the output of the refinery, than to any
other fault. This objection was men.
| toned to me more frequently than any
other.
''The fourth difficulty, believe, is
also due. to the sulphate of lime in the
sugars. 1 have, however, as yet, nc
positive proof of it.
"In connection with the subject Of
the production of barrel syrups, il
should also be mentioned that the
Cuban sugars have an advantage in
composition for this purpose which, il
appears at present, is impossible fol-
Hawaiian sugars to approach. Barre
syrups are made exclusively from the
refinery final molasses, called black
strap, by removing most of the color
with bone char and concentrating tc
about eighty degrees Brix. CubaI
sugars contain roughly about twice a:
much glucose on an average as Hawa
ian sugars. Since this has a negative
polarization, and therefore reduces the
polarization of the sucrose in the raw
sugar, it Is not incorrect to say thai
the refner gets it for less than moth
ing. And il is of as much value foI
barrel syrup as sucrose. In place o.
about half Of the glucose in Cubar
sugars, Hawaiian sugars contain asl
aud organic non-sugars, which are o.
no advantage in the barrel syrups."
In addition to his summarized writ
ten report, Mr.. Norris discussed the re
suits of his Investigations at length
at the meeting of the association di
reetors yesterday He has also beer
meeting plantation managers since hi
return for this purpose and the opin
ion is generally expressed among lOca
sugar men that there. will be little i
any criticism of Hawaiian raw sugar
after the proposed improvements in re
fning value have been completed.