IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Stuart, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SUGAR." A communication from abroadby Charles Eastes, Gresley Lukin,
and Alexander Jenyns William Boyd, all of Brisbane, in the Colony of
Queensland.
Sealed the 10th August 1877, and dated the 12th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Stuart at the Office
"IM-
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1877.
JAMES STUART, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Merchant.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR." A communication from abroad by
Charles Eastes, Gresley Lukin, and Alexander Jenyns William Boyd, all of Brisbane,
in the Colony of Queensland.
This Invention relates to a process for the better clarification of cane and other
sugar juices, and the manufacture of raw sugar, and for the refining of raw and low
sugar, and for the conversion of other saccharine matter contained in molasses into
sugar, and it has for its object producing sugar without molasses, which result
depends upon perfect clarification of the juice and upon the proper management of
the tempered liquor after it leaves the clarifiers.
The improved process is carried out in the following manner :-The canes are cut
in the usual manner and the juice expressed by rollers or by diffusion. The juice
flowing from the rollers to the clarifiers may be clarified cold or hot as desired.
As soon as a clarifier is full hypochlorite of sulphur in the proportion of, say, from
about 4 to 8 ounces to each one hundred gallons of juice is added, either alone or
with an admixture of any other suitable alkali, according to the nature of the juice.
Or when the conditions of the juice demand a different mode of treatinent the
following chemicals may be substituted for those herein-before mentioned, vizt. :-
Chloride of sulphur, in the proportion of, say, 2 ounces to each one hundred gallons
of juice; or dichloride, bichloride, and hypochloride of sulphur in the same pro-
portions, which however may be varied according to the quality of the juice; or
sulphuret, bisulphuret, and tersulphuret of chlorine and sulphuret of lime and
chloralum may be employed when the conditions of the cane juice render it
advisable to do so.

page_text: After the application of the particular chemical selected, the liquor is brought to
a boil, when it is allowed to rest for, say, about forty-five minutes, when the
feculencies subside, and a perfectly clear liquor remains. This is then run off into
the battery pans, where it is reduced to a density of from 20° to 25° Beaume's
saccharometer. It is then struck into the vacuum pan, where it boils at a pressure
of forty pounds of steam in a vacuum of 28, at a temperature of about 130°, but
the operations after the tempered liquor leaves the clarifiers are dependent upon
the sugar boiler, the improved process consisting solely in the entire removal of the
fermenting principle in the cane juice. If the subsequent sugar boiling operations
be conducted with ordinary skill the whole of the liquor introduced into the
vacuum pan will crystallise, and no molasses will be formed. It will always be
necessary to leave a certain quantity of liquor uncrystallised in the vacuum pan, as
it is obvious that were this precaution not observed the sugar would set in a solid
mass of crystals in the pan, and could not be extracted without force and probable
injury to the pan. This free liquor only requires reheating to crystallize in
its turn.
The process herein-before described is also applicable to the treatment of beet
juice and to the refining of raw and low sugar generally, and to the conversion of
the saccharine matter contained in molasses into sugar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Stuart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th August
1877.
JAMES STUART, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Merchant. "IM-.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR." A communication from abroad by
Charles Eastes, Grisley Lukin, and Alexander Jenyns William Boyd, all of Brisbane,
in the Colony of Queensland.
The canes being cut the juice is expressed by rollers, or the same may be obtained
by diffusion. The juice flowing from the rollers or otherwise obtained flowing to
the clarifiers may be tempered and clarified either hot or cold, but the liquor must
be heated to a boiling point to coagulate all the albumen. When the juice or liquor
is in the clarifier from four (4) to eight (8) ounces of chloride of sulphur is added
to each hundred gallons of juice or liquor, according to the quantity of supposed
albuminous matter contained in such juice or liquor. The chloride of sulphur is
added in the following manner :-The necessary quantity is first mixed thoroughly
with a small quantity of the juice or liquor in a small vessel sunk as a bucket, tub,
or other portable vessel, which mixture is then gradually poured into the clarifier,
whilst the liquor or juice therein contained is agitated or stirred to cause thorough
admixture. In addition to the above chloride of sulphur, in the case of liquors or
juices where it is known or supposed that they contain free acid, a sufficient
quantity of any alkali must be used in order to neutralize such free acid. When
the quantity of albuminous matter contained in the juice or liquor demands a more
powerful agent than the chloride of sulphur any one of all the various compounds
of chlorine and sulphur should be used in the proportion of from one (1) to four (4)
ounces to the hundred gallons of juice or liquor; or the oxychloride of sulphur may
also be used in similar proportions, as also sulphuret of lime, and also chloralum,
the latter being the product of alumina or clay acted upon by hydrochloric acid.
The exact quantities of each or either of the above-named agents or chemicals can
only be fixed after the quantity of albuminous matter or free acids contained in the
juice or liquor to be operated upon have been ascertained, as has hitherto been
practised under the lime process.
After the application of the particular agent or chemical selected from the above
named the liquor or juice is brought to a boiling point, after which it is allowed to
rest for not less than forty-five (45) minutes, by which time the feculencies will

page_text: have subsided, and a perfectly clear liquor remains. This is then run off into the
battery pans, where it is reduced to a density of from twenty (20) to twenty-
five (25) degrees Beaume Saccharometer. It is then struck into the vacuum pan,
where it boils at a pressure of forty (40) pounds of steam in a vacuum of twenty-
eight (28) at a temperature of about one hundred and thirty (130) degrees. The
operations after the tempered juice or liquor leaves the clarifiers are entirely in the
hands of the sugar boiler or manufacturer. The juice or liquor having been
tempered and clarified by one or other of the before-mentioned chemicals or agents
is to be treated by the sugar boiler or manufacturer after it leaves the clarifier
precisely in the same manner as under the ordinary lime process. It will always
be necessary to leave a certain small quantity of liquor uncrystallised in the pan,
as it is obvious that were this precaution not observed the sugar would set in a
solid mass, and could not be removed without force and probable injury to the pan.
This free liquor, which is syrup, not molasses, only requires reheating to crystallize
in its turn.
The process above described applies also to the refining of raw and low sugars,
and the conversion of the crystallizable inatter contained in molassos into sugar. In
both these processes one or other of the before-named agents or chemicals must be
used in larger or smaller quantities and of greater or less strength, according to the
ascertained quantity of albuminous matter contained in the raw or low sugar, or in
the molasses to be treated.
In refining raw or low sugars the sugar is dissolved to a liquid state, then
clarified and tempered with from two (2) to eight (8) ounces of chloride of sulphur
to the hundred gallons of liquor, or the same proportion of any one of all the various
compounds of chlorine and sulphur, or of the oxychloride of sulphur, or of sulphuret
of lime, or of chloralumi, according to the quantity of albuminous inatter contained
in the liquor to be treated. After clarification the liquor is allowed to subside, and
is then passed through the vacuum pan in the ordinary way.
For extracting the crystallisable inatter from molasses the molasses are heated to
a liquid state and then clarified and tempered as follows, namely:-If newly or
recently made molasses are to be treated, then one or other of the above-named
agents or chemicals must be used in the proportion set forth in the treatment of
juice, the exact quantity or proportion to be determined by the quantity of albu-
minous matter contained in such molasses.
In the case of molasses that has been made for any considerable period of time,
and which are found to contain a certain quantity of free acid, a sufficient quantity
of any alkali must be used in addition to one or other of the above-named agents
or chemicals to neutralize such free acid. And further, it is claimed for this process
that the same treatment as herein-before described is also applicable to the clarifying
and tempering of beetroot juice, maple juice, and the juices from all other sugar
producing plants or trees, the proportion of the before-named agents or chemicals
to be determined by the quantity of albuminous matter contained in such juices.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, effecting the clarification of saccharine solution to be employed in
the manufacture of sugars by the employment of the chlorides of sulphur or of oxy-
chloride of sulphur, or of sulphuret of lime, or of chloralum, in the manner herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Stuart, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, One thousand eight
JAMES STUART. (L.S.)