Process for Purifying Black-strap or Refuse Sirups.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
A. Process for Purifying Black-strap or Refuse Sirups.
We, ERNST WILHELM GERBRACHT, Refiner, of 107, Rodney Street, Brooklyn, State
of New York, and FERDINAND GERHARD WIECHMANN, Chemist, of 771, West End
Avenue, New York City, State of New York, both in the United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to a process for purifying black-strap or refuse sirups
resulting from the processes for refining sugars especially beet sugar.
For this purpose a quantity of black-strap having a density of approximately 20
degrees Beaumé, we add an emulsion or solution of an oxide or hydrate of a metal,
such for instance, as milk of lime Ca (OH),, barium hydrate Ba (OH)2, lime CaO,
baryta BaO, strontia SrO, and containing as the dry ingredient of the solution from
0-5 per cent. to 1 per cent. by weight of the dry substance contained in the black-
strap; we then boil this mixture in vacuo for about two-hours; the vacuum should
be maintained as high as possible and the temperature as low as possible. The
result of this treatment is to remove by distillation a large proportion of the
offensive matters from the black-strap.
We then add to the material an acid, preferably phosphoric acid (H,PO) or
sulphurous acid (H₂SO), or sulphur dioxide (SO2).
In this step, the strength of the acid employed should be such as to combine with
the hydrate or oxide of the metal which has been used and to break up organic acid
salts contained in the black-strap.
The mixture is again subjected to heat for a period of half an hour to an hour, in
a vacuum apparatus.
By this second boiling there is distilled off a distillate which contains in part the
organic acids formerly in combination as organic salts in the black-strap, and also
other objectionable matters which were not removed by the first distillation.
The sirup remaining after this operation is then subjected to ordinary processes
of filtering, clarifying and concentration in vacuo to the required density.
The filtering clarifying and concentration being known operations we make no
claim to them by themselves, we merely describe them as illustrating all the steps
employed to produce from black-strap a commercial product free from objectionable
odor and taste and suitable as a palatable article of food.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
The herein described process for purifying black-strap by subjecting it to the
action of an oxide or hydrate of a metal, boiling in vacuo treating the mixture with
an agent which combines with the metallic oxide or hydrate, again boiling in vacuo

page_text: and finally subjecting the resultant sirup. to well known processes for filtering,
clarifying and concentrating the sirup.
Doted this 14th dox of December 1807
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.