Improved Process for the Refining of Raw Sugar.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 12th Mar,,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process for the Refining of Raw Sugar.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated
to me from abroad by Eugen Langen's Erben, of Werthstrasse 14, Cologne,
Germany,) 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 the process for refining raw sugar wherein the raw
sugar is, for the purpose of doing away with the fine grain sugar, mashed with
syrup that is not saturated when in a warm condition, and the mass is then
heated for the solution of the fine grain sugar, after which it is thickened
by evaporation for again separating out the dissolved sugar which is deposited on
the larger crystals present. When, according to this process, the mixture of raw
sugar with syrup be boiled down in vacuo, it has been found that the boiling takes
a considerable time. The cause of this consists in the fact that the mixture drawn
in has a strong tendency to froth, in consequence whereof the heating can only
be effected slowly and with great care.
The present invention has for its object to do away with the frothing and
consequently to obviate the disadvantage arising therefrom by considerably
shortening the duration of the boiling; it consists in not charging the raw sugar
and syrup simultaneously into the vacuum pan, but in introducing them separately.
The raw sugar is for this purpose stirred up with water until it is sufficiently liquid
for being drawn into the vacuum pan. After this has been done the mixture is
heated, and the syrup is only then drawn in, after which the boiling is commenced.
It might at first appear as though this modified mode of operating, instead of
effecting the desired shortening of the process, would cause a farther retardation
thereof, because the mass is still farther diluted with water, and thus necessitates
the evaporation of the added water. As a matter of fact however, a considerable
shortening of the process is effected in consequence of the frothing being thereby
prevented; such shortening of the process is so considerable that according to this
improved process only about four hours are required for the completion of the
boiling, whereas with the old process seven hours were required.
The specific action of the new process consists in that the air which is necessarily
introduced into the mass by the mashing operation, is expelled in a short time
from the sugar solution diluted by the addition of water, whereas the thick syrup,
in consequence of its viscosity tenaciously retains the air. taken up during the
mashing, thereby causing frothing, and thus rendering it necessary that the
boiling shall take place exceedingly slowly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
Process for refining raw sugar consisting in first mashing the raw sugar with
water, then introducing the mash into the vacuum pan and heating it so as to

page_text: expel the air contained therein, after which the syrup which is to be boiled down
with the sugar is introduced, and the mixture is then boiled down in order to
deposit the dissolved sugar upon the existing crystals, substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of January 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.