Improvements in the Manufacture of Sugar.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1898
Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Sept., 1898-Accepted, Ord Dec., 1998
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sugar.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Albert Verley, of 7, Quai de Seine, Courbevoie,
near Paris, in the Republic of France, Electrician,) to be as follows:-
This invention consists in an improved mode of effecting the purification of the
juice of beet root or sugar cane or other vegetable juices containing sugar by
means of which it is possible, in a more convenient and expeditious manner, to
decolourize the juice and to recover from it organic impurities and odour. It is a
development of the invention for which my foreign correspondent applied for
Letters Patent No. 1338 of 1897 and renders the process of purifying sugar-con-
taining juices by means of ozone, to which such application for Letters Patent
relates, more convenient and better suited for industrial use.
The process according to the present invention is applicable to such juice at any
stage of its manufacture before it is decolourized and even to molasses and like
fluids when sufficiently diluted to permit of its use. But for convenience sake
I will describe it as applied to the juice of beet root prepared in the ordinary way
for the manufacture of sugar.
The juice is taken after it has been rendered slightly alkaline, either by the
addition of an alkali, or an alkaline earth, or by the ordinary treatment with lime
and carbonic acid. The degree of alkalinity which is preferred is about 02 gr.
per litre. It is then by preference filtered and cooled to about 20° Centigrade.
Ozone or ozonized air is then caused to bubble through the juice. For commercial
purposes there should be active agitation during the process of ozonization even
to the point of producing a temporary emulsion in order to quicken the action of
the ozone and to render it more regular and complete. The ozone at first passes
rapidly into combination with the organic matter, but after a while this action
becomes less energetic and but little ozone is absorbed. For this reason the ozone or
ozonized air should be made to pass in succession through several vessels containing
juice which are in turn cut off from its action when the ozonization is complete,
emptied and refilled with other juice to be treated. The ozone or ozonized air
enters by the vessel of the series that contains the juice that has been least exposed
to the action of the ozone and leaves by the one that has been longest exposed to
that action. In this way the process can be worked as a continuous process and the
juice in each vessel receives an equal treatment with ozone.
When the ozone is
first applied the colour of the juice usually appears to become somewhat deeper
but this subsequently passes away and the termination of the process of ozonization
is marked by its becoming colourless.
For the purpose of this process of ozonization the use of iron vats is preferred
which may, if desired, be lined with lead. If wooden vats are used it is found that
the ozone attacks the wood and forms colouring matter which prevents the de-
colourization from taking place. Where ozonized air is used all traces of acid
which may be formed during the production of the ozone should be removed either
by passing it through lime water or otherwise.
To complete the process of purification the juice has now to be treated with a

page_text: reducing agent and the organic matters which exist as impurities have to be
removed. This is effected in the following way: -
An active reducing agent is taken such as the zinc-copper couple of Gladstone
and Tribe and is added to the juice which for this purpose is heated to say
80° Centigrade. By this means the organic matters are reduced and at the same
time precipitated along with the reducing agent. Or the aluminium-amalgam of
Winceslinas (which has the advantage of working in the cold) may be used, or
the sulphate of the protoxyde of chrome, or manganese, in which latter case it is
preferable to form these bodies in the presence of the juice itself by adding thereto
the sulphate of the sesqui-oxide and a reducing metal. In all cases where solid
reducing agents are used agitation is essential."
Or electrolysis applied directly to the juice may be used to effect the reduction
the cathode being an oxidisable metal.
In the Specification of my foreign correspondent's aforesaid previous Application
for Letters Patent he proposed the use of sulphurous acid (which is a reducing
agent) after the ozonization. In has now been found that its suitability was
solely due to its reducing action and that the like result can be obtained by other
reducing agents as above set forth, which offer advantages in practice over the
use of sulphurous acid in the manner described in the said former specification.
Sulphurous acid can also be made use of in a more advantageous way as follows:
In working with juice of the alkalinity above mentioned, continue the treatment
with sulphurous acid till an acidity of about 10 gr. per litre is attained and then
neutralize with an alkaline earth, preferably baryta, and warm to a temperature
of from 50° C. to 80° C. This brings about a precipitation which leaves the juice
clear and free from organic impurity. Or there may be added to the juice while
it is being treated with sulphurous acid some zinc powder or other reducing metal
which causes hydrosulphurous acid to be formed or there may be added to the
juice hydrosulphurous acid which has been already formed. In each case add
an alkaline earth, preferably baryta, and warm as before.
The above reducing agents can be used separately or in combination, and in
general any reducing agent or agents can be used which are from their other
physical properties suitable, i.e. which do not leave in the juice foreign substances
not capable of ready elimination.
The reducing agents specially mentioned, viz. zinc-copper couple, aluminium-
amalgam, sulphate of protoxyde of chrome or manganese and electrolysis can also
be used to advantage in the process of purifying the juice when ozone is not used as
they decolourize and enable a portion of the organic matter to be removed.
Dated this 14th day of January 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sugar.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been
communicated to me by Albert Verley, of 7, Quai de Seine, Courbevoie, near Paris,
in the Republic of France, Electrician, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: -
This invention consists in an improved mode of effecting the purification of the
juice of beet root, or sugar cane, or other vegetable juices, containing sugar, by
means of which it is possible, in a more convenient and expeditious manner, to

page_text: decolourize the juice, and to remove from it organic impurities and odour. It is
a development of the invention for which Letters Patent No. 1338 of 1897 have
been granted to my foreign correspondent and renders the process of purifying
juices containing sugar by means of ozone, to which such Letters Patent relate,
more convenient and better suited for industrial use.
The process, according to the present invention, is applicable to such juice at
any stage of its manufacture before it is decolorized, and even to molasses and like
fluids when sufficiently diluted to permit of the use of the said process.
convenience sake I will describe it as applied to the juice of beet root prepared in
the ordinary way for the manufacture of sugar.
But for
The juice is rendered slightly alkaline, either by the addition of an alkali or an
alkaline earth, or by the ordinary treatment with lime and carbonic acid. The
degree of alkalinity which is preferred is about 02 gr. per litre. It is then, by
preference, filtered and cooled to about 20° Centigrade. Ozone, or ozonised air, is
then caused to bubble through the juice. For commercial purposes there should
be active agitation during the process of ozonization even to the point of producing
a temporary emulsion in order to quicken the action of the ozone and to render it
more regular and complete. The ozone at first passes rapidly into combination
with the organic matter, but after a while this action becomes less energetic and
but little ozone is absorbed. For this reason the ozone, or ozonized air, should
be made to pass in succession through several vessels containing juice, which are
in turn cut off from its action when the ozonization is complete, emptied, and
refilled with other juice to be treated. The ozone, or ozonized air, enters by the
vessel of the series that contains the juice that has been least exposed to the action
of the ozone and leaves by the one that has been longest exposed to that action.
In this way the process can be worked as a continuous process and the juice in
When the ozone is first
each vessel receives an equal treatment with ozone.
applied the colour of the juice usually appears to become somewhat deeper but this
subsequently passes away and the termination of the process of ozonization is
marked by its becoming colourless.
For the purpose of this process of ozonization the use of iron vats is preferred
which may, if desired, be lined with lead. If wooden vats be used it is found that
the ozone attacks the wood and forms colouring matter which prevents a de-
used all traces of acid
colourized product being obtained. Where ozonized air
which may be formed during the production of the ozone should be removed, either
by passing it through lime water, or otherwise.
To complete the process of purification the juice has now to be treated with a
reducing agent and the organic matters which exist as impurities have to be
removed. This is effected in the following way:-
An active reducing agent (such as the zinc-copper couple of Gladstone and
Tribe) is employed to act upon the juice which for this purpose is heated to say
80° Centigrade. By this means the organic matters are reduced and at the same
time precipitated along with the reducing agent. Or the aluminium-amalgam of
Wislicenus (which has the advantage of working in the cold) may be used, or the
sulphate of the protoxyde of chrome, or manganese, in which latter case it is prefer-
able to form these bodies in the presence of the juice itself by adding thereto the
sulphate of the sesqui-oxide and a reducing metal. In all cases where solid
reducing agents are used agitation is essential.
Or electrolysis applied directly to the juice may be used to effect the reduction,
the cathode being an oxidisable metal.
In the Specification of the aforesaid previous Letters Patent my foreign corre-
spondent proposed the use of sulphurous acid (which is a reducing agent) after
the ozonization. It has now been found that its suitability was solely due to its
reducing action and that the like result can be obtained by other reducing agents
as above set forth, which offer advantages in practice over the use of sulphurous
acid in the manner described in the said former specification. Sulphurous acid
can also be made use of in a more advantageous way as follows:-In working with

page_text: juice of the alkalinity above mentioned the treatment with sulphurous acid is
continued until an acidity of about 10 gr. per litre is attained and then neutraliza-
tion is effected by means of an alkaline earth preferably baryta and the juice is
warmed to a temperature of from 50° Centigrade to 80° Centigrade. This brings
about a precipitation which leaves the juice clear and free from organic impurity.
Or there may be added to the juice while it is being treated with sulphurous acid
some zinc powder, or other reducing metal, which causes hydrosulphurous acid to
be formed; or there may be added to the juice, hydrosulphurous acid, which has
been already formed. In each case add an alkaline earth preferably baryta and
warm as before.
The above reducing agents can be used separately, or in combination, and in
general any reducing agent, or agents, can be used which are, from their other
physical properties, suitable, i.e. which do not leave, in the juice, foreign substances
not capable of ready elimination.
The reducing agents specially mentioned viz.:-zinc-copper couple, aluminium-
amalgam, sulphate of the protoxide of chrome, or of manganese, or electrolysis,
can also be used to advantage in the process of purifying the juice when ozone is
not used as they decolourize and enable a portion of the organic matter to be
removed.
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:
1. The herein described process of purifying the juice of beetroot, or sugar cane,
or other solutions of sugar, containing organic impurities, by ozonizing the liquid
after it has been rendered alkaline and operating thereon with a reducing agent,
(other than sulphurous acid when used alone); substantially as described.
2. The herein described process of purifying the juice of beet root, or sugar cane,
or other solutions of sugar, containing organic impurities by ozonizing the liquid
after it has been rendered alkaline, and operating thereon with sulphurous acid
and a reducing metal, or with hydrosulphurous acid, and then neutralizing with
an alkaline earth, and warming so as to produce precipitation, substantially as
described.
3. The herein described process of purifying the juice of beet root, or sugar cane,
or other solutions of sugar, containing organic impurities by ozonizing the liquid
after it has been rendered alkaline, and operating thereon with sulphurous acid,
until it is rendered acid, and then neutralizing with an alkaline earth, and
warming so as to produce precipitation, substantially as described.
4. In the process claimed in the first claim hereof the use as reducing agents
of the reducing agents specially mentioned herein in that behalf, viz. :—
Zinc-copper couple.
Aluminium-amalgam.
Sulphate of protoxyde of chrome or of manganese.
Electrolysis,
whether used alone, or together with other reducing agents.
5. The use of the reducing agents specially mentioned in the last preceding claim
in the process of purifying the juice of beet-root, or sugar cane, or other solutions
of sugar containing organic impurities, whether ozone or ozonized air has been
previously applied, or not, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of Santambon 1808
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.