Year: 1870

efficient of purity, or the proportion between the
sugar and the whole Of the substances dissolved, is
fixed by a saccharimetrical observation and deter
mination Of the density by Bslling's areometer.
The salts exercise decided influence on the de-
termination of the density great that the action
of other Impurities may be neglected As 1t Is DIFF
ficut TO admit that the lime will precpitate any
table quantity of the salts contained in the olasses
the co-ecient of the purity Of the syrup produced
from the sucrate formed ought to be very high and
give promise of rich capitalization.


Analogous phenomena observed with baryta rem
der these conclusions still more probable.


Notwithstanding all these reasons, many sacchs-
rimetrcal determinations Of syrups obtained BY the
elimination OF the lime from the sucrate have inva-
rably led to the same figures as determinations Of
the primitive molasses. There may have been some
variations but slight not to be worth notice.
Thus the coeficent of purity Of the normal molas-
ses varied between 80 and 6l, and the syrup OBJ
tanned from the sucrate gave 50, co. 81, and up to
IS. Various agents were employed TO eliminate the
lime without any better result being obtained.


Thus as we said above the low saccharimetTical
valuation not being attributable TO the precipitation
of salts by the lime obliged to conclude
that there were errors in the indications caused by
the presence of some active substance II this sup
position were correct experiment on large scale
would lead to considerable capitalization in con-
sequence of the absence Of salts which retain the
sugar in moasses.


We therefore made trial on a large scale to de-
eide this important question.


A considerable quantity of molasses was treated
in the manner indicated The granular prucipiiate
thus obtained was washed in water and placed in
an ordinary carbonataton copper with some hot
water Alter carbonatation it was heated to the
boiling point and the syrup then passed through
bag filters TO separate the carbonate of line Then
placed in double bottomed copper the syrup was
mixed with a considerable quantity Of animal char
coal and boiled for sufficient length Of time AZ
ter another filtration through bags containing hne
charcoal the syrup was boiled to proof in double
bottomed pan and cooled in sugar moulds To pre-
vent too rapid cooling these moulds placed in
cisterns Of hot syrup.


Though we do not pretend to have thus realised
all the conditions necessary for producing good
capitalization yet if the improvement in the syrup
by sucratation complete as 1t was hoped,
some crystals at least ought to have appeared at the
end of several weeks but there was no trace OF erJs
talzation and the indications Of the saccharometer
were thus confirmed by the experiment in actual
manufacture.


The result certainly appears abnormal, ana the
facts difficult to account for. But II is easy to
prove that there has been no sort Of ofusior, by op-
Grating on still richer syrups, with which there is
little or no difficulty. If the addition Of lime pro-
duces an elimination Of greater proportion of su-
gar than of foreign matters, the impurities will ac-
cumulate in the liquid residue and should show
their presence there BY notable dIminution Of the
eo-eficient Of purity.


Numerous experiments made with the aim Of test
ing this have invariably given opposite results
Thus for example syrup polarising sS5 per cent.
(or having co-efeient Of purity of $50 was treat
ed by me and after complete sueratation as pos
sible the liquid remaining treated by carbonie acid
gave the nearly identical CO efficient Of $50.


There is then but little hope that the phenomena
of the precipitation of sugar by lime which appeared
to promise such rich results will be Of any impor
tance in the practical sugar manufacture. "-S~gar
Cane