Sugar extraction varies depending on the source, either sugar beets or sugar cane. Here's how sugar is extracted from sugar beets:
Sugar Extraction from Sugar Beets
The primary method for extracting sugar from sugar beets involves a leaching process after the beets have been processed. This process is summarized in the following steps:
- Slicing: Sugar beets are first sliced into thin strips called cossettes.
- Leaching: Sugar is extracted, or leached, from these cossettes using hot water. This produces a raw juice containing sugar and other impurities. The reference states: "In beet production sugar is extracted or leached from sliced sugar beets (cossettes), after which juice is purified through a series of milk of lime and CO2 process steps."
- Purification: The raw juice is then purified, often through a series of steps involving milk of lime and carbon dioxide (CO2) to remove impurities.
- Filtration: The purified juice is filtered to remove any remaining solid particles.
- Evaporation: The filtered juice is evaporated to increase the sugar concentration, resulting in a thick syrup. The reference notes the filtered juice is evaporated (thickened).
- Crystallization: Sugar crystals are formed from the concentrated syrup through a process of boiling and seeding with sugar crystals. The reference indicates that sugar is crystallized from the filtered juice.
- Centrifugation: The sugar crystals are separated from the remaining syrup (molasses) using centrifuges.
- Drying: The sugar crystals are then dried to produce the final granulated sugar product.
