THE PICKING TABLE by R. A. McGinnis

Sugar from Raffinose In another item in this issue it is Sugar Co., has been put into full use formed by undescribed means from noted that The Great Western Sugar at the Kitami factory, to make sucrose the washed material. The enzyme acts Co. has acquired, by arrangement with from the raffinose in the juices. On a as a catalyst, and is not used up, but is the Japanese, the most significant de­ weight basis the raffinose contains gradually lost by solution and attrition velopment in the Steffen process in about 60 percent of sucrose. The of the pellets. the last 40 years. The "great moments" galactose which is formed at the same in the Steffen process can be regarded time is a reducirrg sugar which is not In operation the cells of the trough as 1) the invention of the cold process precipitated by lime, but is destroyed are filled with pellets, and the juice by Carl Steffen in 1883, 2) the de­ by it. travels through by gravity, held at velopment of the hot process some 20 This new development, if assumed temperatures between 45 and 50°C. · years later, and 3) the development of to be economical, is a natural for a The molasses to be treated is diluted the continuous process in 1932. Steffen factory in a region where there to 30 rds and held at about 5.2 pH. This most recent step we owe to is high occurrence of raffinose, as is As the pellets in the last cell become exhausted, the screen is removed from those brilliant technologists, our broth­ the case at the Billings, Montana fac­ ers in Japan, and the first revelation of the top of the separator, and about tory. The rapid buildup of raffinose in half of the pellets is allowed to flow this was made in a paper presented at the recirculated saccharates requires the 1971 meeting of the CITS in out of the cell. These pellets are dis­ frequent molasses discards. These dis­ carded. This operation is continued Brussels, and later reprinted in English, cards are required because of the authored by T. Yamane, in Sucre upstream, each cell discharging half of lowered purities of the saccharates, its pellets to the downstream cell To Beige, 90, 345-348, 1971. The process and the serious interference with crys­ involves the splitting of raffinose with the head end cell 50 percent of new tallization caused by this buildup. pellets are added. With a two hours the aid of an enzyme to form, par­ Thus application of the new process to tially, sucrose. juice retention time, the splitting of molasses to be Steffenized should elim­ the raffinose is about 85 percent In this connection, the beet-sugar inate this accumulation of raffinose completed, with resulting raffinose re­ chemist immediately remembers that a and the necessity for molasses discards, cycle about 15 percent. number of years ago, the most accu­ as well as permitting recovery of the rate method for determining sucrose in additional sugar. Using this process the Kitami fac­ tory was able to increase its slice rate low purity materials was the so-called Since apparently it is not possible from 1800 to 1900 tons per day. This "double-enzyme" method, which to patent the action of an enzyme, avoided the errors inherent in the equipment for the process has been was because of the decrease in molasses recirculated through the sugar end. Clerget methods, particularly when covered by U.S.P. 3 664 927 (may 23, raffinose was high. "Top yeast ex­ 1972, Shimizu, et al.) and we are told Although it is not so stated, it appears tract", which contained the enzyme that the process will not work satis­ that the factory works only its own invertase, was added to one portion, factorily unless this patented equip­ molasses. Formerly when the raffinose and this converted the sucrose to ment is used. content of the molasses built up to glucose and fructose, and changed the about 8 percent it was necessary to raffinose to melibiose and fructose. A The reaction vessel is a long, U­ discard molasses until the house was second portion was treated with "bot­ shaped trough, bearing at least a visual clear. During a full campaign of use of tom yeast extract," which contained similarity to a popular preliming unit. the new process, the raffinose content both invertase and melibiase. In this It contains a number of compartments, ,remained essentially constant at be­ protion, the invertase did the same job but the separators go all the way to the tween 3.0 and 3.8 percent, without as in the first portion, but in addition, bottom of the trough, and are topped any discards, over the 7 5-days cam­ the melibiase changed the melibiose to with screens through which the treated paign. glucose and galactose. The true sucrose juices can flow without passing the In addition there was improved content was then estimated by solving enzyme-containing pellets. The trough sucrose extraction of unstated quan­ two simultaneous equations involving is water-jac keted, and a longitudinal tity, and no more needle-shaped cry­ the final polarizations of the two central shaft bears agitators for each stals. portions. The method was reluctantly compartment. The juices to be treated At least two important questions abandoned when the only supplier of enter at the head end, and overflow are not answered in the published the bottom extract-Wallenstein Lab­ through the screens from one com­ materials : (1) can you make your own oratories"-ceased production. partment to the next. pellets? and (2) what are the eco­ There is still another enzyme, The enzyme, o. -galactosidase is se­ nomics? a-galactosidase, however, which splits creted by the myceliurn (mold) Mor­ Presumably the answers are favor­ raffinose directly into sucrose and tiere/la uinacea, which is manufactured able, at least when there are no roy­ galactose, without affecting the su­ by growing it, submerged in a culture alties to pay, as the process has worked crose. medium at 30°C, for 70 to 80 hours, well at Ki tami. Great Western is to be The new process which was de­ with aeration and agitation. The mold complimented for its bold technolog­ veloped by H. Suzuki of the Hokkaido is then made into pellets which are ical approac h. •\ Buman Brown, formerly vice-president NEW BEET SUGAR FACTORIES FOR RED RIVER VALLEY of operations of Amalgam ated Suga r Co., and Mrs. O'Rourke, as attorney.

Min-Dak Far mers Co operative, Wahpeton, North Dakota ,l The trend observable over recent Ground was actually broken on In support of this application ap­ years of closing beet-sugar factories September 21. The construction con­ peared Chas. Brannan, attorney, James ii appears like to be reversed. There is a tract with B.M.A. guarantees 80% ex­ Link, Co-op president, V. Johnson, at­ definite possibility that four more traction, with 15.25% beets of 86.5 torney, and John Bunker, president, beet factories may be built, if the ne­ purity. A reservoir for water supply Holly Sugar Corp. [. cessary acreage allotments are secured, for the factory is presently under con­ The financing would involve pur­ Y. and in some of the instances this seems struction. chase by each farmer member of four quite probable - all in the Red River An allocation of 50,000 acres was shares of stock for each acre, similar to Valley area of North Dakota and Min­ requested. the Hillsboro proposal. Again, construc­ nesota. The Co-op has retained the Max­ tion financing would be with the aid of Hearings were recently held in Wash­ Exec firm as consultant for start-up, two banks, and the B.M.A. or"ani­ ington, D. C., to consider new acreage operation, and management. This firm zation. allotments by the Sugar Division, under includes True Morse, former under­ The factory would be located at Section 302 (b) of the Sugar Act. secretary of Agriculture, Dennis O' Wahpeton, which is 50 miles south of The applicants for acreage included Rourke, former general counsel of the Fargo, North Dakota. The factory the Red River Valley Coop., Inc. of U.S.D.A. and chairman of the board, specifications would be similar to those Hillsboro, North Dakota; the Min-Dak Holly Sugar Coro., Larry Myers, R. J. of the Hillsboro unit, but plans are Farmer Cooperative, Inc., of Wahpeton, Tingley, former agricultural manager based on 13 tons of beets per acre, North Dakota; the Southern Minnesota of Holly, John Warwick, former vice­ compared with 12.5 for Hillsboro, and Beet Sugar Cooperative of Renville, president and treasurer of Holly, S. the 16% sugar as compared to 15.25%. Minn.; the Appleton Beet Growers Association of Applet5m, Minn., and the Utah-Idaho Sugar Co., Columbia DRAYTON (A-CJ Basin, Washinr,ton, for additional acre­ age for its two Washington factories.

Red River Valley Corp., EAST GRAND FORKS (A-CJ Hillsboro, North Dakota I 8 ;I This organization was represented by Mrs. Rouss (O'Rourke), and was .CROOKSTON (A-CJ supported by J. E. Brunsdale, Co-op president; Larry Myers, former Sugar Division director; Dr. Reinhard Wolfe, HILLSBORO of the German firm Braunschweische Maschinenbau Anstalt (B.M.A.), and an official of the Bank of North Dakota. To finance the factory, each of the 285 cooperative members would pur­ MooRHEAD cA-cJ Minnesota chase for each acre of heets, (a) one share of common stock at $250, (b} one share of Class A preferred stock at $105, (c) one share of Class B prs-­ ferred at $75; and (d} one share of Class C, at $76. The initial costs are financed by loans or advances from two banks, and from B.M.A. The total cost of the factory is estimated at ii $36.6 million. 11

The factory site is two miles north of Hillsboro, and ten miles west of the I Red River. It is planned to make it a non-Steffen fa ctory, to be built by Minneapolis B.M.A., with a daily slicing capacity of 5,000 tons of bee ts, for an estimated 150 days a year. The factory will be REN VII LE so built that it can be increased to CH ASKA( A·C close d} 10,000 tons sli ce at a later date.

The S uga r Journal, January 1973 25 "'

-U ------In this case, also, a 50,000 acre allot­ ditional 7911 acres of J.973 crop, for Equipment~ For Industry, Inc. ment was requested. Ground has not the joint use of the Toppenish and P. 0 . Box 294 l\liami Springs Branch been broke n in this case, but there is Moses Lake, Wash ington, factories. l\liami, Florida 33166 a · letter of intent, and a proposed Moses Lake was increased from 6700 Centrifu ga l pumps for all Sugar Mi l l B.M.A. contract for construction. to 8500 tons beets sliced per day in applications. The Cooperative has requested that TE FC electric motors and Motor Controls 1971, and to 11,000 in 1972, but will for immediate shipment from stock. Holly Sugar Corp. consider leasing the not use the full capacity until the Fall Magma and Molasses Pumps. factory, and operating it and marketing of 1973, because of equipment prob· Stainless Steel Tubes for Juice H eaters and Evaporat ors. the sugar. !ems. It is anticipated that the factory Pure n ickel c hrome plated sc r eens fo r The olans anticipate all new g'rowers, will slice beets for 150 days in 1972, Conti n uous Centrifugals. C opper, Brass, excepting for some 35 now producing and later will process stored thick juices and Stainless S teel Screens for b atch m ach ines. Filter Screen s. for the American Crystal factory at for another 140 days. Stainles s Steel fitted Knife Gate Wafer Moorehead, but absorbing 65(,1 per ton In addition to increasing the beet valves for Pan discharge, Cut-O ver, Crys­ tallizers, Syrup, Magma and Massecu i te of freight. end by 4500 tons capacity, U & I has L ines. also increased the size of its bulk sugar Su gar M il l equipment and supplies in general. storage, loading and handling equip· Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Co- ment. operative, Renville, Minnesota Cannon fil ed information to the ef- SUGAR-MOLASSES Request was made for an allotment feet that acreage in Washington state SYRUPS-FEEDS of 26,733 acres by D. E. Ruble, presi- had increased from 57,700 acres in CHE MISTS dent of the Co-op, supported by Ro- 1962 to 95,000 acres in 1972, with a S AMP LERS bert Hampton oi Solomon Bros., Chi- corresponding increase in beet tonnage WEIG HERS cago, and James Yuenger, vice presi- from 1,413,000 to 2,500,000 tons. BARGE & SHIP dent of Michigan Sugar Co. The average yield of beets is 25-26 tons DRAFT SURVEYS The estimated costs of $40 million per acre, of beets of 14. 7 to 16.2% UNLOADIN G SUPERVISION for factory construction would be sug-ar. Domestic & Imports financed by a bank, and institutional A number of senators and ccngress- HUGH N . EV ANS investors, and by the farmer members. men app.:!aresugar industry, since

26 The Sugar J ournal, January 1973 GW will be the first to use this tech­ LOWSUGARBEETACREAGE nology outside of Japan. If the process PLA NTED IN U. S. lives up to expectation, it will make a An estimated 1,419,563 acres of substantial contribution not only to sugarbeets were plan ted in 1972. At Great Western Su gar, but also to the average yields per acre, sugar produc­ industry as a whole. In the words of a tion will total about 3,300,000 tons, Boland Marine company spokesman, "the process is raw value - a quantity 100,000 tons & Nlanufacturing confidently expected to be a howling less than this year's adjusted marketing Company, Inc. success." quota for the sugarbeet area. The effec­

tive inventory' on Jan. 1, 1973 (sugar Tchoup,tou las. Howard on hand plus 197 2-crop beet sugar pro, and Poe Street ISRF ELECTS NEW CHAIRMAN duced after that date) will probably Post Off,ce B ox 53287 New Orleans. Louisi ana 701 53 be about 2,616,000 tons - a quantity Paul Wahl, on the occasion of his Phone: [ 504] 5 8 1-5800 considerably below the desirable level. election as Chairman of the Inter­ The 1967 through 1972 crops of 24-H O UR SERVICE national Sugar Research Foundation, sugarbeets were unrestricted. declared that the Foundation is a must. lvlanufacture rs & Distributors o f The Secretary of Agriculture is re­ Speaking on September 7 at the annual quired by the Sugar Act to establish B o.land C hain Sli ngs meeting, held this year in Mexico City, Magnus Chemicals proportionate shares in each domestic Dr. Wahl pointed out the many achieve­ Campbell Chain s sugar producing area if he determines ments of the Sugar Research Founda­ Boland H ydroelectr ic Spreader Ba r that, in the absence of such shares, the Automatic Grip Tips tion and its succeeding International production of sugar from a crop would Services body in the areas of public health, food be greater than the quantity needed to M arine Repairs & Co nversions technology and sucro-chemistry. He enable the area to meet its quota and Genera l Mach inery Repairs said "Today we are challenged by food Machi nery Manufacturers provide a normal carryover inventory faddism, and we must extend the ac­ Dynamic Balanc ing of sugar for the calendar year during I. tion and · influence of the ISRF in all Steel & Pipe Fabricators which the larger part of the sugar from Machine Blacksmith Work fields of its interest." & such crop normally would be marketed. Blacksmith & Drop For ging As Chairman of the Foundati on, Most of the 1973 crop of sugar will be Production & Resistance Weldi n g Dr. Wahl succeeds Mr. J. S. Wallace, marketed in 1974. Machine Production Wor k president of St. Lawrence Sugar Divi ­ Val ve R epairs sion - Sucronel, Limited, Montreal, Pump Coatings Canada. Paul Wahl is a Doctor of Science, a FARREL APPOINTS NEW MANAGER citizen of Belgium, and a well-known OF SUGAR MACHINERY SALES personality in international sugar cir­ Farrel Company Division of USM MIGUEL CHINCHILu\ VARONA cles. His entire career has been with Corporation has announced the ap­ & ASSOCIATES, INC. the Raffinerie Tirlemontoise, Belgium. pointment of Manuel F. ·Arias as mana­ He has served as Chief of Control and ger of sugar machinery sales. Consulting Eng ineers Research Laboratories, Plant Director, Mr. Arias first joined the company and Secretary-General. He is a member in 1961 as a member of the project of the Executive Committee of the staff engaged in the design and con­ Improvements of. Ex,st,ng Raffinerie Tirlemontoise, and is cur­ struction of U. S. Sugar Corporation's and Des ign s of New Sugar rently responsible for its sugar interests Bryant Sugar House in Pahokee, Flori­ Factor,es in France. He is an administrator of da, one of two complete houses con­ numerous other organizations, includ­ structed in Florida at that time for Post Of fice Box 0 ing: President of the Fonds Social de which Farrel was general contractor, Vero Be ac h, Florida 32960 l'Industrie Sucriere; Vice-president of responsible for all aspects from ground­ Tel. 305 / 562 -5646, 464-1900 the Societe Technique et Chimique 9 e breaking to start-up. Sucrerie de Belgique; and honorary At the conclusion of that project, ., President of the Tirlemont Red Cross. Mr. Arias was transferred to company ~ He was past Governor of Rotary Inter­ headquarters in Ansonia, Connecticut BOILERS & TURBO-GEN. national for Belgium and the Grand and in 1964 was assigned to the sugar . BAGASSE BOILERS : Duche de Luxembourg. machinery sales department as a sales . 1 ... 70, 000 lb/ hr at 200 psig_ K~eler , 2-drum W. T .• 10,900,q ·ft, all aux·s. The International Sugar Research correspondent. He served as application t' 1 ... 200,000 l b / hr 675 psit a t 7 50° F:· I1• supht. 2-drum. 20840 so ft, com· Foundation, headquartered in Bethes­ engineer fr om 1967 to 1970, at which pletely d isassembled . da, Maryland, USA, sponsors research time he was named to the position of TURB O ·GENER A T OR S : and dissem inates information aimed assistant manager for sugar machinery 1, .. 2500 KW Worthington 200/375 at expanding the beneficial uses of sug­ sales, the post he has held until his pres­ Psig@ 20/ 50 lb. ex h. , 3/60/ 2400V. ar. Contributing in this effort are thirty­ ent assignment. New seven companies whose membership He is a member of the Su gar Club, 1 ... 1500 KW Elliott 225 psi at 15 pds exh., 3/ 60/ 480V. spans four continents. During the past the International Society of Sugar Cane 29 years, the Foundation has suppor­ Technologists, the American Society ted more than 300 research projects of Sugar Cane Technologists and the representing an investment of over Puerto Rico Sugar Tec hn ologists As, $6 million. sociation.

T he Sugar Journal, January 1 973 27