Q: What is the process by which sugar is manufactured?

Cleaning and crushing the raw materials: The process typically begins with the arrival of sugar cane or sugar beet at the mill, where it is washed and prepared for extraction. The sugar cane is usually shredded or crushed to extract the juice, while sugar beets are sliced or pulped to release the juice. The juice is then clarified and filtered to remove impurities such as dirt and plant debris. Formation of syrup and crystal extraction: Once the juice is clear, it undergoes a concentration process where water is evaporated to form a thick syrup. This syrup is then passed through a crystallization process to produce raw sugar crystals. The crystals are separated from the syrup using centrifugation and the remaining syrup, known as molasses, which has a number of industrial uses. Refining the sugar: The raw sugar crystals are sent to a refinery where they undergo further processing to remove impurities and achieve the desired quality. This refining process involves steps such as washing, filtering and treatment with chemicals to remove colour and other unwanted substances. The final result is refined sugar, which is then packaged and ready for distribution and consumption.

Question 1

What is a sugar mill?

Accepted Answer

Sugar mills are industrial facilities that are primarily used for the processing of sugar cane or sugar beet to produce sugar. These mills are involved in several stages of sugar production, including the extraction of juice from the sugar cane or sugar beet, clarification and filtration of the juice, concentration of the juice to form syrup, crystallization of the syrup to produce raw sugar crystals and refining of the raw sugar to produce the final refined sugar product. Sugar mills are sometimes called sugarcane mills as well.

Question 2

What is the process by which sugar is manufactured?

Accepted Answer

Cleaning and crushing the raw materials: The process typically begins with the arrival of sugar cane or sugar beet at the mill, where it is washed and prepared for extraction. The sugar cane is usually shredded or crushed to extract the juice, while sugar beets are sliced or pulped to release the juice. The juice is then clarified and filtered to remove impurities such as dirt and plant debris.
Formation of syrup and crystal extraction: Once the juice is clear, it undergoes a concentration process where water is evaporated to form a thick syrup. This syrup is then passed through a crystallization process to produce raw sugar crystals. The crystals are separated from the syrup using centrifugation and the remaining syrup, known as molasses, which has a number of industrial uses.
Refining the sugar: The raw sugar crystals are sent to a refinery where they undergo further processing to remove impurities and achieve the desired quality. This refining process involves steps such as washing, filtering and treatment with chemicals to remove colour and other unwanted substances. The final result is refined sugar, which is then packaged and ready for distribution and consumption.

Question 3

What is needed to set up a sugar mill?

Accepted Answer

Sugar mills are typically large-scale operations that require significant infrastructure, including machinery for extraction, clarification, concentration, crystallization and refining. They often operate seasonally, during the harvest period when sugar cane or sugar beet crops are available. An important factor for deciding the location of a sugar mill is that it needs to be situated close to the sugarcane fields so that the harvested sugarcane can be transported quickly, else their sucrose content dries up.

Question 4

What are the main products of sugar mill?

Accepted Answer

The main products of sugar mill are -
Raw sugar
Refined crystal sugar
Edible Molasses
Brown sugar
Powdered sugar
Liquid sugar
Sugar alcohol

Question 5

What are the by-products of sugar mill?

Accepted Answer

In addition to sugar production, sugar mills also produce by-products such as bagasse, molasses and pressmud.
Bagasse is the fibrous residue left after the extraction of juice from sugar cane. Bagasse can be used as a fuel source to generate electricity and steam for the mill's operations or as a raw material for the production of paper, board and other products. Disposable crockery made of bagasse has become very popular as they are sturdy to use and biodegradable at the same time.
Molasses is a viscous brownish syrup formed during the sugar extraction process. Lighter grade molasses is edible and used in baking, candy making and rum production. Lower grade molasses are used in various industrial processes.
Pressmud is another by product of sugarcane processing. It has various industrial applications such as in shoe polishes, fertilizers, animal feed and cement making.

Question 6

Which is the first sugar mill in India?

Accepted Answer

The first sugar mill in India was set up in Pratappur area of Deoria district in 1903.

Question 7

Which is the largest sugar mill in India?

Accepted Answer

The largest sugar mill in India is Triveni sugar mill in Khatauli, Uttar Pradesh, operational since 1933. In fact it is the largest sugar mill in Asia in terms of production and storage capacity.

Question 8

Which state in India is the largest sugar manufacturer?

Accepted Answer

Historically, Uttar Pradesh used to produce the maximum amount of sugarcane but since last century, Maharashtra has emerged as the largest producer of sugarcane and sugar products.

Question 9

How many sugar mills are currently operational in India?

Accepted Answer

A total of 504 sugar mills are operational in India at present.

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