Material Balance in Mill
Material Balance in Mill
Material Balance in Mill
Assume: S =75 Normal facltory with 2.35% To obtain a representative hourly sample, an en-
s =76 loss in cake+ undetermined, tirely new sampling device would have t o be em-
M=8 89% B.H.R. ployed. However, at the time of the investigation no
L =2 40 purity final molasses such device was available. The necessity for an
m =20 hourly representative sample becomes apparent in
For a Non-Sucrose Ratio = 0.9. the solids balance when one calculates the tons of
total solids in mixed julce, i.e. Tons suspended
solids +Tons dissolved solids.
The same problem exists when weighing out the
juice for the analysis of suspended solids, i.e. the
difficulty to ensure an even di~t~ribution of insoluble
material in the 200 g taken.
For a Non-Sucrose Ratio=0.8 At the time of the investigation, there remained no
choice but to analyse the sample as received by the
available system. More attention will be drawn to
this at a later stage in this paper.
give the amount of bagacillo added to the muds. 2. The average suspended solids per cent mixed
This method is dependent on a reliable weight of juice is also applied to the factory recorded
filter cake. weight of mixed juice. (This analysis has since
The solids in the filtrate do not have to be taken become part of the daily routine carried out at
into account as they are re-cycled continuously. all Hulett factories.)
3. The average dry bagacillo per cent filter cake
Solids in Material Leaving the Factory is used to estimate the quantity of bagacillo
a. Solids in Filter Cake added to the muds from the factory recorded
weight of filter cake.
The determination of solids in filter cake necessi- 4. An average figure for dry bagacillo per cent
tates both weighing the material and analysing for mixed juice enables one to apply this figure to
moisture. Unfortunately, no factories weigh all their the factory recorded weight of mixed juice.
filter cake but estimate the total output by weighing
an occasional S.A.R. truck and road transport
vehicle. The method in use at Darnall is as follows: Analysis of Mixed Juice
An individual truck or lorry is weighed every
'
It was stated previously that in the solids balance, Undetermined Solids Lost: 78 1 tons.
the quantity of dry bagacillo added to the muds is Undetermined solids lost per cent solids in clarified
found by difference, i.e.: juice=3.41%.
Tons dqy bagacillo added = Tons dry bagacillo in The factory reported the following losses for the
filter cake - Tons dry bagacillo in mixed juice. same periold:
To check the accuracy of this assumption, one can Per cent in
compare the quantity of bagacillo found by measur- Tons Clarified Juice
ing the rate of, addition (65 lb. per minute), with that Brix . . . . . . . . . 848 3.65
found by analysing the filter cake for dry bagacillo Sucrose . . . . . . . . . 398 2.01
per cent (8.66%). The latter figure should be greater
than the former because of the bagacillo already con- Discussion of Results
tained in the mixed juice. At the outset of this investigation it was realised
In fact, the difference between the two figures that it would be difficult to draw concrete conclusions
should equal the quantity of bagacillo in mixed juice from the results obtained. However, it was felt that
(0.06% on juice). an investigation would at least reveal the short-
The following figures will illustrate the above check comings in more detail and thus provide sufficient
on the accuracy: information to enable us to orientate our way of
thinking towards establishing a more reliable system
Darnall-August 1968: for tracing losses in the factory.
Tons mixed juice= 184 776 The results of the balances are difficult to evaluate
Tons filter cake= 7 866 and lead one to a choice of two conclusions:
By Analysis (a) The solids balance is as inaccurate as the
simple brix balance as applied in all the
Tons dry bagacillo in filter= Hulett mills.
8.66
- x 7 866 = 681 tons (b) The solids balance, despite being more
100 accurate analytically (because it is based on
Tons d,ry bagacillo in mixed juice= dry substance), has nevertheless given answers
0.06 which are, for all practical purposes, the same
- x 184776 = I l l tons as the brix balance. This, therefore, seems to
100 indicate that both methods have the same
degree of reliability.
By difference tons bagacillo added ... = 570 tons Due to the following reasons, the former conclu-
sion seems the more likely one:
1. It was mentioned earlier that the determination
By Measuring the Rate of Addition of suspended solids per cent mixed juice was
65 lb. per minute at 56.0% moisture known to be inaccurate due to the sampling
is equivalent to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590 tons procedure employed.
Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 tons 2. The weight of filter cake is more of an estimate
A similar calculation for September gives a dif- than a true weight and can influence the final
ference of 16 tons. results considerably.
We can therefore accept the analisis figures to be
sufficiently accurate for the purposes of a monthly 3. The application of "factors" to the Mill Report
solids balance. Sheets can only lead to reliable results if they
are determined over a long period. That is, they
Calculation of the Solids Balance should result from routine analyses so as to
obtain weighted averages for the period under
The complete method of calculation is given in consideration.
Annexure I. The results of this typical example are
as follows: 4. The brix balance as applied in the Hulett mills
assumes no loss of sucrose during clarification,
Solids In Solids Out other than in filter cake:
Mixed Juice: Then:
Suspended Filter Cake . 1 862 Tons sucrose in clear juice=tons sucrose in
Solids 684 Molasses ... 4 209 mixed juice - tons sucrose in filter cake.
Dry Substance 23 343 Sugar ... 17 883 Tons brix in clear juice=
chemicals:
Lime . . . . . . 95 tons sucrose in clear juice
x 100
Mono-calcium
Phosphate 42 purity of clear juice
Separan ... 1 These assumptions clearly give rise to the fol-
Bagacillo . . . . . . 570 lowing inaccuracies:
(a) Losses of sucrose do occur during clarifica-
Total (Tons) 24 735 tion and the magnitude of these losses can
differ widely from factory to factory.
44 Proceedings of Tlze South African Sugar Technologists' Association -June 1970
ANNEXURE I
CALCULATION OF THE SOLIDS BALANCE
0.06
(6) Tons dry bagacillo in mixed j~iice= dry bagacillo % mixed juice x tons mixed juice weighed = -x 184 776 =
100
(8) Tons total solids into clarifiers = total solids in mixed juice + tons lime f tons mono-calcium phosphate + tons-
+ + +1
Separan = 24 027 95 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -
76.33
(9) Tons solids in filter cake = tons cake - tons moisture in cake 7 866 - -x 7 866
= . . . . . . . . . . -
100
(LO) Tons solids in mud leaving the clarifiers = Tons solids in filter cake- tons dry bagacillo added to mud = 1 862 - 570 ='
(11) Tons solids in clear juice tons solids into clarifiers (8) - tons solids in mud (10) = 24 165 - 1 292
= .... -
80.47
(12) Tons solids in Molasses made and estimated = -x 5 231 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -
100
0.423
(13) Tons solids in sugar made and estimated = 17 959 - (-- x 17 959) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = 17 883
100
(14) Solids In Solids Out
Mixed Juice : Suspended solids 684 Filter Cake 1 862
Dry Substance 23 343 Molasses 4 209
Chemicals : Lime 95 Sugar 17 883
M.C.P. 42
Separan 1
Bagacillo * 570
,
Total 24 735 23 954
Undetermined Solids lost = 781 tons.