Back to results
US 4,288,551 AGranted
Process for the purification of sugar syrups
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorsGeir V. Gudnason, Joseph E. Stell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for removing color, turbidity, flavor, and odor from impure sugar syrups by entrapping the sugar impurities in an insoluble, primary calcium phosphate or aluminum hydroxide floc at about neutral pH, adding a suitable amount of hydrogen peroxide, rapidly decomposing the hydrogen peroxide with catalase to form a quantity of oxygen bubbles, and, during bubble formation, adding a polyelectrolyte to convert the primary floc into a secondary floc in which the oxygen bubbles are entrapped thereby causing flotation. The purified sugar syrup is then filtered with or without activated carbon and small amounts of a filter aid to produce a sugar syrup with substantially reduced color, turbidity, flavor, and odor.
Claims62
A process for the purification of an impure sugar syrup comprising:
- a. maintaining said syrup at a temperature not greater than about 72.degree. C. and not less than that at which formation of a primary floc may proceed to substantial completion;
- b. combining said syrup with not less than about 25 ppm of hydrogen peroxide by volume of syrup, and an amount of a primary-floc-forming chemical couple sufficient to form a primary floc in said hydrogen peroxide containing syrup, said primary floc being formed in an amount sufficient to capture a substantial portion of the impurities present in said syrup;
- c. mixing into said syrup an amount of catalase sufficient to cause rapid decomposition of said hydrogen peroxide with resultant rapid generation of oxygen bubbles;
- d. dispersing throughout said syrup an amount of a polyelectrolyte sufficient to form a secondary floc having entrapped therein sufficient quantities of said oxygen bubbles to cause flotation, said dispersing being done by agitation such that a sufficient amount of said bubbles will be retained by said secondary floc to cause flotation, said dispersing being begun not more than about 180 seconds following said mixing;
- e. discontinuing said agitation not more than about 180 seconds following the commencement of said dispersing;
- f. allowing the flotation of said secondary floc thereby leaving a substantially purified sugar syrup;
- and
- g. separating said purified sugar syrup from said secondary floc.
5 more elements
A process for the purification of impure sugar syrups of not less than 40.degree. Brix comprising:
- a. maintaining said syrup at a temperature between about 60.degree. C. and about 72.degree. C.;
- b. combining said sugar syrup with not less than about 25 ppm hydrogen peroxide by volume of syrup, a phosphate ion source and lime, said phosphate ion source and said lime being provided respectively in amounts sufficient to form an amount of a primary calcium phosphate floc sufficient to capture a substantial portion of the impurities present in said syrup;
- c. mixing into said syrup an amount of catalase sufficient to cause rapid decomposition of said hydrogen peroxide with resultant rapid generation of oxygen bubbles;
- d. dispersing throughout said syrup an amount of a polyelectrolyte sufficient to form a secondary calcium phosphate floc, said dispersing being done by substantially non-turbulent agitation and after a time interval following said mixing;
- e. discontinuing said non-turbulent agitation not more than about 180 seconds following the commencement of said dispersing:
- f. allowing the flotation of said secondary floc containing said impurities and a portion of the sugar from said syrup to leave a substantially purified sugar syrup;
- and
- g. separating said purified sugar syrup from said secondary floc.
5 more elements
A process for the purification of an impure sugar syrup of not less than 40.degree. Brix comprising:
- a. maintaining said syrup at a temperature between about 68.degree. and 70.degree. C.;
- b. combining said sugar syrup with about 250 ppm of hydrogen peroxide based on volume of said syrup, and about 0.1% each of phosphoric acid and lime, both based on the weight of sugar in said syrup;
- c. mixing into said syrup between about 2 and about 25 ppm, based on volume of said syrup, of catalase;
- d. not more than about 60 seconds following said mixing, dispersing between about 8 and about 15 ppm by weight of a polyelectrolyte to form a secondary floc, said dispersing being done by substantially nonturbulent agitation for a period of time not greater than 60 seconds;
- e. allowing the flotation of said secondary floc containing said impurities and a portion of said sugar to leave a substantially purified sugar syrup;
- f. separating said secondary floc from said substantially purified sugar syrup;
- g. slurrying said secondary floc containing said portion of said sugar in sufficient water to form a dilute sugar syrup containing secondary floc particles;
- h. treating said dilute sugar syrup with about 50 ppm of hydrogen peroxide and between about 5 and 10 ppm of catalase, both based on the volume of said dilute sugar syrup;
- i. uniformly distributing said hydrogen peroxide and said catalase throughout said dilute sugar syrup for a period not greater than about 60 seconds;
- j. introducing about 10 ppm, based on weight of sugar in said dilute syrup, of a polyelectrolyte into said dilute sugar syrup by agitation to form an agglomerated secondary floc scum;
- k. not more than about 60 seconds following said introducing, ceasing said agitation to thereby cause flotation of said scum and to leave a substantially purified dilute sugar syrup;
- l. separating said substantially purified dilute sugar syrup from said scum;
- and
- m. utilizing said substantially purified dilute sugar syrup to dissolve sufficient impure sugar to form said impure sugar syrup.
11 more elements
A process for the purification of impure sugar syrups of not more than about 40.degree. Brix comprising:
- a. maintaining said syrup at a temperature not greater than about 72.degree. C. and not less than that at which sugar crystallizes from said syrup;
- b. combining said syrup with not less than about 25 ppm hydrogen peroxide, an aluminum ion source and lime, said aluminum ion source and said lime being provided respectively in amounts sufficient to form a volume of a primary aluminum hydroxide floc sufficient to capture a substantial portion of the impurities present in said syrup;
- c. mixing into said syrup an amount of catalase sufficient to cause rapid decomposition of said hydrogen peroxide with resultant rapid generation of oxygen bubbles;
- d. dispersing throughout said syrup an amount of a polyelectrolyte sufficient to form a secondary floc, said dispersing being done not more than about 180 seconds following said mixing such that a sufficient amount of said oxygen gas bubbles will be entrapped in said secondary floc to cause said secondary floc to cause flotation;
- e. discontinuing said agitation not more than about 180 seconds following the commencement of said dispersing;
- f. allowing the flotation of said secondary flock, containing said impurities, and a portion of the sugar from said syrup, to thereby leave a substantially purified sugar syrup;
- and
- g. separating said purified sugar syrup from said secondary floc.
5 more elements
A process for the purification of impure sugar syrups of not more than about 40.degree. Brix comprising:
- a. maintaining said syrup at about ambient temperature;
- b. combining said syrup with between about 1% and 2% of Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4)3.18H.sub.2 O and between about 0.3% and 0.6% of lime, both based on the weight of sugar in said impure sugar syrup and with about 50 ppm of hydrogen peroxide, based on syrup volume;
- c. mixing about 10 ppm of catalase into said syrup;
- d. dispersing between about 30 ppm and about 40 ppm of a polyelectrolyte throughout said syrup such that a secondary floc is formed, said dispersing begun not more than about 60 seconds subsequent to said mixing;
- and
- e. discontinuing said dispersing after not more than about 60 seconds to cause flotation of said secondary floc thereby leaving a substantially purified sugar syrup.
3 more elements
A process for the purification of an impure sugar syrup containing:
- a. dividing said syrup into a large portion and a small portion, said large portion containing between about 80% and about 95% of the volume of the impure sugar syrup;
- b. maintaining the temperature of said large portion such that formation of a primary floc will proceed to substantial completion and maintaining the temperature of said small portion at not higher than 72.degree. C.;
- c. combining said large portion with an amount of a primary floc-forming chemical couple sufficient to form an amount of primary floc sufficient to capture a substantial portion of the impurities in said large portion;
- d. incorporating into said small portion not less than about 250 ppm hydrogen peroxide by volume of said small portion;
- e. mixing into said small portion an amount of catalase sufficient to cause rapid decomposition of said hydrogen peroxide with consequent rapid evolution of oxygen bubbles;
- f. recombining said small portion with said large portion during said rapid evolution of oxygen bubbles;
- g. dispersing throughout said recombined impure sugar syrup an amount of a polyelectrolyte sufficient to form a secondary floc entrapping therein a portion of said oxygen bubbles, said dispersing being done by agitation such that said secondary floc will not be broken up and will not allow said entrapped bubbles to escape, said dispersing being done at a time not more than 180 seconds following said mixing;
- h. discontinuing said agitation not more than 180 seconds following the commencement of said dispersing to cause flotation of said secondary floc;
- and
- i. separating said purified sugar syrup from said secondary floc.
7 more elements
A process for the purification of an impure sugar syrup of not less than about 40.degree. Brix comprising:
- a. dividing said syrup into a large portion and a small portion;
- b. maintaining the temperature of said large portion at not less than about 70.degree. C. and the temperature of said small portion at not greater than about 65.degree. C.;
- c. combining said large portion with phosphoric acid and lime
- d. incorporating into said small portion between about 500 and 1000 ppm of hydrogen peroxide said concentration being based on the volume of said small portion;
- e. mixing into said small portion between about 50 and 200 ppm of catalase, said concentration being based on the volume of said small portion;
- f. recombining said small portion with said large portion not more than 30 seconds subsequent to said mixing;
- g. substantially non-turbulently dispersing between about 8 and about 15 ppm of a polyelectrolyte throughout said recombined syrup, said concentrations based on total weight of sugar in said syrup and said dispersing done not more than about 60 seconds subsequent to said mixing;
- h. discontinuing said substantially non-turbulent dispersing not more than about 60 seconds following its commencement to allow a secondary floc to form;
- i. allowing the flotation of said secondary floc thereby leaving a purified sugar syrup;
- j. separating said purified sugar syrup from said secondary floc;
- k. recovering sugar entrapped in said secondary floc, said sugar recovered in the form of a dilute syrup for use in preparing said impure sugar syrup.
8 more elements
A process for the purification of an impure sugar syrup of not greater than 40.degree. Brix comprising:
- a. dividing said syrup into a large portion and a small portion;
- b. maintaining the temperature of both portions at about ambient temperature;
- c. combining said large portion with between about 0.3% and 0.6% lime and between about 1% and about 2% of Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3.degree. 18H.sub.2 O, and said percentages based on the total weight of sugar in both portions;
- d. incorporating into said small portion between about 500 ppm and 1000 ppm hydrogen peroxide based on the volume of said small portion;
- e. mixing into said small portion, between about 50 ppm and 200 ppm of catalase based on the volume of said small portion such that rapid evolution of oxygen bubbles is caused to occur;
- f. recombining said small portion with said large portion not more than 30 seconds following said mixing;
- g. dispersing throughout said recombined impure sugar syrup between about 30 ppm and about 40 ppm, based on weight of sugar in said recombined syrup, a polyelectrolyte such that a secondary floc is caused to form, said dispersing being commenced not more than 60 seconds following said mixing;
- h. discontinuing said dispersing after not more than 60 seconds;
- i. allowing the flotation of said secondary floc thereby leaving a substantially purified sugar syrup;
- and
- j. separating said purified sugar syrup from said secondary floc.
8 more elements
A process for the purification of impure sugar syrups comprising:
- a. adding a primary-floc-forming chemical to said impure sugar syrup in an amount sufficient to form a primary floc and to capture a substantial portion of the impurities present in said syrup;
- b. adding hydrogen peroxide to said sugar syrup;
- c. dispersing catalase and a polyelectrolyte into said sugar syrup, said catalase being present in an amount sufficient to cause rapid decomposition of said hydrogen peroxide to form oxygen bubbles, said polyelectrolyte being present in an amount sufficient to form a secondary floc having entrapped therein sufficient quantities of said oxygen bubbles to cause flotation of said secondary floc, said dispersing being performed in such a manner that said secondary floc is not broken up;
- d. causing the flotation of said secondary floc thereby leaving a substantially pure sugar syrup;
- and
- e. separating said purified sugar syrup from said secondary floc.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.