System and process for refining sugar

A system for refining raw sugar, the system comprising:

• a melting unit configured to receive the raw sugar and an eluent to produce a melt liquor;
• a first unit configured to receive the melt liquor and to produce a fine liquor;
• a crystallization unit configured to fractionate high-purity crystalline sucrose from the fine liquor and to provide a run-off syrup comprising invert compounds, non-fractionated sucrose, and divalent cations;
• a second unit configured to receive the run-off syrup and to remove at least a portion of the divalent cations from the run-off syrup to produce a softened syrup;
• at least one separation unit configured to receive the softened syrup and to fractionate at least a portion of the invert compounds from the received softened syrup to produce a low-invert sucrose product;
• and
• a recycle line configured to relay the low-invert sucrose product from the at least one separation unit to the melting unit.

A method for refining raw sugar, the method comprising:

• combining the raw sugar and an eluent to produce a melt liquor having a color level;
• reducing the color level of the melt liquor to produce a fine liquor;
• fractionating sucrose from the fine liquor to produce high-purity crystalline sucrose and a run-off syrup;
• removing at least a portion of divalent cations from the run-off syrup to produce a softened syrup;
• removing at least a portion of invert compounds from the softened syrup using a differential migration through an ion exchange resin to produce a low-invert sucrose product an invert compounds;
• and
• combining the low-invert sucrose product with subsequent amounts of the raw sugar and the eluent.