How to Achieve High Sugar Crystal Quality of the Massecuite

Introduction

• Presenter: Hans Cramer, Sales Manager for Latin American region and Florida at BMA
• Topic: BMA process for seed massecuite production in “pan seeding system” (El Tachito)
• Goals:
  • Produce uniform crystals with low variation coefficient (CV) and no agglomerations
  • Facilitate centrifugation, washing, drying, storage, and packaging
  • Optimize crystallization time
  • Reduce wash water and energy consumption

Current Situation

• Cane Industry:
  • Seed massecuite produced by evaporation in separate batch pan
  • Issues: Supersaturation peaks leading to fine crystals and high variation coefficient
• Ideal Process:
  • Minimize fine crystals formation
  • Achieve low variation coefficient and natural crystal growth

BMA’s Solution: Cooling Crystallizer (The Tachito)

• Process:
  • Separate seeding from pan boiling
  • Controlled crystallization by cooling
  • More uniform and controlled crystal growth

Process Description

• Graph Overview:
  • Y-axis: Temperature and crystal content
  • X-axis: Time
  • Crystallization without evaporation
  • Boil massecuite, then cool from 60°C to 30°C
  • Crystal content grows to around 20% by this cooling
  • Cooling water temperature runs in parallel with massecuite temperature

Functional Principle

• Equipment (Tachito):
  • Evaporate to boiling point, cool down, seed by adding slurry at 60°C, continue cooling to 30°C
  • Batch process: 5-6 hours per batch

Process Integration

• Cooling Crystallizer Integration:
  • Used in a continuous crystallization system with vacuum pans
  • Equipment: Slurry mill, heat exchanger, fresh water, steam, vapor, thick juice
  • Example: Seed production from 10 microns to 100-140 microns, then to 400-500 microns in batch pan, and 700 microns in continuous vacuum pan

Design and Application

• Design Variations:
  • Depends on factory volume and cooling surface
  • Example: 6.8 cubic meters cooling crystallizer
• Uses:
  • Crystallization of refined, raw, and white sugar
  • Standard in beet and refinery industry, now used in cane industry

Case Study: Santa Matilde (Honduras)

• Integration: Transition from double magma scheme
• Results:
  • Seed crystallizer capacity: 1.6t/h
  • Volume: 6.8 cubic meters, cooling surface: 27m², agitator: 18kW
  • Crystal growth: From 10 microns to 100 microns
  • Improved crystal coefficient variation (CV): 44% to 28%
  • Increased refinery capacity: 7,000 to 11,500 bags/day
  • Increased sugar yield: 2-4%

Benefits of Cooling Crystallizer

• Reduced wash water quantity
• Improved sugar color and syrup separation
• Reduced fine crystals formation
• Fewer losses in the dryer
• Reduced consumption of water and energy
• Optimized crystallization time
• Improved process control and automation
• Improved storage and packaging
• Uniform product size and appearance
• Low investment cost relative to benefits

Global Usage

• Over 50 Tachitos worldwide
• Spread across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas
• Expansion into various regions including India, El Salvador, Canada, and the US

Q&A Highlights

• Use of B and C massecuites: Possible but not ideal due to potential crystal damage
• ROI: Typically around 1 year, affected by the level of automation
• Use of brix/density measurement: Implemented, brand customizable
• Necessity of sugar grader post-drying: Recommended
• Exclusivity: Cooling crystallizer is an exclusive BMA product
• Batch Pan Automation: Necessary for optimal ROI, involves control room automation
• CV with VKT: Estimated CV around 25 for continuous crystallization
• Best chemical for slurry: BMA uses isopropanol

Conclusion

• Cooling crystallizer offers significant advantages for sugar crystal production
• Continued growth and adoption across global sugar industries

Thank you for your attention!