CHANGES IN CHEMISTRY ACROSS EVAPORATORS

Chemical loss of sucrose, and formation of degradation products includ ing colour compounds, across a beet factory's five-effect evaporator w ere investigated, using ion chromatography with integrated pulsed ampe rometric detection (IC-IPAD) to measure sucrose, glucose, fructose and mannose levels, Conventional sugar factory analyses for monitoring su gar losses, i.e., changes in pol, purity, pH and colour, were collecte d and compared to the IC-IPAD analyses, The data allow detailed assess ment of the chemical processes involving sucrose losses, including des cription of the complete mechanism of colour-forming reactions, across the evaporators, Maillard reactions are dominant in the early stages of evaporation, and alkaline degradation reactions of invert sugars an d sucrose in the latter stages, Glucose:sucrose ratios (as measured by IC), are shown not to be viable for determining sucrose losses in the se samples, and are underestimates.