Applications of membrane processes in the beet and cane sugar production

摘要

Despite their success in different segments of the food industry, membranes are not well-established in the beet and cane sugar industry. A comprehensive overview on the potential applications of membranes in both the beet and cane sugar industry is given. The part on the beet sugar industry focuses on pulp press water recycling, pectin production from beet pulp, beet juice purification, demineralization of beet sugar juice and thin juice concentration. Potiential opportunities of membranes in cane sugar/cane refining industry are raw cane juice purification, clarified cane juice concentration, raw syrup purification, molasses treatment and decolorization of remelted raw sugar. Further, the ion-exchange resin regeneration waste recycling, sweet water concentration and evaporator condensate polishing are discussed. Overall, this article emphasizes the successes and potentials of membrane technology in the sugar industry.