Product & Byproduct

SUGAR

Sugar obtained from sugar cane contains 99.50% Sucrose & is commonly known as Cane Sugar. Sucrose belongs to the group of carbohydrates known as disacctiarides. It is soluable in water as well as alcohol & crystallizes into long, slender needles, which are dextorrotarory.
Upon hydrolysis it yields a mixture of Glucose & Fructose which are levorotatory. The mixture obtained is known as Inversion. Inversion is carried on in the human intestine through the aid of enzymes known as Invercase & Sucrase. When heated to temperatures above 180 C, Sucrose becomes an amorphous, brown, syrupy substance called caramel.

Sugar is used not only as a constituent in foods produced at home & industrially produced foods, but also as a raw material in fermentation to produce ethyl alcohol, butyl alchohol, glycerine & citric acid.
Sugar is also an ingredient in some transparent soaps & it can be converted to esters which yields tough, insoluble & infusible resins.

BAGASSE
Bagasse is the residue obtained from crushing cane in the mills. It contains 50% moisture & 2% sugar & the balance is fibre.
Bagasse is used as a raw material by the paper industry.
It is also very commonly used as fuel in boilers in the sugar factory for co-generation of power.
Bagasse & wood fibre are made into building boards by a process analogous to paper making.

MOLASSES
Molasses which is also known as treacle is a dark brown viscous liquid obtained as a by-product in processing Cane Sugar.
It contains nearly 45% uncrystallized, fermentable Sugar & some Sucrose. It is a valued by-product of the sugar industry.
It is used in the manufacture of ethyl alcohal, Indian made foreign liquor, as a table syrup and food flavourant. It is also used as food for farm animals & in the manufacture of several processed tobaccos.
Molasses can be boiled again in an attempt to crystallize out some of the rich sucrose content of this liquid. This however is not economical.

PRESSMUD
Press mud is commonly known as filter cake and is used as manure by the farmers. It is combustible and also used in brick kilns for brick making.

When mixed with the spent wash generated by the distilleries, the resultant product is enriched organic manure, which has the capability to improve yields in farms. It also mitigates the need to treat the distillery effluent, which is very toxic and is high on BOD and COD content.