Introduction

The quantity of C massecuite which should be boiled may be

calculated theoretically from the tons of solids entering the boiling house
and the purities of the materials produced. This theoretical calculation,
by using either hypothetical or average figures, should be a guide to the
rade equipment required for the factory. However the
C massecuite produced by some factories appear to
r no relationship whatsoever to the theoretical quantity. Some mill
res show that up to 30 per cent below heoretical quantity may be
ed. Many factors can cause an incr quantity of C massecuite
it is doubtful whether it is possib stantially decrease the
onage of massecuite below the theoretical

Discussion
Most Queensland mills are fairly uniform in their boiling-house
systems; that is, all mills except two boil the three massecuite formula
massecuites. Although some
lasses than do others, never-
is produced; also, those mills
tandard quality. Further, the
g house is fairly uniform in
the various districts and generally throughout the State, except in
drought and frost years when big variations may occur. Therefore, it
expected that the quantity of C massecuite per ton of cane
fairly uniform for those mills which do have similar initial
nd practise the same boiling house procedure. Yet this is not
SO.
The impurities entering the boiling house can leave only in sugar
and final molasses-unless spillage and entrainment are particularly
high. The solids which do not go out in sugar must find their way
through the C massecu the final molasses. If the quantity of C
massecuite p r o d u d is ical figure then it could be
due to incorrect pan c rity determinations, or to

at the boiling house.

There is no doubt that the quantity and type of impurities entering
as solids to the boiling house are the controlling factors on the gallons of
C massecuite. However, the recirculation impurities owing to low
magma purity is the most import many contributing factors
in the quantity of C massecuite. s necessary to consider all
relevant facts when comparisons of factory performances are made.
214 THIRTY-SIXTH CONFERENCE 1969

Factory Comparisons
Even though it is common practice throughout the sugar world to
calculate the gallons of C massecuite per ton of cane, it would appear
that for comparison purposes it is valueless unless the many factors
which influence it are known and considered.
Doubt has been thrown on this figure by Fourmond (1967) of South
Africa who considers that "cubic feet of C massecuite boiled at 100'
Brix per ton of non-sucrose in mixed juice" would be a better yardstick.
He states that a realistic figure for this yardstick would be 48 to 50 cubic
feet per ton of cane (cubic feet instead of gallons are used in some over-
seas countries). In his interpretation of this figure as a yardstick he
mentions many factors which would influence the quantity of C mas-
secuite boiled, but his formula does not take any cognizance of some
major influences such as purity of sugar, magma, C massecuite and
molasses, or the type of impurities.
In Table I the gallons (instead of cubic feet) of C massecuite at 100"
Brix per ton of non-sucrose in clarified juice (instead of mixed juice) are
shown for a number of mills in the 1967 season. The formula used to cal-
culate these figures is given in Appendix I. It is interesting to note that
mill H has a lower figure than mill B which had lower impurities and
which produced all J.A. sugar. This does not make much sense. The
reason could be that a possible error of 0.1 in "Brix is equivalent to
one of 0.1 in non-sucrose and this can alter the total non-sucrose by
about five per cent. Consequently, this formula based entirely on tons
of non-sucrose and 100" Brix of C massecuite seems to be inaccurate and
therefore of no better value as a yardstick than the purities ratio formula.
TABLE I--Gallons C massecuite at 1 W "Brix per ton
non-sucrose

Fourmond's realistic figure is 300-312 gallons.

In Table I also, figures are shown for gallons C massecuite per ton
non-sucrose when using the theoretical gallons of massecuite per ton of
cane calculated from the purities. The best figures are for mills D and A
that boiled the two massecuite formula.
An article on "Calculation of Final Strikes in Sugar Manufacture"
by Pons (1968) shows how four nomographs may be used to calculate the
volume of C massecuite. These nomographs take into consideration most
variables of practical importance, and he states that, for more than five
years, results obtained with them in different sugar factories have been
shown to be in good agreement. This is in spite of the fact that they are
based on Brix solids and apparent purities.
1969 THIRTY-SIXTH CONFERENCE 215

This being so, then the basic calculation for gallons of C massecuite
per ton of cane (Appendix 11) should produce a figure which has some
relevance to the actual figure for a factory. Yet this is not the case for all
factories.
ask Formula Fail?
This formula consisting of purity ratios determines the solids in
sugar, massecuite and molasses and from these, together with the solids
entering the pan stage in syrup, the gallons of C massecuite per ton of
cane are calculated. The Brix of massecuite is taken into account
it influences the quantity only to a small extent. The deficiencies
rmula may be that no consideration is given to either the per-
centage or the type of the initial impurities entering the boiling house,
each of which has a major influence on the quantity of massecuite.
reducing sugar ash ratio which affects viscosity and hence
rix of massecuites is disregarded.
ula might fail also bec he purities of the various
materials are determined at different concentrations instead of
rix of clarified juice before analysis.
f the figure for gallons of C massecuite per ton cane were recorded,
for comparison purposes, as massecuite at 100' Brix then this would
remove one variable even though it is not an important one.
Control on Volume of C
The volume of C massecuite boiled should be directly related to the
initial purity and impurities of the material entering the boiling house;

rate or increase the purities.

A range of variations in theoretical gallons of C massecuite per ton
of cane, owing to variations in syrup, sugar, magma, massecuite and
molasses purities, and to variations in Brix of massecuite on some
listed is as shown in Table 11.
between the best and the worst combination for
larified juice is 5.8 gallons-that
is, 6.0 to 11.8 gallon (400) is 6.3 gallons-6.5 to 12.8
gallons.
Il-Range of variation in theoretical gallons of C massecuite per ton of cane
216 THIRTY-SIXTH CONFERENCE 1969

A factory superintendent has some control over the volume of

massecuite and can reduce excessive quantities by control on the purities
of the materials handled, particularly the magma purity. He can reduce
impurities entering the boiling house by better clarification. His aware-
ness of conditions at the low grade station can not only prevent the pan
stage bo ging down, but can also increase factory efficiency because the
highest jetermined losses usually occur in the final molasses. An astute
factory superintendent knows that it is better to get sugar out at the high
grade end than to try to catch up at the low grade end. Good work at
the high grade end lessens the load on the low grade and this allows for
better exhaustion at lower purity.
Conclusion
It has been shown that the figure for gallons on C massecuite per ton
of cane is not a good figure for comparison purposes because of the
many factors which influence it. Fourmond's proposed yardstick based
on impurities also seems inadequate. However, if gallons of massecuite
were corrected to 100' Brix and then recorded per ton of cane then this
would be a slight improvement.
Acknowledgement
Thanks are due to the Fairymead Sugar Company Limited for
permission to publish this paper.
REFERENCES
Fourmond, L. T., (1967), A useful yardstick for volume of C massecuite, Proc. Sth. Afr.
Sug. Technol. Assoc., 65.
Ponq Horacio, (1968), Calculation of final strikes in sugar manufacture. I.S.J., 70,838.291.

Appendix I
Gallons of Masseculte at 100 Brix per Ton Non-Sucrose

Tons clar. juice - tons cane X clar. juice per l00 cane
100

Tons impurities . - tons clar, juice

- X % impurities
100
tons cane X .OBx mass X gallonslton cane
Gallons mass at 100 O B x =
100
gallons mass. at 100 PBX
Gallons mass/ton imps. =
tons impurities

-
- (tons cane X Bx mass X gallons masstton cane) X 100 X 100
100 X (tons cane X clar. juice/100 cane X "/o imps)
- OBx mass. X gallons mass/tons cane X 100
clar. juice/lOO cane X "/o imps.

Appendix 11
Gallons C Masaecnite per Ton Cane
(Calculated on 100 lb solids)

- pur. syrup - pur. F. mol.

lb solids in raw sugar
pur. sugar - pur. F. mol.
1969 THIRTY-SIXTH CONFERENCE

Ib solids in final mol. = 100 - Ib solids in raw sugar

per cent solids in C sugar per 100 pur. C mass. - pur. F. mol.
mass. pur. magma - pur. F. mol.
per cent solids in final mol. = 100 - per cent solids in C sugar
100 X solids in F. md.
lb solids in C mass. = -
per cent solids in F. mol.
Bx. clar. j. X density clar. j. % cane
lb solids in clar. juice per ton cane = - X 2240 X
100
solids in C mass. X solids in clar. j.
Ib solids in C mass. per ton cane = -
100
solids in C mass/ton cane X 100
gallons C mass. per ton cane =
Bx. C mass. X density