Development of solvent extraction systems for improved sugar quality and yield. The recent collapse in the international sugar price and increased competition amongst producers have highlighted the vulnerability of Australian sugar mills and the regional communities reliant on sugar cane growing to variation in the price of this commodity. Hence, the development of new, more efficient means to produce raw sugar of high quality is of paramount importance to maintain Australia as a low cost produ ....Development of solvent extraction systems for improved sugar quality and yield. The recent collapse in the international sugar price and increased competition amongst producers have highlighted the vulnerability of Australian sugar mills and the regional communities reliant on sugar cane growing to variation in the price of this commodity. Hence, the development of new, more efficient means to produce raw sugar of high quality is of paramount importance to maintain Australia as a low cost producer. This project aims to investigate the use of unique solvent extraction methods to remove deleterious impurities from the raw cane juice in sugar mills with the consequent improvement in both sugar yield and quality.Read moreRead less
Developing a smart supervisory control system for pan stage operations in sugar factories. This project aims to develop a prototype smart supervisory control system for pan stage crystallisation operations in raw sugar processing. Intelligent systems technologies will be tailored to provide a standardised approach for pan operations by using key process measurements and combining them with the collective expertise and knowledge of pan operators. This project will lead to a significant advance in ....Developing a smart supervisory control system for pan stage operations in sugar factories. This project aims to develop a prototype smart supervisory control system for pan stage crystallisation operations in raw sugar processing. Intelligent systems technologies will be tailored to provide a standardised approach for pan operations by using key process measurements and combining them with the collective expertise and knowledge of pan operators. This project will lead to a significant advance in the development of intelligent systems techniques for industrial applications and provide a better decision making strategy for pan stage operations with the benefit of reduced costs of sugar manufacture and increased profitability of the Australian sugar industry.Read moreRead less
Dietary sugarcane-derived polyphenols reduce obesity. The Australian Sugar Industry is a billion dollar industry with refined sugar being calorie-rich but nutrition poor. Consumption of refined sugar is a main contributor to the increasing problem of obesity and metabolic syndrome, costing the Australian health system billions of dollars annually. The principal outcomes of this project will be to show that the polyphenols contained in the waste products from sugar refining can be used to reduce ....Dietary sugarcane-derived polyphenols reduce obesity. The Australian Sugar Industry is a billion dollar industry with refined sugar being calorie-rich but nutrition poor. Consumption of refined sugar is a main contributor to the increasing problem of obesity and metabolic syndrome, costing the Australian health system billions of dollars annually. The principal outcomes of this project will be to show that the polyphenols contained in the waste products from sugar refining can be used to reduce body fat and insulin resistance. These outcomes have enormous implications for human health and disease, and for the sugar industry, thus providing a competitive edge in the world sugar market.Read moreRead less
The microbiology and biotechnology of rum production. Rum is an alcoholic beverage produced by microbial fermentation of molasses waste from the sugar industry. The microbial species responsible for the process determine rum flavour and quality by production of specific aroma compounds. The rate and extent of fermentation determine process efficiency. Several yeast and bacterial species contribute to rum fermentation but this ecology is poorly defined. Through a combination of ecological stu ....The microbiology and biotechnology of rum production. Rum is an alcoholic beverage produced by microbial fermentation of molasses waste from the sugar industry. The microbial species responsible for the process determine rum flavour and quality by production of specific aroma compounds. The rate and extent of fermentation determine process efficiency. Several yeast and bacterial species contribute to rum fermentation but this ecology is poorly defined. Through a combination of ecological studies, controlled fermentations and distillation, chemical and sensory analyses, this project will determine the impact of particular microbial species on rum flavour and process efficiency. This information will be used by the industrial partner to enchance product quality and process efficiency.Read moreRead less
Development of bagasse fly ash adsorbent for the removal of impurities in sugar process streams. High quality raw sugar attracts a premium and is important in maintaining market access in these times of increasing competition and excess production from overseas producers. Options that are in current use in Australia for the removal of colour and impurities are not very cost effective. This research will develop a sugarcane waste (fly ash) into an adsorbent for the removal of these impurities. Th ....Development of bagasse fly ash adsorbent for the removal of impurities in sugar process streams. High quality raw sugar attracts a premium and is important in maintaining market access in these times of increasing competition and excess production from overseas producers. Options that are in current use in Australia for the removal of colour and impurities are not very cost effective. This research will develop a sugarcane waste (fly ash) into an adsorbent for the removal of these impurities. This will enable the sugar industry and rural communities to become more sustainable through enhanced competitiveness and diversification through co-generation and value-added products. This project will also reduce the disposal costs ($2 M/y) for the sugar industry and minimize environmental pollution due to the use of a waste product.Read moreRead less