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
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