Stephania Imbachi-Ordonez1, Angela Alarcon-Rodriguez1 and Philipp Neumann2
1Audubon Sugar Institute, LSU AgCenter, St. Gabriel, Louisiana, USA; simbachiordonez@agcenter.lsu.edu
2Schmidt + Haensch GmbH & Co., Berlin, Germany
Polarimetry still serves as a key method in the sugar industry for assessing the apparent sugar content in various sugarcane and sugar beet products. To obtain accurate measurements, sugarcane factory materials have to undergo a crucial preparatory step involving clarification with a clarification aid, which is time-consuming. Furthermore, increasing the amounts of clarification aids can negatively impact pol readings. This issue is exacerbated by inconsistencies in the quality of clarification aids, with significant batch-to-batch variations frequently observed in Louisiana (LA). Such challenges emphasize the critical need to explore advancements in filtration/clarification technology not only to enhance measurement accuracy but also to reduce analysis time, thus improving overall efficiency. This study evaluates the Autofilt Z®, a fully automatic pressure filtration unit, against conventional clarification procedures using Octapol® or Clearpol® aids for the polarimetric analysis of factory cane products. Comparative analyses were conducted on core lab juices, syrups, final molasses, and raw sugars from LA factories. Results indicated that Autofilt Z, coupled with Celite® (diatomaceous earth), provides effective filtration, particularly at 880 nm, the predominant wavelength for polarimetric analysis of dark samples in the sugar industry. While funnel filtration with Octapol® and Clearpol® aids led to increased Brix levels in the filtrate, Autofilt Z demonstrated no significant impact on Brix values. Moreover, Autofilt Z markedly reduced both filtrate turbidity and filtration time compared to traditional methods, indicating superior technical and economic performance in an industrial setting. These findings underscore the potential of Autofilt Z to enhance sample preparation efficiency for polarimetric analysis in the sugar industry.