Question

Water is used to extract sugar from 100,000 lb/hr of wet, sliced sugar beets. The wet, sliced beets have the following composition: 48 wt % water, 40 wt % insoluble pulp, and 12 wt % sugar. Fifty percent of the sugar in the beets is recovered in the liquor leaving the extractor, and the extracted beets remaining in the extractor contain 2 lb of liquor per lb of pulp. The recovered liquor is 6 wt % sugar. Complete the following Tables: What percentage of the original surger in the fed, wet, cliced beets is not dissloved? What percentage of the original surger in the fed, wet, sliced beets is recovered?

Answer 1

a)

Inlet lb/hr Stream Wet Sliced Beets Water Added Total Inlet Water Pul Sugar Total 126000 0 0 126000 174000 100000 226000 Exit lb/hr Stream Recovered Liquor Extracted Beets Liquor in Beets Total Water Pul Sugar Total 0 40000 6000 46000 174000 0 6000 100000 0 0 226000

b)

% not dissolved = (12000 - 6000) /12000 * 100 = 50%

c)

% recovered = 6000/12000 * 100 = 50%