Course: Chemical Technology (Organic) Module V

Lecture 1
Introduction to Sugar,
Fermentation Industry and
Manufacture of Alcohol



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LECTURE 1
SUGAR AND FERMENTATION INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION
Sugar industry is one of the most important agro-based industries in India and has an important
impact on rural economy. India is the first two largest sugar producing countries in the world
sugar production during 2007-08 wasRs.263 lakh. There are 624 sugar factories in the country as
on 31-03-2009. Sector wise breakup is as follows in Table M-V 1.1.
Table M-V 1.1: Profile of sugar industry
Sector No. of sugar factories
Private 245
Public 62
Cooperatives 317
Total 624

As per 2010-11
Area 4.98 million hectares
Cane production 346.00 Million tonnes
Sugar production 24.20-24.50 Million tonnes
Source: Business standard April 24, 2012
In 2010-11, sugarcane was planted in 4.98 million hectares across the country, of which 1
million hectares was in Maharashtra and over 2 million hectares in Uttar Pradesh, official
estimates show. Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are the two largest sugarcane producing states in
the country, accounting for more than 80percent of the annual crop production. India is one of
the largest producers of alcohol in the world and there has been a steady increase in its
production over the last 15 years, according to fresh statistics.
India is a dominant producer of alcohol in the South-East Asian region with 65percent of the
total shares and contributes to around seven percent of the total alcohol beverage imports into the
region. More than two-thirds of the total beverage alcohol consumption within the region is in
India, according to figures in the newly compiled Alcohol Atlas of India. There has been a steady
increase in the production of alcohol in the country, with the production doubling from 887.2
million liters in 1992-93 to 1,654 million liters in 1999-2000 and was expected to treble to 2300
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million liters by 2007-08. Sugar industry is highly seasonal industry, with season lengths of
about 6-18 weeks for beets and 20-32 weeks for cane [Pollution Prevention hand book, World
Bank group July, 1998]

PROCESS STEPS IN SUGAR MANUFACTURE
Sugar contains 70percent water, 14percent fibre, 13.3percent saccharose (about 10-15percent
sucrose) and 2.7percent impurities. The yield of sugar depends mostly on the quality of cane and
the efficiency of the extraction of juice crushing, milling and squeezing of juice through a series
of pressure mills containing grooved walls Weak juice and make up water is added as extractant
before squeezing to maximize juice yield. After crushing and extraction of juice, baggase is left
as residue which is about 33.3percent of the total cane crushed. Bagasse is used as fuel for
boilers. However about 10percent of bagasse is available surplus which is used for paper making
it can be also used for manufacture of alcohol.
Purification of juice for removal of impurities by addition of calcium phosphate followed by
addition of lime to precipitate the impurities in the form of colloid. This followed by bubbling of
SO
2
for maximum flocculation of impurities. SO
2
also acts as a bleaching agent. Further the
flocculation of the impurities is achieved in the continuous settler. Double carbonation using CO
2

and double sulphitation using SO
2
is used. The Clarified solution goes to evaporator and the
underflow of clarifier goes to rotary filter for removal of the impurities as cake. The filtrate
containing sugar from the rotary filter is recycled. Clarified juice is concentrated in the in
multiple effect evaporator to about 40 percent. The concentrated syrup is again bleached by
passing SO
2
through it. Concentrated sugar solution is then sent to vacuum pan where thickened
syrup is boiled three to four times and then sent to crystallizer where separation of sugar crystal
takes place. It is sent to high speed basket centrifuges for separation of sugar crystal. The syrup
is re-concentrated and cooled successively to obtain one or two crops of crystal. The final mother
liquor called molasses is sent to distilleries for production of alcohol by fermentation process.
Schematics diagram of sugar production process is shown in Figure M-V 1.1.
PROCESSING SUGAR BEAT: Sugar beat contains 75 percent water and about 17
percent sugar. In processing of beet first it is washed and sliced the slices are then go to rotary
diffuser where a counter current flow of water is used to remove sugar from beet slices. Various
stages in manufacture of sugar from sugar beets are:
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Figure M-V 1.1: Schematics of Sugar Production Process
Source: Kaul et al.,1998

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EXTRACTION OF JUICE: This involves washing, shredding and extraction of juice
JUICE PURIFICATION: The extracted juice is purified using lime and CO
2
for removing non-
sugar substance from the Juice.
EVAPORATION OF JUICE: Evaporation of the purified juice from 15percent sugar content
to 65-70percent sugar content
CRYSTALLISATION: Crystallization of concentrated sugar solution to sugar crystal.
Molasses are left behind after crystallization which is use for production of alcohol.
REFINING OF THE RAW SUGAR: The raw sugar is dissolved, filters and crystallized again
to get high grade refined sugar.

ETHANOL
India is amongst two largest sugar producing countries in the world and converts the molasses
from sugar plant to alcohol. India is fourth largest producer of ethanol in the world and second
largest in Asia. India produces about 2.75 billion liters alcohol annually. The demand for potable
alcohol has been ever increasing [Chauhan et al., 2012]. Today 95 percent of ethanol is produced
by fermentation and only 5percent is produced from petroleum feed stock by ethylene route
[Data, 2011]
Ethanol has become one of the important products as alternative feedstock for large number of
organic chemicals and fuel. Ethanol is an oxygenated fuel that contains 35percent oxygen, which
reduces particulate and NOx emissions from combustion [Badger, 2002]. Alcohol is now being
used for potable liquor, as chemical feed stock, as solvent and as oxygenates. Process
manufacturing of alcohol is shown in Figure M-V 1.2.
Various routes for manufacture of ethanol are:
Alcohol from Fermentation of molasses
Alcohol from Lignocelluloses biomass
Alcohol from starchy feed stocks
Petrochemical route via Catalytic hydration of ethylene and Ethylene esterification and
hydrolysis
Fermentation of Molasses

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Molasses is the residue left after extraction of crystallised sugar and is one of the major
byproducts of the sugar industry. Ethyl alcohol is made from molasses by fermentation process
utilising yeast enzymes.
A typical distillery consist of
Molasses handling
Fermentation feeding system
Preparation of yeast inculam, propagation of yeast
Fermentation
Distillation of dilute alcohol for removal of impurities
Concentration of the dilute alcohol to rectified spirit and absolute alcohol

Molasses handling involves weighing of the molasses and pumping of molasses to the molasses
tank from which the measured quantity of molasses is transferred to the fermenter.
Preparation of yeast inculam, propagation of yeast: Yeast material is prepared in water cooled
yeast vessels by inoculating molasses with yeast and then transferred to aerated yeast activation
vessel to allow time for yeast cell multiplication
Fermentation involves fermentation of fermentable sugars by microorganism and formation of
alcohol and other by-products. Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is commonly used for the
fermentation of glucose to ethanol. After the fermentation alcohol of 7-8percent strength is
obtained. Fermentation is exothermic process and heat is generated. Removal of heat is
necessary to maintain the temperature in fermenter. High temperature lowers the alcohol
productivity. Nutrients are added to the fermenter intermittently depending upon the
requirement. Sulphuric acid is added to adjust the pH of fermenter liquid. Excess foaming in the
fermenter is controlled by antifoam solution. During the normal operation treated yeast cells
recovered from the fermented wash are recycled from the yeast treatment system to activation
vessel and after that transfer to the fermenter.
After fermentation is completed, the dil. liquor (8-10percent alcohol) is preheated and pumped to
the beer still where the alcohol 50-60percent) and other volatiles like aldehydes are distilled off
from the top and send to the aldehyde column for separation of aldehydes and other low boiling
impurities. The residue from the bottom of the beer column is known as slops or tillage are
discharged and treated for recovery of energy or concentrated and used. Alcohol drawn from side

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stream of the aldehyde column is sent to rectifying column. The azeotrop alcohol containing
alcohol about 95-96percent alcohol is taken as top side stream from the rectifying column.
Figure M-V 1.2: Process of Manufacturing of Alcohol

Alcohol recovery: this section involves the recovery of alcohol from the fermentation section to
minimize the possible losses of alcohol along with generated CO2 and sludge from fermented.
Typical reactions involved are
C
12
H
22
OH + H
2
O C
6
H
12
O
6
+ C
6
H
12
O
6

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Molasses Glucose + Fructose

C
6
H
12
O
6
C
2
H
5
OH + 2CO
2


ALCOHOL FROM BIOMASS
In India alcohol is mainly produced by the sugar and distilleries industries as a byproduct of
molasses fermentation Technologies for producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass through
fermentation and chemical hydrolysis have been developed from lab to commercial scale.
Globally, if even 10 percent of biomass is used for fuel production there may be substantial
reduction in oil consumption.
Ethanol thus produced can be a promising chemical feedstock. US based Primus green Energy
has developed a high conversion efficiency biomass to gasoline process based on innovative
thermal chemical conversion and the process can generate 416 litres of gasoline per tonne of
biomass [Chemical Industry digest March 2012, p.56].
Lignocellulosic biomass is available abundantly and can be used as the alternative feedstock for
bioethanol production. Lignocellulosic biomass includes forest residues such as wood;
agricultural residues such as sugarcane bagasse, corn cob, corn stover, wheat and rice straw;
industrial residues such as pulp and paper processing waste, lignin from pulp and paper mills and
municipal solid wastes, and energy corps such as switch grass. These have the potential for use
as feedstock for the production of fuel ethanol [Reshamwala et al., 1995; Mielenz, 2001; Kim et
al., 2002; Kadam et al., 2003; Kumar et al., 2010]. The nature and availability of lignocellulosic
feed stocks in different parts of the world depend on climate and other environmental factors,
agricultural practices, technological developments, and current usage/consumption [Claassen et
al., 1999; Van Maris et al., 2006]. Composition of common agricultural residues and wastes is
given in Table M-V 1.2.

Table M-V 1.2: Composition of Common Agricultural Residues and Wastes
Agricultural residue Cellulose
(percent)
Hemicellulose
(percent)
Lignin
(percent)
Hardwood stem 4050 2440 1825
Softwood stem 4550 2535 2535
Nut shells 2530 2530 3040
Corn cobs 45 35 15
Grasses 2540 3550 1030
Wheat straw 3340 2025 1520

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Rice straw 40 18 5.5

Leaves 1520 8085 0
Sorted refuse 60 20 20
Cotton seed hairs 8090 520 0
Coastal Bermuda grass 25 35.7 6.4
Switch grass 3050 1040 520
Solid cattle manure 1.64.7 1.43.3 2.75.7
Swine waste 6.0 28
Primary waste water solids 815 NA 2429
Paper 8599 0 015
Newspaper 4055 2540 1830
Waste paper from chemical
pulp
6070 1020 510
Source: Bhoopathy, 1998; Cheung and Anderson, 1997

PROCESS TECHNOLOGY
All conversion schemes involves following basic steps:
Feedstock harvest, transport and storage
Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass
Enzyme hydrolysis of cellulose in the lignocellulosic materials to fermentable reducing
sugars
Fermentation of sugar into ethanol
Downstream processing of ethanol
Pretreatment of biomass is a prerequisite to the biological conversion of lignocellosic biomass to
ethanol. Pretreatment is done either physically, chemically or biologically to make pretreated
biomass more amenable to subsequent cellulose hydrolysis. Pretreatment alter the size and
structure of the biomass as well as chemical composition [Thakur et al., 2011]. Figure M-V 1.3
shows process diagram of Biochemical Conversion Route of Biomass to Biofuels
Ethanol from cellulosic material is produced either by acid hydrolysis using sulphuric acid or
enzymatic hydrolysis. Both dilute and concentrated sulphuric acid are used in acid hydrolysis.
Dilute sulphuric acid involves milder condition than concentrated sulphuric acid hydrolysis. In
acidic hydrolysis first converts cellulosic materials to sugar followed by conversion of sugar to
other chemicals.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose another route for alcohol. Enzymatic processes required
pretreatment of lignocellulosic to break the crystalline structure of lignocellulosic and remove
the lignin to expose the cellulose and hemicelluloses. Depending on the biomass material
physical or chemical pretreatment methods may be used. Physical method may use high

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temperature and pressure, milling, radiation or freezing. The chemical method uses a solvent to
break apart and dissolve the crystalline structure [Badger, 2002].

Figure M-V 1.3: Biochemical Conversion Route of Biomass to Biofuels

Technological Barriers: Some of the technological barrier which needs to be addressed in
efficient conversion of biomass to ethanol are: [Thakur et al., 2011]
Pretreatment, saccharification of cellulose and hemicelluloses matrix Simultaneous fermentation
of hexose and pentose sugars.
Pre-treatment:
The most commonly method used are steam explosion and dilute acid pre hydrolysis, which are
followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. Acid hydrolysis are only applied in the two stage acid
processes, following acid pre-treatment both dilute and concentrated versions occur. The
enzymatic hydrolysis are accomplished by cellulose enzyme.

Advantage of lignocelluloses for ethanol production:
To a larger extent, locally/domestically and provide security of supply
Generate low net greenhouse gas emission, reducing environmental impacts, particularly
climate change
Also provide employment in rural areas
Greater avoidance of conflict with land used for food and the feed production
A much greater displacement of fossil energy per litre of fuel, due to nearly completely
biomass powered system
Much lower net well to wheel greenhouse gas emissions than with grain to ethanol
processes powered primarily by fossil energy
The process steps involved are:
Gasification of biomass to hydrogen rich synthesis gas. The gasifier uses superheated
steam at elevated pressure.
Carbon dioxide separation and scrubbing of the syn gas
Liquid fuel synthesis using four stage catalytic system

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REFRENCES

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