Probability crushed product

Figure 5.6 Data of crushed product size probability density distribution and fitted PSD curve based on new PSD function.

Loss of sucrose due to inversion by bacteria during the time between crushing the cane and processing the juice is considered serious. A very conservative estimate places the annual loss for Cuba, if uncontrolled, at 75,000 long tons of sugar. This loss can be drastically reduced by spraying Steri-Chlor 4X into the juice immediately after extraction at the rate of 10 pounds per 1000 tons of cane. The practice is now common and offers a potential market for approximately 450,000 pounds of such a product in Cuba and probably at least that much in other areas. Demands in- the near future should approximate 250,000 pounds and eventually should approach a maximum of 1,000,000 pounds. 

Probably the most well known freeze-dried product is coffee. The commercial process is as follows a coffee extract containing 20 to 25% solids is filtered, then frozen to concentrate the solids to 30 to 40%. This material then is frozen to -25 to -43 C and crushed into small particles. These particles are freeze dried to remove the ice. A vacuum of about 0.2 torr (0.027 kPa) is used, and the final product contains 1 to 3% water. The entire process takes about 7 hours. 

A plant capacity of 185 million Ib/yr (84,000 t/yr) PHA is selected as the primary basis for the PEP analysis. The corresponding soybean crush rate is 2,000 mt/day. The selected capacity reflects a typical soybean crushing facility in the United States. This capacity may be larger than initial commercial practice will be for production by fermentation. The next commercial scale PHA plant to be built will probably have a capacity of 66 million Ib/yr (30,000 t/yr) (6). Table IV summarizes PHA process economics. 

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