Concentration and Crystallization of Cane Sugar Using Superhydrophobic Membrane Distillation Crystallization

• Main Author: Rizqullah, Hafizh
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik (Rekayasa, enjinering dan kegiatan berkaitan)
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/38580
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The energy requirement to concentrate and crystallize sugar on sugar processing industry is usually high. Thus, intensification is needed for these two processes to reduce the amount of energy needed. Membrane distillation crystallization is one of the intensification method that can be used to concentrate sugarcane juice on lower temperature compared to conventional process, which lead to lower energy needed. Hence, the aim of this research is to determine the optimum operation condition in concentrating and crystallizing sugar cane juice using membrane distillation crystallization within the experiment range. Membrane configuration that being used is vacuum membrane distillation, with sugarcane model solution and sugar cane juice as feed. Membrane modules were made from polypropylene with pore size of 50 nm. Feed temperature, feed concentration, and stirring speed were varied between 50-70 oC, 0-50 obrix, and 0-450 rpm, respectively. Addition of seed solution, which consist of small particles of sugar crystal and isopropyl alcohol, to feed solution was also varied. Optimum condition from this experiment was then used to concentrate feed until sugar crystals are formed. Experimental results shows that higher flux obtained as feed temperature and stirring speed increased. Flux was also higher as feed concentration decreased. It is also known that addition of seed solution that contains isopropyl alcohol lead to hydrophobicity loss on membrane, hence cannot be used to concentrate the feed solution. Therefore, long runs at 70 oC and 50 obrix were tested. Sugarcane model solution was concentrated from 49 obrix to 65 obrix within 11 hours, and sugar crystals were obtained at the end of experiment. However, sugarcane juice was able to be concentrated up to 65 obrix from 51,6 obrix within longer operation duration, that is 17 hours and no sugar crystals were formed at the end of experiment.