Application of Activated Carbon in Sugar and Starch Industry
Activated carbon serves as a core purification material in the sugar and starch industries, with its primary functions focusing on decolorization, impurity removal, deodorization, and purification, meeting the production requirements of various sugar products and starch derivatives. It can adsorb impurities and improve product quality, mainly by utilizing its physical adsorption capacity to remove odors, pigments, harmful substances, and small-molecule pollutants. Specific application scenarios are as follows:
Purification of liquid products
Color removal: Used in products such as fruit juices, fruit wines, syrups, and vinegar to adsorb natural or processed impurities (e.g., brown, yellow-green) and achieve a purer coloration (e.g., clear fruit juice, transparent syrup).
Odor removal/elimination: Adsorption of off-flavors (such as astringency, moldiness, or fermentation odors) in fermented products (e.g., beer, baijiu, soy sauce), or removal of chlorine odor and earthy fishy smell from raw water for drinking water or beverages.
Purification of raw materials: Treatment of edible oils (e.g., vegetable oil refining) to adsorb phospholipids, saponins, heavy metals (e.g., lead, arsenic), and oxidation products, thereby enhancing oil purity and shelf life.
Food Processing Assistance
Sugar refining: In the production of sucrose and glucose, adsorption is employed to remove colored substances (e.g., caramel pigments), colloids, and non-sugar impurities from the sugar solution, ensuring the whiteness and purity of the sugar (decolorization).
Starch: In the production of raw starch from corn, potatoes, etc., it adsorbs impurities such as proteins, pectin, and pigments, enhancing the whiteness and purity of starch to ensure stability in subsequent processing.
Remove harmful substances: adsorb pesticide residues and mycotoxins (e.g. aflatoxin) in food ingredients (e.g. grains, by-products of fruit and vegetable processing) to reduce safety risks.
Packaging and Preservation
As a 'deodorizing agent component' in food packaging, a small amount is used within sealed packages to adsorb odors or trace moisture generated during storage, thereby extending the shelf life of food products (such as baked goods and nuts) (must comply with food contact safety standards).
Its mechanism of action is based on the porous structure (high specific surface area) of activated carbon, which can 'capture' impurities through intermolecular attraction. Moreover, it is chemically stable and does not react with food components, making it widely used in the food and beverage industry for 'purification and quality enhancement' processes.
Product: Wood-based powdered activated carbon HNP303B serious
Since the successful manufacture of activated carbon in the early 20th century, the first application to the field was the decolorization of sucrose. There are many steps in the whole procedure. First, it is clarified with lime. The initially refined sugar is crystallized and concentrated, which is called raw sugar, and the purity is about 96%. The washed crystals are dissolved in water to become 50%-60% sugar liquid. The next step is to clarify mainly by adding lime to make the sugar liquid slightly alkaline, and then neutralizing with phosphoric acid. The formed calcium phosphate can adsorb impurities, and removed by filtration, then decolorized with activated carbon.
Activated carbon plays a pivotal role in the sugar and starch industries, primarily serving as a high-efficiency purification and decolorization agent. In sugar production (sugarcane, beet sugar, etc.), it adsorbs colored impurities, colloids, and off-flavor compounds during the refining process, ensuring the final sugar meets food-grade standards with bright color and pure taste. For starch processing, it effectively removes pigments, residual proteins, and harmful substances from starch slurries, enhancing product clarity and stability-critical for applications in food, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. Its large specific surface area and strong adsorption capacity enable deep purification without altering the nutritional properties of sugar or starch. Additionally, food-grade activated carbon is non-toxic, odorless, and easily separable, making it a reliable choice for meeting strict industry quality and safety requirements.