508 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.43 



Estimate the reducing sugar present by means of Pavy's copper metliod. Then 

 invert a portion by boiling brislily with 1 to 2 per cent hydrochloric acid for two 

 or three minutes, malve up to l<nown built, and titrate with Pavy. The difference 

 between the two results multiplied by 0.95 gives the amount of sucrose present. 

 Now polarize this mixture, still using the ordinary acetate of lead and sodium 

 sulphate, with alumina if necessary. If the sucrose indicated in the polariscope 

 agrees with that found by the chemical process there has been no inversion. If 

 it is perceptibly less, thei'e has been. Roughly, one part of invert sugar obscures 

 three parts of sucrose; but as the rotatory power of the invert sugar varies with 

 the temperature, the figure corresponding to the laboratory temperature should 

 be taken." 



Investigations on the formation and exhaustibility of molasses, T. Van 

 UER Linden {Medcd. Proefsta. Jav(t-,^nikerindu!i., Chcui.. Ser. No. 4 (1919), pp. 

 50. pis. 7, figs. 3: also in Aich. Snikcrindiis. Nedcrlnnd. Indie, 27 {1919), 

 No. 31, pp. 1511-1559, pis. 7, figs. 3; abs. in Chcm. Ahs., 14 (1920), No. 6, pp. 859, 

 860). — To determine the nature of Java molasses six samples from the defeca- 

 tion, carbonation, and siilphitation processes were mixed with an excess of 

 sucrose crystals and shaken at different temperatures until equilibrium was 

 reached, after which the molasses was filtered out and the purity determined. 

 An examination of the curves plotted for the purity at different temperatures 

 failed to show whether the molasses was an undercooled eutectic mixture or a 

 saturated solution of sucrose in nonsucrose. 



In experiments carried out to determine under what condition molasses can be 

 exhausted most completely, the best results were generally obtained when the 

 water content was about 14 to 16 per cent and the temperature about 30° C. 

 (86° F.). Molasses of low purity was usually obtained when the ratio of glucose 

 to ash was high. A high content of gums and of SO. and CI ions was found to 

 interfere with the exhaustibility of the molasses. The curves indicating the rela- 

 tion between the sucrose and nonsucrose offered evidence that molasses is a 

 saturated solution of sucrose in nonsucrose. 



Grain in molasses, H. Kalshoven (Medcd. Proefsta. Java-Suilycriiidus., 

 Cliem. Ser. No. 5 (1919), pp. 5-\-2, figs. 3; also in Arch. Siiil-erindus. Neder- 

 land. Indie, 27 (1919), No. 31, pp. 1560-156/}, figs. .3).— Attention is called to the 

 fact that molasses is apt to contain very fine grain which can not be removed 

 by filtration or other means. 



A method of determining the amount of such grain in a given molas.ses and the 

 purity of the molasses is described. This method involves determining the real 

 sucrose content of the ordinary grain-containing molasses and the refractometer 

 Brix values of both the grain-containing molasses and the same molasses in 

 which the grains have been dissolved by dihition with water. Formulas are 

 given for the necessary calculations. 



By the use of this method with molasses at different states of exhaustion, it 

 was found that up to a certain point the purity decreased regularly with de- 

 creasing water content. This is thought to corroborate the view of Van der 

 Linden, noted above, that molasses is really a saturated solution of sucrose in 

 nonsucrose. 



Correction, H. Kalshoven (Arch. Snikerindus. Nedcrland. Indie, 27 (1919), 

 No. 33, pp. 1663, 166Jf). — A modified formula is given for determining the fine 

 grain in molasses without determining the total solids by drying. 



Grain in molasses. — IT, H. Kalshoven (Meded. Proefsta. Jgva-Snikerindus., 

 Chem. Sei: No. 6 (1919), pp. 7, pi. 1; also in, Arch. Suikerindus. Neder- 

 land. Indie, 27 (1919), No. 42, pp. 1967-1973, pi. 1; abs. in Chem. Abs., I4 

 (1920), No. 6, p. 860). — The author reports an application of the method noted 

 above to 80 samples of Java molasses prepared by different methods. The graia 



I 



