i5<2^] Proceedings of Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 29 



254th Meeting — February 14, 1922 



T. F. HiCKERSON — Transition Spirah for Roads: A New Method. 

 No abstract furnished. 



Frank C. Vilbrandt — TJie Manufacture of Beet Sugar. 



Beet sugar, indistinguishable from cane sugar, is obtained from 

 a variety of white beet containing from 12-19% sugar. At best, 

 however, beet sugar factories obtain but 240 pounds of refined sugar 

 per ton of beets sliced. 



Preparations are begun nine months previous to the sugar cam- 

 paign to make the ten weeks campaign successful and efficient. The 

 agricultural staff oversee the best cultivation to insure good beets 

 and eliminate mongrel stock. The engineering staff overhaul the 

 entire plant and make the proper repairs and changes. 



In fall the topped, matured beets are transported to the nearby 

 factories and stored in bins or sheds in the yards. Each bin is pro- 

 vided with a flume which transports the dirty beets through stone, 

 sand and trash catchers to the beet-washer. The washed beets, after 

 elevation to a picking table to remove decayed beets, are weighed 

 and sliced. The v-shaped slices provide for minimum settling of 

 the cossettes, minimum rupture of the cells and maximum exposure 

 of cell walls through which the diffusion takes place. 



The cossettes are extracted in three and one-half ton batches in 

 fourteen diffusion battery cells, three of which at any time are being 

 filled, the others in operation. The fresh water meets the most ex- 

 hausted cossettes, leaving the battery as concentrated juice in the 

 part holding fresh cossettes. Calorizors between each battery main- 

 tain the optimum temperature for extraction. 



The exhausted pulp is dumped and pumped to the pulp house 

 where a reduction of 12% moisture is effected by means of a wet 

 drag, pulp presses, and a furnace. 



The raw juice is limed, carbonated and filtered at least two times 

 to reduce the pulp and non-sugars by precipitation, coagulation and 

 filtration. The juice also receives a sulfur dioxide treatment to re- 

 duce the lime content and color. Calorizors between each set of equip- 

 ment maintain the optimum temperature. 



This treated and purified juice is evaporated down in quintuple 

 effect evaporators from 10 7o to 60% solids, treated with sulfur dioxide. 



