MOLASSES. 



gums. The composition of the molasses is of course controlled by the initial 

 composition of the juice and this point, as regards the sugar content of the 

 molasses, is discussed in greater detail below. Actually the limits of the com- 

 position of molasses may be put down as 



Water 15 per cent. 25 per cent. ; total solids 75 per cent. 85 per cent. ; 

 sucrose 25 per cent. 40 per cent. ; reducing sugars 5 per cent. 30 per 

 cent. ; ash 7 per cent. 15 per cent. ; gums 5 per cent. 3 per cent. ; organic 

 non-sugar 10 per cent. 20 per cent. ; purity 35 to 50. 



The lower amounts of reducing sugars are found in the Hawaiian Islands 

 where the juices are exceptionally pure and contain very little reducing sugars 

 in the juices, sometimes as low as '2 per cent. ; the higher amounts are found 

 in Louisiana and Demerara molasses where the reducing sugars in the juices 

 may rise to 2 per cent, or more ; other districts will have intermediate 

 quantities. 



Exceptionally low purities of 20 or under are sometimes reported in 

 Louisiana, but Browne, 15 who has had exceptional opportunity to examine 

 such molasses, has stated that these are due to inversion or to errors of 

 analysis. 



The Bearing of Glucose on the Sucrose Content of 

 Molasses. In constructing his theory of molasses Geerligs made certain 

 experiments the results of which, he thus summarizes, " . . show 

 that glucose of itself possesses no molasses-forming power, nor can it serve to 

 make more sugar crystallize out." Accepting, then, that glucose is an in- 

 different body its effect on molasses can be algebraically developed as under. 

 Molasses of whatever origin are of composition, water 20 per cent., solids 80 

 per cent. ; a typical beet sugar molasses obtained in the absence of glucose is 

 of composition, sugar 45 per cent., solids not sugar 35 per cent., water 20 per 

 cent. ; to such a molasses let 20 parts of an indifferent body, such as glucose, 

 be added; the mixture will now be of Brix (80 X 20) -j- 120 = 83'33; let x 

 be the amount of water to be added to reduce the Brix to 80 ; then 



120 4- x ~ 2 ' w ^ ence x 5< The new f rme( l mixture will, when reduced 

 to 80 Brix, be of composition, sugar 36 per cent., glucose 16 per cent., non- 

 sugars 28 per cent., water 20 per cent., purity 45 ; such a composition is that 

 of a typical cane molasses. Proceeding on this argument the following table 

 of the composition of molasses is capable of construction, beet molasses of the 

 composition given above being taken as a basis of calculation ; to this 

 molasses quantities of glucose 3, 5, 7 &c., per 100 original molasses being 

 added, and the composition of the mixture being then calculated back 

 to 80 Brix. 



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