IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OP SUGAR. 167 
ART. XLI. — PATENT GRANTED TO ROBERT OXLAND AND 
JOHN OXLAND FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- 
TURE OF SUGAR. 
These improvements in the manufacture of sugar consist 
in the employment of the acetate of alumina for defecating 
cane and beet-root juice, and of both defecating and remov- 
ing the color from the solutions of raw sugar produced in 
the.operation of sugar refining. 
The process for sugar refining is conducted in the follow- 
ing manner : — The raw sugar may be blown up in the usual 
manner, but it is preferred to dissolve the sugar in water, 
with the aid of heat from steam, passing through a flat coil 
of pipe, into an outer jacket surrounding the pan, and then 
carbonate of lime, in fine powder, should be mixed with the 
syrup, until all acidity should be neutralized, and the solu- 
tion should be made to boil at a temperature of 220° Fah- 
renheit. The syrup should then be run into the ordinary 
filter bags, and when running bright ftom them, it should 
be turned into another but more shallow blow-up pan } 
fitted in the same manner before described. Acetate of 
alumina is now to be mixed with the syrup, and the whole 
boiled together at a temperature of 220°, until the greater 
portion of the acetic acid has been evolved, which may- 
be ascertained by testing the steam passing off from the 
syrup with blue litmus paper. A steam-tight cover and 
pipe, fitted to a condensing apparatus, may be employed to 
save the acetic acid evloved, which may be used for the 
preparation of further quantities of acetate of alumina. — 
When nearly the whole of the acetic acid has been evol- 
ved, small quantities of a solution of tannin in water are 
stirred in until no further precipitation is produced thereby. 
The process is completed by the addition of carbonate of 
lime, in fine powder, in sufficient quantity to neutralize all 
acidity. The syrup is then passed through bag filters, and 
as soon as it runs bright, it is turned into the reservoir from 
