264 
CLARIFICATION   OF  SUGARS,  ETC. 
ON  THE  CLARIFICATION  OF  SUGARS  AND  SACCHARINE 
MATTERS  BY  THE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  SOAPS. 
By  M.  Basset. 
This  new  method,  discovered  by  Mr.  F.  Garcia,  an  old  sugar 
manufacturer  in  Louisiana,  obviates  the  inconveniences  presented 
by  the  employment  of  hydrated  lime  for  the  clarification  of  the 
juices,  at  the  same  time  retaining  its  real  advantages.  It  is 
founded  on  the  property  possessed  by  lime  of  combining  with 
fatty  bodies  either  in  a  free  state,  or  in  the  form  of  alkaline 
soaps.  When  saccharate  of  lime  is  brought  in  contact  with  a 
solution  of  soda  soap,  a  remarkable  decomposition  takes  place, 
in  which  the  sugar  is  set  free,  the  lime  combines  with  the  fatty 
acid  of  the  soap,  and  the  soda  remains  in  the  liquid,  usually  in 
a  free  state. 
When  clarification  has  been  effected  with  an  excess  of  lime  and 
the  scum  has  been  removed,  the  liquid  may  be  cooled  below 
104c  F.  and  the  solution  of  soap  immediately  made  use  of.  It 
is  poured  gently  into  the  syrup,  which  is  stirred  round  ;  when  the 
whole  is  well  incorporated,  the  temperature  is  brought  up  to 
ebullition.  At  this  point  the  temperature  is  suddenly  lowered 
by  stopping  the  access  of  steam,  and  the  new  scum  is  removed  ; 
this  is  nothing  but  a  lime  soap,  which  has  brought  up  all  the  im- 
purities from  the  bottom  to  the  surface.  After  the  removal  of 
this  scum,  the  syrup  is  perfectly  limpid  and  in  taste  is  very 
pure. 
This  process  has  been  tried  on  a  large  scale  at  the  factory  of 
Messrs.  lionzel,  near  Lille.  The  experiments  were  made  each 
time  upon  10  hectolitres  of  syrup,  and  second  and  third  molasses, 
and  were  always  successful.  With  very  dilute  syrups,  the  cal- 
careous soap  does  not  always  rise  completely ;  in  these  cases  a 
simple  passage  through  the  filter-bag  and  filtration  through 
animal  charcoal  are  sufficient  for  complete  clarification.  The 
syrups  are  perfectly  pure  and  free  from  odor ;  the  odor  of  beet 
having  completely  disappeared.  Crystallization  is  effected 
readily,  the  crystals  are  large  and  well  formed  and  the  sugar  is 
dry. 
The  quantity  of  soap  to  be  employed  varies,  and  may  be  carried 
to  the  complete  saturation  of  the  lime.    It  appears,  however, 
