Design and operation of a pilot-plant for the processing of sugarcane juice into sugar at the Southern Regional Research Center in Louisiana

A pilot-plant facility to process sugarcane juice into sugar and molasses has been developed under a limited budget at the Southern Regional Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture in New Orleans, Louisiana (LA). The batch plant (27.9 m 2 ) includes juice heating, clarification, evaporation, vacuum pan boiling, and centrifugation equipment. Juice is collected from factories or other research facilities, transported to the pilot-plant and processed. A walk-in cooler is available close to the pilot plant to store juices, factory products, and pilot plant products at refrigerated or freezing temperatures, if necessary. Design characteristics and operational procedures are described. This pilot-plant will be used to conduct research projects, complement factory research trials, as well as research processing innovations. Juices from other sugar crops, including sugar beet, sweet sorghum, and tropical maize can also be processed.