Study of Hardness Effect of Clear Juice on the Formation of Evaporator Scale and Optimization of Process Parameters A Case of Metahara Sugar Factory
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Date
2019-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study focus on the effect of hardness of clear juice for the formation of evaporator scale and
optimization of process parameters. The effect of clear juice hardness of the factory have been
evaluated in terms of the response variables which include colour, turbidity, calcium oxide,
magnesium oxides, reducing sugars and the purity of clear juice out of the clarifier. The reduction of
each evaporator scales was monitored by minimizing the colour, turbidity and calcium oxide content
of the clear juice. This study was done on lab scale by varying the effect of pH and settling time of
clarified juice on the response variables of colour, turbidity and calcium oxide content of clear juice.
The statistical analysis was done by using design expert software (7.0.0, version) of the central
composite design (CCD). The statistical experimental design combination was done by inserting the
highest and lowest values of the factors of the clarified juice. From this analysis method, both factors
had an impact on the response variables directly. Both factors had the same significance effects on
colour, turbidity and calcium oxide content of the clear juice were found between
“(1855.22 - 2369.37) IU, (1720.36 - 2039.67) NTU and, (2142.96 - 2559.68)” ppm, respectively, and
pH of (6.7 - 7.2) and a settling time of (3 - 4.66) hours respectively. While purity, reducing sugars
and magnesium oxide content of the clear juice were, investigated during the research work. On the
other hand, the parameters, which shows the adequacy of the model such as R
2
, Adjusted-R
2
,
predicted-R
2
, CV, Press, mean and standard deviation value of each of the three response variables
where in the allowable range. Therefore using the optimum values of pH and settling time gives us
the optimum output of colour, turbidity and calcium oxide content of clear juice sample, which can
be taken as a positive outcome to bring efficient improvement of heat transfer for energy saving and
product maximization.
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Keywords
pH, settling time, colour, turbidity, calcium oxide, clear juice