CHARACTERIZATION OF NANO CaO AND OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus) POWDER FOR THE PROCESSING OF SUGARCANE JUICE

Abstract

The sugarcane is grown as an industrial crop for the production of sugar, food and bio-energy. The main challenge during the production is attaining purity with high yield. Clarification is a key step in the production. Hence, there is always a need to look for the best clarifying agents. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the clarifying potential of nano CaO and okra for raw cane juice and also to produce raw sugar using them. In this study, sugarcane variety B52-298 was used and extracted the juice and its juice percentage was calculated to be 76.9 %. A calcium oxide nanoparticle (CaO NPs) was prepared and used as a clarifying agent. The crystal size, amount of calcium and morphology of CaO NPs was characterized through x-ray diffraction (XRD), flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) respectively. The extracted cane juice was clarified by using normal calcium oxide (N-CaO), Okra, CaO NPs, and its combination. The physicochemical characterization of raw cane juice, clarified cane juice and the produced sugar was carried out. The process was optimized by varying conditions, then the theoretical factors such as the amount of clarificants (0.05 g), clarification time (80 min.), pH (8), volume of juice (100 ml) and temperature (95 0C) were recommended theoretically based on the least turbidity and mud volume and maximum settling rate and thus only three clarifying agents were selected and extensively studied. The best optimized three clarified juices were sulphited using SO2 and crystallized into sugar. The characterization of CaO NPs, CaO NP+Okra, and N-CaO+Okra clarified and sulphited juices were carried out and measured the turbidities (in IU) (1268, 1570 and 1389), moisture content (%) 85.03, 75.49 and 81.69, and color (in IU) 8381.7, 8567.2 and 8380.04 respectively. The sugar was produced upon crystallization, which was analyzed in the fact of turbidity as (1193, 1421 and 1233) IU, purities (96.75, 93.49 and 93.30) %, moisture content (0.08, 0.083 and 0.076) % and color (653.4, 936.7 and 961) IU respectively. The clarification efficiency of the presently studied clarificants were rated in a sequence of CaO NPs ≥ N-CaO(control) ≥ Okra ≥ N-CaO+Okra ≥ CaO NPs+Okra based on their turbidities obtained.