Proceedings of The South African Sugar Technologists' Association-April 1961 51

THE DOUBLE MAGMA BOILING SYSTEM AT UMZIMKULU

While the Double Magma System has been in use Our main object in changing to the Double Magma
in various parts of the world for a long time, it is system was to produce a uniform grade of sugar con-
only as recently as 1958 that Perk & Beesley" ad- forming in all respects with the S.A. Sugar Assoc-
vocated its use in Natal. This is to be understood, as iation specification. The elimination of the large
the 3-Boiling System, of which the Double Magma grained "B" sugar which so often gives trouble in
is a variation, was only established here about ten boiling and curing, was considered adequate com-
years ago. It is felt that this system, employed in the pensation for the additional volume of massecuite
manufacture of raw sugars and in refinery recovery which would have to be handled.
houses is such a useful one, that some repetition is
warranted, especially as the subject has not, to the The change-over came up to expectations. All
writer's knowledge, been raised at Congress before. process men will appreciate what it means to bag "A"
A description of our experience with it is therefore Sugar only-we do, and it does compensate fully for
given. the extra volume of massecuite. The actual increase
in volume was from 41.5 cu. ft./ton Brix in mixed
The C massecuite is grained on A molasses (70° juice on the 3-Boiling system in 1958, to 50.2 cu. ft.
pur), using a laboratory prepared fondant slurry on the Double Magma system in 1960. The ]960
(Appelboom)' and run up on B molasses. The whole figure is excessive due to the washing of Golden
operation is Cuitometer controlled. The massecuite Brown sugar which increased the "B" massecuite
is left in crystallizers for ± 48 hours, reheated, and from 10.5 to ]2.3 cu. ft.jton Brix. We feel that the
cured in 4/42 in. x 24 in. Broadbent centrifugals, the total massecuite figure can be reduced to 48 cu. ft.
sugar being mingled with A molasses and pumped per ton Brix, by the elimination of wash, and should
to a storage crystallizer next to the "B" Pan. be possible with our new centrifugal station.
The "B" massecuite is boiled on this footing, run We have done nothing to control grain size so far.
up on A molasses and left in crystallizers for 12-14 S.G.S. determinations from S.M.R.I. screen tests
hours, then cured in 6/36 in. x 18 in. water driven have been between 0.6 and 0.7 mm. Should a larger
centrifugals, the sugar this time being mingled with grain size be required it will be easy to attain by
syrup and pumped to storage. melting a portion of the C sugar, and returning this to
The A massecuite is then boiled on this footing, syrup.
run up on syrup, cured hot in 8/36 in. x 18 in. water Supervision of the boiling house is simple, as we
driven centrifugals, steam, wash water and a small virtually have a production line with crystal running
drier being used to control polarisation and moisture. counter flow to the stream of impurities. The storage
tanks are indicators which immediately show any
The Pans in use are:- hold-up along the line, enabling overseers to recognise
C Massecuite One 800 cu. ft. Calandria pan and rectify them without delay.
B Massecuite One 600 cu. ft. . " "
A Massecuite One 600 cu. ft. The easiest part of any boiling is the "run up",
One 800 cu. ft. " " and is utilized to the fullest extent. This of course
" " applies to the 3-Boiling system, but the advantage
This gives 43 cu. feet per ton of cane per hour at a with Double Magma lies in that no mixtures are made
crushing rate of 65 tons per hour. in the pans. Each strike is prepared in the mingier
and is completed in the pan with the same ingredients.
Each pan boils only one grade of massecuite.
The only difficult operation which remains is the
One pan boiler with a runner handles four pans graining of C massecuite. In the raw house this is
which are controlled from a central station through difficult to overcome, but in the Refinery recovery
which all feed pipes pass from tanks to the pans, and house the Double Magma system could be extended
where all instruments, Cuitometers, vacuum and steam to a triple Magma by using screened fines from 3rd
pressure guages are duplicated on a control panel. and 4th refined boilings which are free of conglom-
Cuitometer recorders are mounted on the pans so that erates as a footing for C massecuite.
control can be shifted at will to any pan requiring
special attention. At Umzimkulu the Double Magma System has
come to stay, as it has been the answer to producing
Some plant changes are being made for the coming good quality raws consistently.
season. Our old "A" centrifugal battery is being
replaced by 3/42 in. x 30 in. Broadbents. The old "A" References
battery will replace the "B" battery which is scrapped. 'Appelboom, I.S.J., April, 1956,
Additional crystallizers have been installed so that 'Perk Chs. G.M. and E. Beesley, 1958 April, Double-Magma
C massecuite will be kept longer before curing. System. S.A.S.J. Vol. 45-No. 4 pp. 311-3.
52 Proceedings of The South African Sugar Technologists' Association-April 1961

PAN CONTROL PANEL

B Magma

-,

'" , ~I FINAL MOLASSES

C Magma

DOUBLE MAGMA SYSTEM DIAGRAM

Mr. Rault (in the Chair) said that the Umzimkulu a coarse fondant, which made the grain size too large
factory had pioneered improvement in pan boiling thereby increasing the danger of false grain.
in the past and it was interesting to learn that that
factory was in the forefront again. The quantity of fondant used was 800 grams for
850 cubic feet massecuite.
Mr. Thumann suggested that the double magma Mr. N. V. Sargent said that the difficulty he had
system needs more pan and crystalliser capacity so experienced at Mount Edgecombe was due to the
that a factory with a small capacity would find it pan used, which made it difficult to prepare a regular
difficult to work this system. grain.
Mr. Perk said that one of the chief advantages of Mr. A. F. Ducasse enquired at what temperature
the D.M. System was a noticeable increase in grain the magma was introduced into the pan. If too cool,
size and we should do everything possible to improve it would cause entrainment by forming froth.
the quality of the grain.
Mr. Rabe replied that the temperature was not
Dr. van der Pol thought that the volume of masecuite controlled but he had not experienced entrainment.
was less important than the time taken in boiling. There was a small amount of frothing but this never
By starting a footing of grain the over-all time of went more than six inches to one foot above the level
boiling was not greater than that taken by the older in the pan when the magma was introduced.
methods.
Mr. Perk said that frothing depended on the amount
Mr. Rabe made reference to the article on the of air worked into the magma in the mixer, either
subject by Mr. Perk and Mr. Beesley in which they through the molasses not being diluted enough or
give data on the effect the volume would have on the through the mixer being run too fast, acting as an
plant. He found that in spite of an extra 20 per cent egg-beater.
massecuite, there was no difficulty in handling the Mr. Thumann said that when he found frothing
increase as the A Massecuite cured so freely that no troublesome it could be cured by the introduction of
time was lost. a little "Gencolene", a sulphonated whale oil. He
The quality of the sugar however was the biggest considered that an excess of "C" massecuite was not
consideration in making the change, even if extra understandable with a high purity. With a low
plant had to be installed. By eliminating the bagging purity there would be an excess, with a smaller grain
of B Sugar, which lowered the quality of the total size. Quality of sugar was affected by other factors
output, this was achieved, so much so that some diffi- than grain size. He had been warned that in the
culty was experienced in keeping the polarisation refinery, "B" sugar, even if double washed, might
down. give difficulty in producing a good refined sugar
because of the occluded impurities. These would go
Mr. Turner asked if Mr. Rabe found that if with through to the melt. The concentration therefore
regard to the crystal content of B massecuite did he should be on producing a maximum of "A" sugars
always have sufficient quantity of C magma? and the double magma system would be of advantage
only provided that the sugar was not an improved
Mr. Rabe replied that during a time when the C
"B" sugar with all its disadvantages.
massecuite pan had been held up due to mechanical
breakdown, there was a shortage of C magma and Mr. Perk said that although the Sugar Milling
afterwards until the process was in balance again Research Institute had written papers on the subject,
there was too much. the double magma system had been introduced into
this country by Mr. Chris. Jelley.
In replying to a question about Appelboom's
fondant method of preparing slurry, said that some Mr. C. M. Young asked if the no-steam technique
difficulty was experienced at first because of incomplete was used in graining a "C" massecuite pan charge,
inversion of. the invert sugar solution, making the Mr. Rabe replied that a small amount of steam
purity of the final mixture too high. This resulted in was used at the discretion of the pan-boiler.