Mumbai university > Civil > SEM 8 > Industrial Waste Treatment

Marks: 5M

Year: May 2015,

The major byproducts of sugar industry are as follows:

• Bagasse: The production of bagasse depends upon the fibre content of the sugarcane, which varies from 13 to 15 percent in western and southern zone and from 15 to 17 percent in eastern and northern zone. Bagasse production is about 80% of the cane crushed. Presently bagasse is almost entirely used by sugar factories as fuel in boilers.

• Press mud: The production of press mud is about 3 percent of cane in sulphitation and 7 percent in carbonation factories. The sulphitation press mud also contains sugarcane wax, varying from 8 to 10 percent of mud. Sulphitation press mud is almost entirely used as manure in the field. Carbonation press mud is generally used to fill up pits and in some cases for the production of lime for building purposes.

• Molasses: Molasses is the main byproduct of cane sugar industry. Production of molasses depends largely upon the quantity and to some extent upon the quality of the cane crushed which varies from region to region. Its average production is 4.4 percent of cane processed.