Sweeteners are vital in food production, impacting both taste and safety, but they can contain coloring and impurities.
Activated carbon is the key to decolorization, removing unwanted substances while maintaining the inherent qualities of the sweetener.
This article details how activated carbon can improve the purity of sweeteners and recommends products that can improve production quality.
Why decolorize sweeteners?
Sweeteners mainly include natural sweeteners and synthetic sweeteners. Whether they are extracted or chemically synthesized, some color impurities are inevitably produced during the production process. Although the content of these impurities is very low, they will affect the color and flavor of the product and reduce consumer acceptance.
Traditional decolorization methods include chemical oxidation and ion exchange, but there are problems such as low efficiency, high cost and easy to produce secondary pollution.
In order to realize the decolorization and purification of sweetener, it is necessary to adopt efficient decolorization process. Activated carbon adsorption method has become a conventional method in the production of sweeteners because of its good decolorization effect, simple process, low cost and other advantages. Through physical adsorption, activated carbon can firmly bind the pigment molecules in the pore structure, thus realizing the effective separation from the sweetener.
The application of activated carbon in the decolorization of sweetener.
In the process of decolorization and purification of sweetener, powdered activated carbon and granular activated carbon are most widely used. Powdered carbon often adopts the feeding method, that is, a certain amount of powdered carbon is directly added to the sweetener solution, stirring and adsorption for a certain period of time, and then remove the activated carbon through filtration to get the decolorized product.
The mechanism of decolorization of activated carbon mainly includes:
- Physical adsorption: Activated carbon is characterized by many small pores and a large surface area, which allows it to “suck up” pigment molecules like a magnet. These molecules are adsorbed by natural attractions such as Van der Waals forces and hydrophobicity.
- Hydrogen bonding: Activated carbon has many oxygen-containing groups on the surface, which can stick the polar parts of the pigment molecules through hydrogen bonding as if using glue, so that the adsorption effect is stronger.
- Orifice Screening the unique pore structure of activated carbon can form a molecular sieve effect. The larger pigment molecules are blocked in the pore, while the small sweeteners can pass freely.
Adsorption of high quality powdered activated carbon under suitable conditions can reduce the color value of sweetener by more than 90% and significantly improve the quality of the product. The dosage of activated carbon is generally 1%~5% of the mass of the sweetener, and the specific dosage should be determined according to the nature of the raw material and the decolorization requirements.
Selection of activated carbon
Depending on the type of sweetener and the production process, it is critical to select the right type of activated carbon. For syrupy sweeteners with high viscosity, powdered activated carbon is recommended as it is easier to mix with the syrup and allows for rapid filtration. For water-soluble sweeteners, granular activated carbon can be considered to facilitate the handling of large batches.
Choosing the right activated carbon is critical in the sweetener decolorization process. Below are the specifications of our recommended activated carbon:
- Wood powder activated carbon: suitable for the sweetener production process that requires rapid decolorization, with high specific surface area and strong adsorption capacity, it can quickly remove the pigments and impurities in the solution.
- Coal granular activated carbon: Suitable for production processes that require stable decolorization for a long period of time, with high mechanical strength and durability to ensure continuous and efficient decolorization.
| Specifications | Coal Granular Activated Carbon | Wood Powder Activated Carbon |
| Mesh Size: | 12*40 | 200-325 |
| Iodine (mg/g) | 950-1050 | 800-1000 |
| Moisture (%) Maximum | 3 | 10 |
| Ash≤(%) | 5(max) | 5（max） |
| Molasses Number ≥ | 200 | 200 |
Qizhong provides activated carbon products with the following features:
- high adsorption capacity: our activated carbon has a very high adsorption capacity, which enables it to remove pigments and impurities efficiently.
- High purity: the activated carbon products undergo strict purification treatment to ensure that no new impurities are introduced during the decolorization process.
- High adaptability: It is suitable for different types of sweetener decolorization process to meet various production needs.
- High strength: our granular activated carbon has high mechanical strength and is not easy to break, which ensures its stability and service life in the process of use.
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Choosing the right activated carbon is crucial to ensure the quality and market competitiveness of sweetener products. Activated carbon decolorization technology is an efficient, environmentally friendly and economical method of sugar decolorization, which can effectively improve the purity and quality of sugar and meet consumer demand for high quality sugar.
Our company offers a wide range of highly efficient activated carbon products for all types of sweetener decolorization needs. If you need further advice or would like to know more about how to optimize your sweetener decolorization process, please do not hesitate to contact us!
