Overview
Raw cane sugar and starch-based sweeteners carry natural pigments and color that forms during processing. Activated carbon removes them, along with odors, to produce refined sugar, glucose, fructose, and other sweeteners.
How it works
- Raw sugar is dissolved into a liquor, or starch is converted into syrup.
- The liquid passes through granular carbon columns or is mixed with powdered carbon.
- Color bodies and odor compounds are adsorbed.
- The purified liquid is filtered, then crystallized or concentrated.
Why coconut shell
Wood- and coal-based carbons with larger pores are also widely used for large color molecules, so the grade is matched to the color load.
This page describes activated carbon in general. Suitability for a specific use depends on the activated carbon grade and the system it is used in.