A thermal treatment apparatus includes a pair of heat exchangers and an intake that receives a main flow of filling material and a branch that diverts filling material to form a branch flow. The branch flow takes a part of the heat energy used in a primary process for use in a secondary process. It then rejoins the main flow.

Date sugar concentrates and methods for using and making the same are provided.

A system composed of heating and vacuum elements for the purpose of removing water vapor from molasses or other high sugar concentrate substances. Alternatively, the system could be used to remove water vapor from any substance where water removal is desired. Typically, the system starts with a molasses or high sugar concentrate with a moisture content of up to 40 percent. After processing, the system produces a high sugar concentrate with a moisture content of less than 5 percent. The system uses a continuous flow vacuum evaporated process. In an alternative embodiment, a method of operating the system is also disclosed.

Solid saccharides are produced from an aqueous saccharide solution in a process, where the aqueous saccharide solution is admixed with a carrier liquid in which the saccharides are insoluble and that has a boiling point higher than that of water to obtain an aqueous admixture, and where the aqueous admixture is subjected to an evaporation step. The heat for the evaporation is at least partially supplied by a heated surface area to yield a vapor fraction including water and a residue fraction including solid saccharides and carrier liquid.

The process of producing concentrated maple sap can include concentrating the maple sap using membrane filtration to a sugar content of approximately 30? Brix, circulating the maple through a maple sap passage of a membrane, wherein the membrane contains the maple sap in a vacuum cavity, and evaporating the water from the maple sap across the membrane into the cavity. The concentrated maple sap having a sugar content above 50? Brix.

The process of producing concentrated maple sap can include concentrating the maple sap using membrane filtration to a sugar content of approximately 30? Brix, circulating the maple through a maple sap passage of a membrane, wherein the membrane contains the maple sap in a vacuum cavity, and evaporating the water from the maple sap across the membrane into the cavity. The concentrated maple sap having a sugar content above 50? Brix.

A method of enriching a material comprising glucose, fructose, and one or more components inert to isomerization using chromatography to produce a high purity fructose product. An embodiment of the method purifies high fructose corn syrup from a feedstock into three product streams: a first fraction rich in glucose, a second fructose product comprising an extract of fructose purity exceeding about 95%, and a third less pure fructose fraction comprising fructose ranging from about 55% to about 90% fructose purity. The third less pure fructose fraction may be combined with 42% fructose syrup to produce saleable mid-purity fructose product, such as having 55% fructose purity. An SMB system is also disclosed and comprises a first SMB separator, a second SMB separator, and an isomerization chamber.

A distillation apparatus includes an evaporator-condenser heat exchanger in combination with a compressor. The heat exchanger is mounted to float in an at least partially immersed position in a sump of liquid. The liquid may be a sap, or may be soiled water, and may have suspended solid. Heating of the liquid yield steam, the steam is compressed, and the heated, compressed steam is fed back into the heat exchanger to provide further heat to the liquid. The process yields a concentrated in the liquid bath and distilled water, each of which may be a desired product. The system may include a pre-heater that exchanges residual heat from the hot distillate with the cooler input liquid. The apparatus and process may have multiple stages.

The invention relates to a method the preparation of an inverted sugar product, called high test molasses, using novel reaction parameters. More particularly it relates to the preparation of high-test molasses using an acid wherein the loss of sugar due to use of acid and high temperature as in conventional method is eliminated.

Dual-process solvent and sugar production plants are provided in which inputs to the solvent production sub-system are received from the sugar product sub-system, which are both driven and supplied inputs from a shared pre-evaporator system. Improvements to the heat integration and dehydration technologies available for use in the plants are also provided, which may be used for initial construction, retrofit, replacement, or expansion of previous separation sections in the plants.