Monday, February 16, 2009

Determination of Brix in the molasses sample

Bambang Eddy Santoso
Pusat Penelitian Perkebunan Gula Indonesia
Jl. Pahlawan 25 Pasuruan 67126. Telp. (0343) 421087. Fax (0343) 421178



ABSTRACT

Examination of the molasses brix determination has been carried out to intend the influence of measuring apparatus, dilution factors and calculating methods in the molasses brix, and to select the suitable treatment of its. The treatment consist of two of measuring apparatus (pycnometer and refractometer), six of dilution factors (1,5; 2; 3; 4; 5; 7,5 dan 10 times, w/w) and two ways of calculation methods [1rst calculation = (diluted brix + correction) x dilution factor and 2nd calculation = diluted brix x dilution factor + correction]; and each of its were repeated by 8 times (i.e. molasses sample from eight of different sugar factories). The result showed that the treatment of dilution factors and calculation methods influence molasses brix. The 1.5 to 2.0 of dilution factors by 1rst calculation method (86.59 to 86.74 %) have same result of molasses brix with 1.5 to 10.0 of dilution factors by 2nd calculation method (86.38 to 86.47 %), and the 3.0 to 10.0 of dilution factors by 1rst calculation method (87.53 to 88.85 %) have different result of molasses brix with the other treatment. In fact, the 1rst calculation method have constant result of molasses brix by all dilution factors. From the parsing on the above could was chosen suitable method for molasses brix determination i.e. using refractometer, 2 times (w/w) of dilution factor and could be calculated by 1rst or 2nd calculation methods.

Key words: Molasses brix determination, measuring apparat, dilution factor,
calculation method, chosen suitable method.

No comments: