The elimination of filtercake in a cane sugar factory by recycling defecation muds to the extraction plant

Mud recycle is a process option for cane sugar factories which eliminates the need for a filter station by using the bed of shredded cane in the extraction plant to separate mud solids from the juice. Mud recycle at diffuser factories in South Africa has proven very successful, and by the 2000 season most factories had switched to mud recycle. This paper describes the mud recycle system at Maidstone mill and discusses the performance of the system during the 1999 season. The benefits of mud recycle are presented in terms of both ease of operation and automation, and cost savings. Preliminary results from a mud recycle trial at a milling tandem factory are also presented.