Crystallization occurs in a boiling pan

Crystallization occurs in a vacuum boiling pan. This juice or syrup is placed in vacuum pans and evaporated until it becomes saturated. Seed crystals are added during a batch to grow sugar crystals. The process continues until a specified crystal size is reached.

Supersaturation is the driving force behind crystal growth, and the rate of crystallization depends on this multivariable function of various parameters. If supersaturation deviates beyond its limit, the crystals will stop growing and may even melt. If the level of supersaturation increases too much, new crystals will spontaneously form. Spontaneous nucleation results in low-quality crystals with irregular shapes and sizes (crystals and conglomerates) that require reprocessing.

The efficiency of the factory, the quality of the sugar product, the capacity of the plant, and the thermal balance depend on the operation and control of vacuum pans to produce a high-quality cooked mass.