Innovacorp manufactures Flotation Flocculants for sugar refineries in the United States. This page is about dissolved air flotation (DAF) in the refinery melt clarification stage, where phosphatation and polymer work together to float colour bodies out of the liquor. It is not a juice settling page. The focus here is on the flotation mechanism, the polymer characteristics that matter in a DAF system, and the refinery context where this application fits. For the juice clarification flocculant that uses settling clarifiers, see our flocculant for sugar juice clarification in the USA.
In a settling clarifier, the floc needs to be dense. Gravity does the work, and a heavier floc settles faster and carries more mud down with it. In a flotation system, the requirement is the opposite. The floc needs to be light enough and have the right surface characteristics to attach to air bubbles and rise to the surface.
This is why a flocculant that performs well in a juice clarifier may not be the best choice for a DAF system. The polymer still bridges particles, but the floc structure has to be compatible with bubble attachment. High-molecular-weight anionic polyacrylamides are used in phosphatation flotation because they increase floc size and improve the retention of air bubbles within the floc structure. The floc rises with the bubbles, carrying the colour bodies and calcium phosphate precipitate to the surface as a scum layer that is removed.
The practical consequence for specification is that flotation flocculant selection cannot be based on settling tests alone. A jar test that measures settling rate tells you about gravity separation. It does not tell you how the floc will behave in a DAF system where air is the driving force.
Phosphatation is the clarification process used in many sugar refineries for melt liquor treatment. Phosphoric acid and lime are added to form a calcium phosphate precipitate, which captures colour bodies and colloidal impurities. The precipitate is then removed, and flotation is a common way to do it.
The flocculant is dosed to bridge the calcium phosphate particles and colour bodies into larger flocs. In a DAF system, pressurized air is dissolved into the liquor and released as micro-bubbles. The bubbles attach to the flocs, and the buoyancy of the bubble-floc aggregate carries it to the surface. The clarified liquor is drawn off from below, and the scum is removed from the top.
The flocculant's role is to make the floc big enough and structured correctly for bubble attachment. If the floc is too small, the bubbles cannot attach effectively. If the floc is too dense or too tightly bound, it may not rise. The polymer chemistry and the dose have to be matched to the DAF system's operating conditions, not just to the liquor's particle size.
Phosphatation flotation involves more than one chemical, and it is easy to confuse the roles.
Anionic polyacrylamide flocculants are the bridging polymers. They aggregate the precipitate particles into larger flocs that can attach to bubbles. This is the product category covered by this page.
Cationic surfactants are sometimes used alongside phosphatation for colour precipitation. They work by reacting with anionic colour bodies to form insoluble complexes, which are then removed with the precipitate. They are not flocculants in the same sense. A cationic surfactant can improve colour removal, but it does not provide the bridging and floc structure that a polyacrylamide provides. The two work in different ways, and a refinery programme may use both for different purposes.
US sugar refining is concentrated in cane refineries along the Gulf Coast and East Coast, and beet processing plants in the northern states. The flotation application is primarily a refinery-side process, not a raw juice process.
Cane refineries (Louisiana, Florida, Gulf Coast): the refinery receives raw sugar and processes it through affination, melt clarification, decolorization and crystallization. Melt clarification is where phosphatation and flotation are used. The flocculant selection depends on the melt liquor colour load and the DAF system design.
Beet factories (Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, Michigan): beet processing has its own clarification sequence, and flotation may be used in specific stages depending on the plant configuration. The chemistry of beet melt liquor is different from cane, and the flocculant selection reflects that difference.
Both regions: the goal is the same. Remove colour bodies before the liquor reaches the crystallizers so that the final sugar meets the colour specification. Flotation performance directly affects the colour load on the downstream decolorization stage.
Indicative values from our flotation flocculant range. Final specification is confirmed against your melt liquor analysis and DAF system design. TDS is shared before order.
| Parameter | Typical Value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White granular powder |
| Chemistry | Anionic Polyacrylamide (APAM) |
| Molecular Weight | High (grade dependent) |
| Charge Density | Grade dependent; confirmed on TDS |
| pH (0.1% solution) | 6.0 – 8.0 |
| Shelf Life | 24 months in unopened original packing |
TDS on request. Values vary by grade and DAF system operating conditions.
Dosage depends on the melt liquor colour load, the phosphatation conditions and the DAF system design. Typical starting ranges are 1 to 10 ppm on melt solids, confirmed by plant trial. This is a starting range, not a fixed recommendation.
In a DAF system, the flocculant dose interacts with the air-to-solids ratio, the recycle flow and the residence time in the flotation cell. A dose that works in one DAF system may need adjustment in another because the bubble size distribution and the mixing intensity are different. The plant trial should check flotation rate, scum density and clarified liquor colour, not just the floc size in a beaker.
Over-dosing is a real risk in flotation. Too much polymer can make the floc too dense or too tightly bound, which reduces bubble attachment and causes the floc to sink instead of rise. The dose window is often narrower than in settling applications, which is why jar tests and plant trials are essential.
Standard packing is 25 kg HDPE bags with inner liner and 500 kg jumbo bags. Store in a cool, dry area away from moisture and direct sunlight. The powder is hygroscopic and can cake if exposed to humidity. Keep bags sealed until use. Prepare the working solution in clean water and use it within the recommended time; dilute polymer solutions lose effectiveness on standing. Refer to the product SDS for handling and personal protective equipment requirements.
Flotation flocculant selection depends on the DAF system design, the melt liquor colour load and the phosphatation conditions. A product that works in one refinery may need adjustment in another because the flotation cell and the liquor chemistry are different. We prefer to review your DAF system details, melt liquor analysis and current phosphatation practice before recommending a grade and starting dose. Share your details with our technical team. Call +91-9312871070.
Q. How do flotation flocculants differ from settling flocculants in sugar refining?
Flotation flocculants are selected for their ability to attach to air bubbles, not just to settle. In a
dissolved air flotation system, the floc must be light enough and have the right surface characteristics to
rise to the top with the bubbles. Settling flocculants are selected for density and settling rate. The same
polymer chemistry can sometimes work for both, but the grade selection and dose are different.
Q. Where does flotation fit in a US sugar refinery?
Flotation is typically used in the refinery melt clarification stage, where affined sugar is dissolved and
treated with phosphatation. The calcium phosphate precipitate, along with colour bodies, is floated to the
surface and removed. This is different from juice clarification in a cane mill, which uses settling
clarifiers.
Q. How is flotation flocculant dosage determined for a refinery?
Dosage depends on the melt liquor colour load, the phosphatation conditions and the DAF system design.
Typical starting ranges are 1 to 10 ppm on melt solids, confirmed by plant trial. The trial should check
flotation rate, scum density and clarified liquor colour.
Q. What polymer chemistry is used for flotation in sugar refining?
High-molecular-weight anionic polyacrylamides are the standard flotation flocculants for phosphatation.
They bridge the calcium phosphate particles and colour bodies into larger flocs that can attach to air
bubbles. Cationic surfactants are sometimes used alongside phosphatation for colour precipitation, but they
work through a different mechanism and are not flotation flocculants.
Call +91-9312871070 to discuss your DAF system and request TDS for the flotation flocculant grade that fits your melt clarification process.
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