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Klaushofer, H.; Pollach, G.: On the problem of sugar losses by highly thermophilic micro-organisms in beet sugar factories. I. Correlation between sugar decomposition and acid formation (German). Zucker 25 (1972) pp. 157-165.   List of papers

Abstract: The sugar losses caused by microbial acid formation in beet sugar factory diffusers were investigated. The ratio between the quantity of acid formed and the quantity of sugar decomposed was determined for a large number of bacterial strains and cultures in the form of infected diffusion juices in order to be able to calculate sucrose losses from an increase in diffusion juice acids. According to the type of highly thermophilic micro-organism, 0.8 - 1.1 meq of acid was obtained per 100 mg of sugar. Average values given in the literature for mixed cultures of highly thermophilic bacilli are all lower, and in most cases considerable scatter is indicated. Further tests were carried out in an endeavour to find the sugar losses direct from the fall in pH in the diffuser, having regard to the buffering capacity of diffusion juices. To be able to evaluate the quantities of acid discharged with pressed pulp and acting as an extra loss, the buffering capacity of the constituents of such pulp was investigated.