The Sugar Mill: Origins and Evolution, Part 9: Rollers, More Rollers, and Battling Corrosion

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Introduction   

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is a perennial grass of the family Poaceae. It is primarily cultivated for its juice, from which alcohol (through fermentation and distillation) and sugar (through dehydration and refining) can be obtained. Most of the world’s sugarcane is grown in subtropical and tropical areas.

It is commonly accepted today that sugarcane originated in Papua, New Guinea, where it was initially domesticated. The plant was then taken to other lands by traders, where its sweet virtues quickly made it a sought-after commodity.

It is also commonly accepted that around 10,000 years ago, the original inhabitants of Papua did not have tools to process the cane, meaning that they likely chewed it raw to extract the juice, which was consumed as- is (Noël Deerr, The History of Sugar: Volume One).

                    The Sugar Mill: Origins and Evolution

  Part 9: Rollers, More Rollers, and Battling Corrosion

Not much written history exists that documents the early extraction of the juice for the purpose of dehydration and formation of sugar crystals until the publication of De Materia Medica, a pharmacopoeia of medicinal plants and the medicines that can be obtained from them, which was written between the years 50 and 70 of the current era by Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the Roman army. This is the oldest record documenting the existence of crystalized sugar, which was used at the time to “treat indigestion and stomach ailments.”

How did people manage to extract the dissolved sugar from the juice? The answers to this question are at the core of this series. so join us, as we explore this fascinating topic!

In Part 8 of this series, we explored Eugene Powell’s and G. H. Laub’s inventions.  Powell’s invention consisted of five small rollers that exerted pressure on a larger, central cylinder.  Taking the concept of “more is better” to the next level, T. Grundmann (from Stephenson, Illinois) designed an invention that incorporated a total of eight rollers, laid out in four sets of two rollers each, placed in a square frame affixed around a large, central cylinder (see diagrams on page 44).  Grundmann applied for, and was granted US Patent number 27,900 on April 17, 1860.

Up to this point, all the inventions featured in this series have been aimed at increasing the quantity of extracted sugarcane juice and to reducing the amount of time needed for said extraction.  Both of these conditions were driven by the large market demand for sugar.

Oxidation and Corrosion

When sugarcane juice is squeezed out of the cane (when it is “expressed”), the juice comes into contact with the surfaces of the instruments being employed to express it: gears, rollers, pans, etc.  Cast iron is very susceptible to corrosion and the pH and Brix (sugar content) of the cane juice make it an excellent corrosive agent.  The downside of the corrosion is twofold: first is the damage to the equipment involved (reduced operating life) and second is the damage to the expressed juice, which is now contaminated with the by-products of the iron oxidation.

Quality-centered innovations speak to strong economies with “premium” consumption tiers that are willing to pay more for better or more refined goods than those that are already available at a lower price.

William T. Dennis

The first patented invention to address this issue comes from inventor W. T. Dennis of Richmond, Indiana.  It consisted of rollers plated or covered “with tin or any other suitable anti-corrosive metal or substance”.  The full description of the patent application can be seen above, and the accompanying diagram is shown to the left.  William Dennis was awarded US Patent 22,711 on January 25, 1859.

            Sugar Mill Spotlight

Former sugarcane factory at the Mariënburg Plantation in Suriname, South America.  Mariënburg was founded as a sugar plantation by Maria de la Jaille in 1745.  The plantation was later abandoned and was purchased by the Netherlands Trading Society (NHM) in 1882.  The NHM operated the plantation in part with Javanese indentured laborers from the then Dutch East Indies. 

Join us again next month, as we continue to explore this fascinating topic!