Technology modification for reduction of starch losses
In the tapioca starch manufacturing process, starch losses occur mainly at the centrifugal screen extractors used for removal of fiber and pulp from the starch slurry. The starch-processing plants usually use a two- or three-stage fiber separation screen arrangement of various sizes, i.e., coarse, medium, and fine. A conical screen extractor works by centrifugal force that passes the starch slurry through a filter cloth. One of the studied companies employed a two-stage extraction system, including coarse and fine screens. Each stage contained eight conical screen extractors. The data showed that the company had lost starch in fiber extraction by 30.1 kg/ton starch. The conventional 5 months after replacement of a screen system. Note that the savings are compared with the use of four fine-screen conical extractors