Granulated beet pulp: production, application, composition. Icarus: pulp as a valuable product of beet sugar production Dry pulp

Dry matter of pulp consists of (in %%): pectin substances 48-50, cellulose 22-25, hemicellulose 21-23, nitrogenous substances 1.8-2.5, ash 0.8-1.3, sugar 0.15 -0.20. In addition, fresh raw pulp contains vitamin C and protein. Pulp also contains lysine and threonine, the most deficient amino acids in grain raw materials.

The nature of the non-sugar content of pulp determines the main direction of its use (see diagram) - feeding to livestock in various forms. In terms of nutritional value, pulp occupies a middle position between such natural feeds as oats and meadow hay, being inferior to them only slightly in terms of the content of nitrogenous substances. It contains 1.5 times more nitrogen-free, easily digestible substances than hay and almost as much as oats.

Raw pulp is a three-phase product consisting of solid, liquid and gas phases.

Beet pulp in its structure is a complex colloidal capillary-porous body. After desugarification in hot water of a diffusion apparatus, beet chips (raw or fresh pulp) still retain their cellular structure, but the intracellular (as well as intercellular) space is filled with a very weak (0.2%) sugar solution due to the diffusion process. In addition, during the heat treatment process, the mechanical strength of the chips is greatly weakened. In terms of particle size (length 20-70 mm, thickness 1-2 mm, width 2-4 mm), pulp belongs to a coarse medium.

The connections between moisture and material in pulp can be classified as physico-chemical (adsorption and intracellular) and physicomechanical (capillary and wetting).

When pressing the pulp, only moisture that has physical and mechanical connections is removed, and even then not completely. If it is possible to mechanically remove moisture from raw pulp, it can be distributed approximately as follows (in % of the weight of moisture in raw pulp):

After removing various types of moisture, the dry matter content in the pulp will be approximately as follows (%):

There is approximately the following classification of the boundaries of pulp dehydration:

push-up- up to a content of 10-14% dry matter;
pressing- up to 18-22% dry matter;
deep pressing- up to 35% dry matter;
drying- up to 88% dry matter.

In a sugar factory, the cost of thermal energy is many times higher than the cost of mechanical energy, so it is necessary to strive for the most complete mechanical dehydration of the pulp. This makes it possible to dramatically reduce fuel consumption for drying pulp.

The pulp water (containing a certain amount of sugar) formed during pulp pressing is returned as an extractant to the diffusion plant in order to reduce sugar losses, clean water consumption, and wastewater discharge.

Approximate chemical composition of pulp (%% by weight of the corresponding pulp)

Indicators	Fresh pulp	Pressed pulp	Sour pulp
Dry matter	6,0-9,0	14,0-20,0	11,0-15,0
Water	91,0-94,0	80,0-86,0	85,0-89,0
Crude protein	1,2-1,5	1,7-1,9	1,3-2,6
Crude fiber	3,5-4,5	5,0-7,0	2,8-4,2
Nitrogen-free extractives	4,3-6,0	8,5-10,0	2,7-5,8
Ash	0,6-1,0	1,1-1,4	0,7-1,8
Fat	0,4-0,7	0,6-0,9	0,7-1,0
Number of feed units * per 100 kg of pulp	6-9	15-20	9-11

*A unit of measurement and comparison of the nutritional value of feed, equal to the nutritional value of one kilogram of oats.

The amount of fresh pulp is approximately 83% by weight of beets. The amount of pressed pulp (15% dry matter) is approximately 36% by weight of beets.

Volumetric mass of pulp, kg/m 3:

pressed (up to 14% SV) - 500
pressed (more than 18% DM) - 550

Pulp is used as animal feed in fresh, sour or dried form. Fresh pulp is obtained in diffusion devices and contains 92-93% water and 7-8% dry matter. It can be fed in this form, but to reduce the cost and ease of transportation to consumers, part of the water is squeezed out of it and the dry matter content in it is brought to 12-14% (squeezed pulp). Sour pulp is obtained as a result of storing fresh or pressed pulp in storage facilities.

Pulp that is not fed fresh or squeezed is dried. To reduce heat consumption for drying, a significant part of the water from fresh pulp is removed using presses, bringing the dry matter content in the pulp to 18-25%. Dried pulp can be granulated.

The approximate consumption of pulp per head of cattle with a dry matter content of 17% is 27 kg per day, with a dry matter content of 9% - 51 kg per day.

When drying the pulp, coagulation of colloidal particles occurs, deformation of the cell membranes and a decrease in the original volume of the material due to the removal of moisture, resulting in the formation of dried pulp with a moisture content of 12-14%. Overdried pulp (with a moisture content of less than 10%) is very brittle, easily crumbles and wears out both in the dryer and in transport devices, forming a lot of fines and dust. Overdried pulp does not granulate well. If the moisture content is less than 10%, then during storage the pulp will pick up moisture from the air to an equilibrium humidity of 12-14%. When the moisture content of the pulp is above 14%, microorganisms can develop in it during storage, reducing the quality of the pulp and leading to its spoilage.

Dried pulp is a loose mass of particles of irregular elongated shape, which is determined by the original shape of beet chips. Dried pulp particles can be dusty or in the form of chips 20-70 mm long.

In terms of dispersion, dried pulp can be classified as coarse powders, in which the actual contact surface of the particles occupies a small fraction of the surface, as a result of which they weakly interact with each other. The smallest dust particles tend to stick together.

These characteristics make it possible to classify dried pulp as colloidal capillary-porous bodies containing adsorption-bound moisture. Depending on the relative humidity of the surrounding air, dried pulp can release or absorb moisture until it reaches an equilibrium state.

Approximate chemical composition of dried pulp (quantity in %% by weight)

The amount of dried pulp is about 5% by weight of beets.

100 kg of dried pulp contains approximately 85 feed units. The bulk (volumetric) mass of dried pulp is 250 kg/m 3 , during long-term storage it increases to 500 kg/m 3 .

2.4.2.2. Technological scheme for pressing and drying pulp

In Fig. Figure 2 shows one of the schemes for pressing and drying pulp.

The fresh pulp leaving the diffusion apparatus is fed by an elevator 4 and a screw 7 to inclined presses 6. Here the pulp is pressed to a dry matter content of 12-14%, after which it is conveyed to storage by conveyor belt 5. If the pulp is intended for drying, then it is sent by a screw 7 to vertical presses 8, where the content of dry substances in the pulp is brought to 18-25% (abroad and up to 35%). Pulp press water from presses 6 and 8 enters the diffusion plant.

The pressed pulp to be dried is fed by a screw 9 and a feeder 10 into the drying apparatus 15. Here the pulp is dried by flue gases obtained by burning fuel oil or natural gas in a furnace 14. The fuel is burned using burners 13, into which the “primary” air is pumped by a fan 12 Flue gases when drying pulp without adding molasses should have a temperature of 800-850 °C, when drying pulp with the addition of molasses the temperature of the gases decreases to 600-650 °C. Bringing the flue gases to the specified temperature and cooling the walls of the furnace is carried out by “secondary” air supplied by fan 11.

A mixture of flue gases and water vapor at a temperature of 110-120 °C is sucked out of the pulp drying apparatus by an exhauster (smoke exhauster) 2 and sent to a cyclone 3 to capture the dried pulp carried away by the gases. The collected pulp is loaded into the dried pulp screw 1, and the flue gases from the cyclone are released into the atmosphere.

Dried pulp with a moisture content of 12-14% is taken from the drying apparatus by auger 1, which feeds it into a pneumatic transport unit consisting of an ejector 17 and a fan 16, which delivers it to a warehouse or for granulation.

2.4.2.3. Basic equipment for pressing and drying pulp

2.4.2.3.1. Presses

Presses for squeezing pulp can be belt, roller and screw. Screw presses have become widespread.

Screw presses can be classified according to the following criteria:

by number of screws
- single screw;
- twin screw;
according to the location of the screws
- horizontal (one auger, two augers side by side, two augers one above the other),
- inclined,
- vertical;
by the amount of pulp pressed
- low (up to 14% dry matter),
- medium (up to 22% DM)
- deep (23-35% DM).

At domestic factories, inclined single-screw presses are used for low pressing of pulp intended for direct feeding to livestock (Fig. 3).

Fresh pulp from the diffusion apparatus enters separator 1, where part of the water is separated on sieve 2, then passes into the receiving chamber, is captured by screw 5 and moves from a space with a larger volume to a space with a smaller volume, compressing at the same time. Water passes into chamber 8 through the mesh surface of the auger and the cylindrical sieve 4. The pressed pulp is discharged through the annular space 7 and sent to the warehouse.

For medium and deep pressing of pulp up to 25% of dry matter, domestic factories use vertical presses (Fig. 4).

The raw pulp enters the receiving funnel 1 of the press, is captured by a rotating hollow conical screw 4 and moves from top to bottom, decreasing in volume. The pressed water is discharged through the stationary sieve 3 and the perforated walls of the auger 4, and the pressed pulp is discharged outward by the rotating blades 6. The degree of pulp pressing is regulated by raising the sieve cone 5, which changes the base area for the pulp to exit. Counterlegs 2 help move the pulp from top to bottom.

Vertical presses from the German company BMA (the screw is shown in Fig. 5) and horizontal twin-screw presses from the Norwegian company Atlas-Stord (Fig. 6) squeeze pulp up to 35% of dry matter.

2.4.2.3.2. Pulp drying machines

For drying pressed pulp, the most widely used are direct-flow single-drum (rotary) dryers with cross-shaped internal nozzles, operating on flue gases with a temperature of 800-900 ° C, obtained in special furnaces when burning fuel (mainly fuel oil or natural gas) with the addition in some cases exhaust flue gases from boiler houses (with a temperature of 300-350°C).

Flue gases in such devices move directly through the dried pulp and, in contact with it, quickly cool, while continuous evaporation of moisture occurs and the temperature of the pulp does not rise above the boiling point of water at steady pressure. The direct-flow movement of the dried pulp and flue gases in such devices eliminates the ignition of the dried pulp.

The drum dryer for pulp is shown in Fig. 7 and 8.

The dryer is a drum 1 with bandages 2. The bandages are supported by two pairs of rollers 3, which rotate the drum at a speed of 1.65 rpm. The drum is driven by an electric motor 4 through a gearbox. In some cases, the drum rotates using a ring gear mounted on it and a toothed gear driven by an electric motor. In this case, the rollers serve only as supports. Since the pulp is moved by hot gases, the drum is usually in a horizontal position. However, for better advancement of the pulp, the drum can be installed slightly inclined in the direction of the movement of the pulp. In both cases, to prevent axial shift of the drum, one of the tires has thrust rollers 5.

The entire internal volume of the drum is filled with cross-shaped nozzles 6 (Fig. 9.), designed for more complete use of the drum volume and uniform washing of the pulp with gases.

At one end of the drum there is a fixed part 7 with an inlet pipe 8 for pulp and helical blades 9 intended for distributing the pulp among the nozzles. The open end 12 of this fixed part receives gases produced in a separate firebox.

At the other end of the drum there is a fixed part 10, in which there is a special support device that allows you to increase the time the pulp stays in it.

Dried pulp with a moisture content of 12-14% is supplied from the drum to auger 11, which rotates from an electric motor. One part of the screw turns delivers dried pulp to pipe 13, the other part of the turns, inclined in the opposite direction, transports under-dried pulp to pipe 14, from where the pulp is sent for further drying.

Exhaust gases with a temperature of 110-120 o C are sucked through pipe 15 by a smoke exhauster (exhauster) and supplied to a cyclone to capture particles of dried pulp carried away by the gases. The vacuum in the drum is regulated by damper 16 or the guide vane of the smoke exhauster.

If the pulp catches fire, steam is released into the drum through a special communication.

To ensure uniform supply of pulp into the drum, a feeder screw with a variable speed is installed, which allows you to change the performance of the dryer.

In Fig. Figure 10 shows one of the firebox designs of a pulp drying apparatus.

The outside of the firebox is lined with ordinary brick 1, and the inside with refractory brick 2. The ceiling of the firebox is made in the form of a vault. Gas or oil burners 4 are installed in the front wall 3 of the firebox, and the loading chamber 5 of the pulp dryer is installed in the rear wall. Half-walls 6 and 7 divide the firebox into three flues. Gas duct 8 is used to burn fuel, and gas duct 9 is used to mix flue gases with air supplied through pipe 10 and bring the gas temperature to 800-850 o C.

To obtain 1 kg of dried pulp using this drying method, approximately 0.6 kg of standard fuel is required.

When burning 1 kg of high-sulfur fuel oil, 3 kg of CO 2 and 50 g of SO 2 are released into the atmosphere, and when burning 1 m3 of natural gas - 2 kg of CO 2 (there is no SO 2).

Drying pulp with flue gases leads to its contamination with carcinogenic products of fuel combustion, as a result of which such pulp cannot be used for the production of food additives and pectin, but is sent only for feed purposes. In addition, harmful substances are released into the atmosphere.

Due to the disadvantages inherent in drying pulp with flue gases and drum-type dryers (bulkiness, low efficiency, high energy costs, etc.), as well as in order to save fuel, low- and medium-potential coolants are being used for drying pulp.

Secondary energy resources are used as low-potential sources (secondary steam from the evaporator station and vacuum devices with a temperature of 60-63 o C, including condensates from the evaporator station), which heat the air supplied to dry the pulp in heaters.

Steam with a pressure of 10-22 atm or more is used as a medium-potential coolant. When drying the pulp with such steam, secondary steam with a pressure of 3-3.5 atm is formed, which is used as heating steam in the first housing of the evaporator. At the same time, fuel costs are reduced by 3-5 times compared to drying with flue gases.

Due to the seasonality of beet sugar production, pulp drying plants operate no more than 100 days a year. Naturally, the question arises about using their power during the non-production period for the preparation of concentrated and combined feed. Popular in the sugar industry, pulp dryers are universal in relation to drying plant materials.

Sugar and fodder beets, potatoes, beet tops, grain, roughage (straw) feed with molasses, green feed - alfalfa, clover and other herbs, crushed into shavings, can be dried on them. In this case, only the process mode changes in accordance with the nature of the product being dried.

2.4.2.4. Process flow diagram for pulp granulation

The low volumetric mass of dried pulp in loose form does not allow rational use of warehouse volumes and transport carrying capacity. In this regard, it is advisable to granulate dried pulp. At the same time, its volumetric mass increases several times (up to 600-800 kg/m3), losses of pulp during loading and unloading operations and transportation are significantly reduced, and the mechanization of the preparation and distribution of feed on livestock farms is facilitated.

However, dried pulp is poor in protein (nitrogenous substances), phosphorus, microelements and vitamins. To increase the feed benefits of dried pulp, molasses (a source of microelements and vitamins), defluorinated phosphates (a source of phosphorus), urea (a source of protein), sodium sulfate, and microelements (cobalt sulfate, zinc, copper) are added to it before granulation. Approximate composition of granulated amidomineral pulp (in%): dried pulp - 77, molasses - 9.5, urea - 6, defluorinated phosphate - 6, sodium sulfate - 1.5, microelements - 0.015-0.03, feed value - up to 70 feed units per 100 kg.

This pulp has the form of granules, usually cylindrical in shape ("cork" type) with a diameter of 12-25 mm and a height of up to 40 mm. The density of the granules is 1225 kg/m 3, the time for complete swelling is at least 3 hours.

For the production of amidomineral pulp in the form of granules, an installation is designed, the diagram of which is shown in Fig. 12.

Dried pulp containing 88% dry matter is accumulated in hopper 1. Then the pulp is weighed on scales 2 and through the hopper 3 enters the dispenser 4. A measured portion of dried pulp is supplied to a screw conveyor 5. A portion of defluorinated phosphate also enters here from hopper 6 through dispenser 7. Pulp and phosphate are sent to hopper 9, pass through magnetic column 10 to remove ferromagnetic impurities and enter mixer 11.

Urea from hopper 21 enters solvent-heater 22, where it is dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:1. The urea solution in mixer 23 is mixed with molasses dosed from collection 20. The mixture of molasses and urea is pumped into mixer 11 by gear pump 24.

The use of pulp in its raw form led to the need to store it in large pits, from which the pulp was taken as needed. This method of storing pulp is still used, but it is associated with extremely large losses of pulp.

Studies have shown that during 6 months of storage of raw pulp in a pulp pit, the loss of its initial weight is 65%, and the loss of nutritional value is 50%. In addition, the decomposition and fermentation products of raw beet pulp have a very unpleasant odor.

Currently, pre-pressed pulp intended for storage is transported via a belt conveyor located in a closed gallery to a pulp storage facility, the diagram of one of which is shown in Fig. 18. The pulp is unloaded from the conveyor using a mobile dumper.

The pulp storage facility is a rectangular depression dug in the ground with slopes on the sides. The bottom of the pit and side dumps are paved with large cobblestones or concreted. The bottom of the pit slopes from the center to the drainage ditches. The pulp is supplied to the vehicles by a grab tower crane.

Granulated pulp is a bulk cargo, as well as various lumps (including beets, lump refined sugar, granulated pulp, limestone, etc.), granular (including granulated sugar, raw sugar), powdery (including powdered sugar) and dusty cargo.

The amount of granulated aminomineral pulp that could potentially be produced at a sugar factory with a capacity of 3000 tons of beet processing per day with a production season of 100 days is approximately 24 thousand tons.

Up to half of the pulp received during the production season at the sugar factory is transferred to beet distributors in raw (pressed) form for use for feed purposes. The rest of the pulp is subject to drying, granulation, storage and subsequent shipment to consumers. Currently, a significant portion of beet sellers partially or completely refuse to receive raw (pressed) pulp.

Raw pulp is not constantly shipped to beet distributors, so the volume of granulated pulp produced can reach 240 tons/day or 10 tons/hour. All transport, loading and unloading and other mechanisms and devices for granulated pulp storage are designed for this productivity.

30% of the volume of granulated pulp produced per season is subject to storage (based on the conditions of uniform shipment throughout the year). However, in modern conditions, in the absence of a centrally planned, uniform removal of granulated pulp from the plant, its storage volume can reach 100% of seasonal production.

Granulated pulp is stored in warehouses in bulk, i.e. in bulk form.

The floor warehouse used in a number of domestic factories (Fig. 19) is a building built from reinforced concrete structures with a length of 54 m, a width of 36 m and a height of 22 m. The warehouse is loaded with pulp by a longitudinal over-stack inclined-horizontal belt conveyor 3. This conveyor is located on the site, in the floor of which there are holes along the conveyor for dumping the pulp onto the warehouse floor. Loading uniformity is ensured by a mobile unloading cart 1 installed on the conveyor. As a result of this loading, the pulp forms a stack in the form of a rectangular pyramid, the side of which is inclined at the angle of repose of the granulated pulp.

The granulated pulp is shipped by a bucket auger loader 5, a system of mobile belt conveyors 4 and a stationary inclined horizontal belt conveyor 2, through which the pulp is supplied for shipment through hatches into railway cars or vehicles.

The capacity of such a warehouse is 4000 tons, or 6150 m 3 of granulated pulp, with a storage volume of about 42 thousand m 3, i.e. The volume utilization rate is only about 15%. This warehouse is serviced by 10 workers per day.

In such warehouses, the work mechanization scheme (conveyor system and forklifts) does not allow for complete mechanization of all warehouse processes. With such a scheme for organizing warehouse management, the utilization rate of the warehouse volume is insignificant, and the labor consumption is very high, warehouses occupy a large area and volume, and the cost of storing and processing goods is high.

The bulk storage silos used at some foreign factories, similar to sugar silos, are largely free of these disadvantages. Compared to floor-type warehouses, silo warehouses allow large specific loads per unit area, provide protection of material from external influences, allow for comprehensive mechanization and automation of loading and unloading and transport and storage operations with minimal labor consumption, and allow operations to improve the quality of stored goods. cargo by organizing a rational storage regime, its additional processing and continuous monitoring of the safety of the cargo.

2.4.2.7. Production of non-feed substances from pulp

Beets (and therefore pulp) contain pectin, which is a gelling substance.

Gelling substances are those natural substances that have the ability to form jellies under appropriate conditions. Gelling agents are used in a number of branches of technology, but they are especially widely used in the confectionery industry for the production of marmalades, various marshmallows, jams, etc. To produce these products, the confectionery industry uses three gelling agents: pectin, agar and gelatin. The first two substances are of plant nature, and the last is animal (animal protein).

Pectin is a somewhat collective concept, combining a mixture of carbohydrates, the so-called pectin substances, widespread in the plant kingdom, where they are part of plant tissues. Especially a lot of pectin substances are contained in the pulp of fruits, in the fleshy roots of many plants (for example, in beet roots, in sunflower baskets, etc.).

The raw material for producing food pectin is dried pulp. The pulp is hydrolyzed with a 2% solution of hydrochloric acid, then the hydrolyzate is neutralized. A colloidal precipitate of pectin is isolated from it using aluminum chloride and then dried. For 1 kg of pectin, 6.5-7 kg of dried pulp and about 4.5 kg of steam are consumed.

Pectin glue is also produced from pulp. The method for producing glue is based on transferring cold water-insoluble pectin substances and Araban contained in pulp into solution. For this purpose, fresh pulp is mixed with water, thereby washing away the sugar. Then, having separated the water in the auger, the pulp is squeezed out in presses to a content of 12-15% dry matter and boiled in autoclaves at a temperature of 125 to 130 o C for approximately 40 minutes. Dissolved pectin substances are extracted from boiled pulp in autoclaves connected to a battery. The resulting extract, containing about 5% of dry substances, is filtered and then successively concentrated in an evaporator and vacuum apparatus to a content of 40-50% of dry substances. Glue yield is 2.5-3% by weight of fresh pulp.

Pulp, along with traditional uses (for livestock feed in fresh and dried form, preparation of animal feed), is used as dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is an important component of human food. They are ballast substances, including a group of polysaccharides (pectin, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, etc.), necessary for the normal functioning of the digestive system and the body as a whole. Dietary fiber normalizes cholesterol metabolism, has antioxidant and antitoxic effects, etc.

The technology for obtaining dietary fiber from pulp is based on physical methods, including pressing the pulp, drying it, grinding and sieving. Chemical reagents are not used when obtaining the product. Drying is carried out with superheated water steam, which ensures a tasteless and odorless product that can be used in food production.

Dietary fiber from pulp has a high water-holding capacity and does not contain starch or gluten. Their nutritional value ranges from 54 to 63 Kcal per 100 g of dry matter.

Beet pulp is a product of sugar beet processing. This product is not a waste of sugar production, but acts as a valuable product that is included in the feed ration for cattle. According to experts, cows consuming beet pulp improve the taste of their milk. The value of this product especially increases if fresh beet pulp is processed into a dry granular product using specialized pellet equipment.

Up to 50% of processed granulated beet pulp is exported. This is a very valuable natural food with high nutritional properties. The most valuable thing about it is its high content of fiber and pectin. It is worth noting separately that dry granulated pulp is perfectly digestible by animals.

Advantages of granulated sugar beet pulp

The advantages of beet pulp that has undergone the granulation process are as follows:
- The granulated product can be stored in packaged form for a long time, which allows you to make long-term supplies of feed for livestock.
- The feed unit of granulated pulp is 0.85, while the nutritional value is 10 times higher than that of fresh feed with a similar weight reduction.
- The absorption of protein and extractive substances from dry pulp by animals is 75%.
- When granulating or briquetting, 100 kg of raw pulp produces 7-8 kg of dry pulp.
To store dried pulp, it is more cost-effective to reduce it in volume and make it transportable; for this you should resort to granulation. This solves the problem of transporting beet pulp, since transporting fresh beet pulp is very problematic. Granulation of pulp reduces the cost of transporting it by 5 times.
In combination with other feeds, dry pulp can replace up to 50% of barley or oats in cattle diets, providing an increase in their weight gain or milk yield.

Beet pulp is used in the diet of dairy and meat cattle. This dry product is especially often given to cows to improve the taste and nutritional qualities of milk. The benefits of this product are also evidenced by the fact that about 48% of granulated beet pulp is exported.

In terms of nutritional properties, dry beet pulp is quite comparable to corn silage. However, due to its high fiber content, beet pulp should be given to cows and other animals in combination with probiotics or enzyme preparations. In terms of composition, beet pulp, which GOST is followed, contains about 45% cellulose, 50% pectin, 2% protein, 1% sugar and minerals. This dry cattle feed also contains vitamins and organic acids. In terms of nutritional value, beet pulp occupies an equal place between oats and meadow hay, while dry pulp is much easier to digest by animals.

In addition, beet pulp can be used not only in dry form, but also in its natural form (as a rule, this is practiced within a radius of 100 km from the sugar manufacturing plant). Such a limited area for consumption of fresh feed for cattle is formed due to the fact that delivery of fresh pulp over a greater distance becomes economically unprofitable due to significant financial and time costs for transportation. In addition, fresh beet pulp must be fed to animals within 2 days after production, as it quickly deteriorates, rots, becomes moldy and becomes unsuitable for consumption.

Beet pulp is most often used to feed cows and other cattle in regions where sugar factories are present.

Livestock farms usually mix fresh pulp with molasses, thus subjecting it to ensiling, and it is in this form that the pulp is fed to animals. When feeding beet pulp, straw (about 3 kg per day) is usually added to the cattle diet, and with more intensive feeding, concentrated feed is added. When feeding beet pulp to cattle, you need to take into account its characteristics. This especially applies to cows and other dairy animals. After using pulp in cows, the taste of milk is almost no different from usual, and sometimes milk yield even increases. But, unfortunately, the more pulp a cow has eaten, the faster her milk will sour. In addition, the butter from such milk will be too hard, and the cheeses will not ripen in the required time. That is why it is important to maintain proportions when mixing beet pulp with other cattle feed.

The Meat Industry Research Institute recommends observing the following proportions when consuming beet pulp. Young animals with a live weight of up to 140 kg can be fed fresh pulp at the rate of 31 kg per head per day - this is half the nutritional value. With this fattening, the daily weight gain, slaughter weight and raw fat of cattle increase. Fresh beet pulp is usually given to cows: about 50 kg per head per day, and up to 70 kg to especially large animals. It is enough to feed dairy cows up to 30 kg of beet pulp to avoid rapid milk souring.

Dried beet pulp not only has high nutritional value, but also imparts a pleasant sweetish taste to the feed, due to which cattle consume such feed more intensively and, accordingly, gain weight faster.

Beet pulp production occurs between August and February, with peak production usually occurring in September, October and November. Since transporting fresh pulp over long distances is difficult, the pulp is dried and reduced to a granular form. Thus, transportation costs are immediately reduced several times. According to storage conditions, granulated beet pulp is similar to grain, while being cheaper. And in terms of nutritional value, such granulated pulp is close to wheat bran.

For direct use, dry pulp is usually soaked in water in a ratio of 1: 3 or added to the feed in a volume of up to 10% of the total weight of the feed. In combination with mixed feed, granulated pulp replaces half of oats or barley in the cattle diet, providing an increase in animal body weight and increasing milk yield in cows. By the way, dry beet pulp is excellent for feeding not only cattle, but also other types of animals used in agriculture - for example, pigs. It has also been experimentally proven that feeding beet pulp to young animals increases the thickness of the skins, suitable for producing high-quality leather.

Beet pulp is a very popular feed additive in the diet of cattle and, importantly, Russia has reserves to increase its production. The production of granulated pulp is considered especially relevant at present.

Pulp as a valuable product of beet sugar production

Sugar factories in Russia, processing 25-26 million tons of sugar beets annually, receive about 24.0-24.5 million tons of secondary resources, most of them - 21.0-22.0 million tons - beet pulp. About 30–35% of pulp, according to various estimates, is used fresh, 25–27% is dried, the rest remains unclaimed, which reduces enterprise income and harms the environment if improperly disposed of.

Before the start of market reforms, there were no problems with the sale of beet pulp. Almost all of the pulp was used to feed cattle, since in nutritional value it occupies a middle position between oats and meadow hay. The number of cattle in rural farms totaled about 57 million heads.

In the last decade, due to a significant reduction in the number of cattle, sugar industry enterprises have come face to face with a serious environmental problem associated with the disposal of raw pulp.

Beet pulp is a unique product in its qualities. It has a high feed value: 100 kg of fresh pulp containing 15% dry matter (DM) is equivalent to 16 feed units and contains 0.6 kg of protein (digestible protein), and 100 kg of dried pulp (86% DM) is equivalent to 84 feed units and contain 4 kg of digestible protein. It is a valuable source of microelements, amino acids and proteins.

It is advisable to supply raw pulp for feeding livestock only if the distance from the plant to the farm does not exceed 25 km, because fresh pulp spoils quite quickly.

To preserve and increase the feed value of the pulp, it is ensiled, dried, granulated, enriched with protein substitutes, etc.

Sour pulp, kept in the factory storage for more than 3 days, is best suited for feeding livestock. In 100 kg of this pulp the nutrient content corresponds to 300 feed units, i.e. 240 g of digestible protein. It can be added to the diet of animals up to 30–40 kg per day; ammoniated pulp, i.e. obtained by introducing ammonia water into acidic pulp, which helps eliminate acid and enriches it with protein - from 20 to 30 kg.

Canned pulp, subjected to simple ensiling (compaction, compaction) or ensiling with the addition of acids as preservatives and substances that enrich it with nutritional components, is fed to cattle from 20 to 25 kg per day, for fattening - up to 30 kg.

Dried pulp differs slightly in chemical composition from raw pulp; its nutritional value is equal to wheat and rye bran. It is produced in loose, granulated or briquetted form. This pulp can be used directly in feeding, having previously been soaked in water in a ratio of 1:3, or as part of mixed feed up to 10%.

When granulating, molasses can be added to the pulp, thereby increasing the strength of its granules and increasing the feed value.

Dried pulp is used to obtain compound feed and create a balanced diet for animals.

Granulated beet pulp also imparts a pleasant sweet taste to the feed, which contributes to its intensive consumption by animals.

In combination with other feeds, pulp can replace up to 50% of barley or oats in cattle diets and provide an increase in their weight gain or milk yield. In pig diets it can be used up to 20–30%. Granulated beet pulp is well digested not only by cattle, but also by pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, birds, and fur-bearing animals.

According to the conditions of transportation and storage, granulated beet pulp is practically no different from grain, but at the same time it is an inexpensive feed for dairy cattle.

Beet pulp can also serve as a raw material for the production of pectin and pectin concentrates, which are currently not produced in Russia on an industrial scale, despite the great need for them in medicine, pharmacology, cosmetics, canning, confectionery, dairy, baking industries, as well as dietary fiber for the production of dietary supplements. Only in medicine, for example, low-esterified pectin, for which beet pulp serves as the raw material, is used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in children; as part of a pectin-gelatin complex with additives of physiologically active substances, it is used to treat open wounds and burns; as a hemostatic agent (accelerates bleeding control by 5–7%). In medicine, the complexing properties of pectin are also used to neutralize the effects of heavy metals and radionuclides on the human body. Dietary fiber helps eliminate certain food metabolites and pollutants from the body, and regulates physiological and biochemical processes in the digestive organs. The optimal daily intake of dietary fiber, according to various sources, ranges from 40–70 g.

Organizing the production of beet pectin at sugar factories would also make it possible to utilize a certain amount of beet pulp.

Although beet pulp has unique properties as a component for animal feed and as a raw material for other industries, this product is almost not in demand in Russia. Today, the degree of utilization of raw beet pulp remains at an extremely low level, despite a significant number of pulp dryers and granulators that have already been installed in recent years and are currently being installed at sugar factories.

In 2008, Russian sugar factories produced 350.63 thousand tons of dried pulp, more than half of which was exported - 215.46 thousand tons worth $41.127 million. Due to a decrease in sugar beet production in the European Union countries in recent years the demand for dry granulated pulp has increased. Over the past three years, exports of this valuable product to Russia have increased by 31%.

But the market for granulated beet pulp remains unstable. If in 2007 the selling price of granulated pulp reached 6 thousand rubles. for 1 ton, which stimulated the development of its production, then by August of this year the price had dropped by almost half. The dry pulp market is negatively impacted by the feed grain market, which is also a component for the production of animal feed, due to low prices.

The development of the Russian export market is hampered by the lack of full-fledged export terminals for pulp in seaports and poor logistics. There is still no adequate government support for producers, exporters and consumers of beet pulp.

This year, the expected volume of pulp production in Russia, according to Soyuzrossakhar, is 410 thousand tons, which is 60 thousand tons higher than last year. It is expected that the main buyers, as last year, will be companies specializing in its export to Europe. In 2008, 63% of production volume was exported to European countries.

But prospects for the development of the secondary resources market have already emerged. Thus, the State Program for the Development of Agriculture until 2012 gives priority to livestock farming. As part of its implementation, funds are allocated for the development of dairy and beef cattle breeding, breeding and fodder base. The deficiency of complete feed protein is one of the most important problems in livestock farming. The importance of beet pulp for the livestock and poultry industries will increasingly increase if grain prices rise on the world market. Therefore, the efforts of sugar producers to create modern capacities for processing secondary resources and organize an optimal sales system will not be in vain.

In this issue, we invite our readers to familiarize themselves with the experience of reconstructing beet pulp drying departments at sugar factories and improving beet pulp drying plants, which will contribute to the production of high-quality dried and granulated pulp and will reduce the severity of environmental problems, increase the dried pulp market and increase the efficiency of beet sugar production.

Magazine "Sugar" No. 8-2009
Article kindly provided by the editors of the magazine "Sugar"

Granulated beet pulp: production, application, composition. Icarus: pulp as a valuable product of beet sugar production Dry pulp

Pulp is a product of sugar beet processing