Sugar Crystallization: Lab Report on Optimization Techniques

This lab report details the process of sugar crystallization, focusing on optimizing the process for efficiency. The experiment involves crystallizing raw sugar using standard lab equipment and techniques, including the preparation of a supersaturated solution and the introduction of a seed crystal to enhance crystal formation. The report discusses the effect of temperature on sugar solubility, the impact of impurities on boiling point, and the observation of crystal growth over a week. Optimization strategies, such as using a seed crystal to accelerate nucleation, are explored and compared with a control beaker without a seed. The report concludes that introducing a seed crystal significantly reduces the time required for crystal formation by providing a surface for crystal lattice development, thereby bypassing the need for random molecular collisions.

RUNNING HEAD: Sugar crystallization 1
Sugar crystallization lab work
Students name
Name of institution

Sugar crystallization 2
Introduction
Crystallization is the process of separating pure compounds from a mixture of impurities and
is commonly used in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The formation of this
crystalline structure requires less foreign molecules in its lattice, and thus an important task
(Myerson, 2002). Sugar crystallization is being improved especially in the optimization part.
This report explains the process of sugar crystallization using lab equipment and how the
process can be optimized to further its efficiency.
Objectives
To crystallize raw sugar and optimize the process.
Materials required
 beaker tongs
 water
 weight
 pen or pencil (for placing across the jars diameter)
 sugar (2 cups)
 glass stirring rod
 string
 wire mesh screen
 ring and stand
 Bunsen burner
 Beaker
Procedure
Day 1

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 Cut a string longer than the jars height
 Attach weight to bottom of string
 Use a tape to attach the string to a pen/pencil and place across the jars diameter,
such that it reaches near the bottom of the jar
 Use water to wet the string. also apply a light coating of sugar to the string to act as
the seed crystal.
 Hang the string to dry overnight.
day 2
1. Put about ½ of water into the beaker
2. Place the ring on the stand at a height that makes it easy for the Bunsen burner
flame to reach it.
3. Put the wire mesh on the ring and place the beaker on top of it
4. Put on the Bunsen burner flame and boil gently until the water starts to boil.
5. Monitor the Bunsen burner as someone else goes for 2 cups of sugar.
6. When the water is boiling, add a cup of sugar as you stir continuously using the
stirring rod. Put the beaker back to boil as it can stop in the process of adding sugar.
Extra caution when setting the flame to avoid burning the beaker.
7. Slowly add the remaining amount of sugar when the mixture starts to boil again.
after which return the beaker for a small boil.
8. Confirm that all the added sugar has dissolved. Put off the flame and leave the
beaker to cool for a few minutes. Avoid shaking or disturbing the beaker.
9. Upon cooling, use the beaker tongs to pour the solution into the glass jar(S).
10. Take the prepared strings and place them across the diameter of the jars.

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11. Carefully place the glass jars at the observation counter at the back without shaking
its contents or alternatively leave it in its current position without disturbing it.
12. Use soap and lots of water to wash off the beaker used.
13. Create a data table to use to record your observations across the week.
Results
1. For purposes of dissolving the sugar, heat had to be applied. Increasing the
temperature of the water increases its solubility rate and thus can hold more
sugar content (Luo, 2018). The solution forms a super saturated solution when it
cools, and still holds the sugar until crystallization starts to happen or if the
beaker is agitated.
2. Adding sugar to the beaker causes the water to stop boiling because addition of
impurities increases the boiling point of water. Solutes form new bonds when
added to a solvent thus more energy is needed to break down the bonds (Honig,
2013) .
3. Crystal formation increased day by day across the week. With the crystals being
harder and harder
Optimization
The process of sugar crystallization can be increased by using a seed crystal (Iswanto,
2006). Which is simply a crystal sample from which a bigger crystal can be obtained from
in a laboratory. The light coating applied to the string before the start of the experiment
accomplished this purpose. This procedure helps by avoiding the rather time consuming
method of natural crystal formation. Optimization in the industries can be achieved by
adding the seed in a supersaturated solution and then allowing it to cool (Washington,
DC: U.S Patent No. U.S. Patent No. 3,981,739., 1974). when a control beaker (without

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seed) is used concurrently during the experiment it is observed that the control beaker
takes a longer period to start forming the crystals when compared to the crystals formed
in the jar containing the seed. The science behind this is the effect of intramolecular
interactions physically on a supersaturated solution. Introduction of a seed crystal
removes the need for random collisions or interactions between the components and
thus leads to the formation of a crystal lattice. This process of forming a crystal lattice in
a solution from a solute is referred to as nucleation (Vesselinov, 2016).

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References
Honig, P. (2013). Crystallization. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science.
Iswanto, N. H. (2006). The growth rate spread of sugar seed crystals. International sugar
journal, 711-717.
Luo, J. G. (2018). Separation of Sucrose and Reducing Sugar in Cane Molasses by
Nanofiltration. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 18.
Morris Dmitrovsky, A. H. (1974). Washington, DC: U.S Patent No. U.S. Patent No. 3,981,739.
Myerson, A. (2002). Handbook of Industrial Crystallization. Oxford : Butterworth-
Heinemann.
Vesselinov, M. I. (2016). Crystal growth for beginners: fundamentals of nucleation, crystal
growth and epitaxy. Singapore: World Scientific.