Sweetener Manufacturers: Sucrose/Xylitol/Steviol Glycosides

I. Customer Pain Points

Sweetener manufacturers (sucrose, xylitol, steviol glycosides) face three core challenges in the extraction, refining, and compounding processes: pigment residue, insufficient sweetness purity, and loss of functional components. These issues directly threaten product quality and market access. Pigment Residue, Substandard Product Color: Sucrose refining solution contains caramel color (200-1000 mg/L) and melanoidins (150-800 mg/L); xylitol hydrolysate contains lignin (100-500 mg/L); and steviol glycoside extract contains chlorophyll (50-300 mg/L). Traditional ion exchange resins can only remove 40% of the pigments, resulting in sucrose whiteness <85% (National Standard GB). The requirements of 317-2018 stipulate that the whiteness of the product must be ≥90%, xylitol should be "light brown" (color value > 8 yellow), and steviol glycosides should be "dark green" (chlorophyll residue > 10 mg/kg). A sugarcane factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Charcoal Technology, had 10 tons of its product returned due to substandard whiteness, resulting in a loss of over 400,000 yuan.

Insufficient sweetness purity hinders access to the high-end market.

Steviol glycosides must meet the requirements of EU EC 1333/2008 "stevioside purity ≥95%" and US FDA 21 CFR Part 172 "Reb A content ≥40%". However, traditional "activated carbon decolorization" is not optimized for steviol glycoside molecules (molecular diameter ≈ 0.8 nm), resulting in an effective ingredient adsorption loss rate >20%, and high-end products accounting for only 18% (2022 industry data).

Loss of functional ingredients leads to low product added value.

Xylitol contains arabinose (a functional ingredient with a molecular diameter of ≈0.6nm) and steviol glycosides contain Reb D (a functional ingredient, ≈0.9nm). Traditional powdered activated carbon (PAC) has an adsorption rate of >25% for these functional ingredients, resulting in a 30% decrease in product added value (a xylitol factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, loses over 800,000 yuan worth of functional ingredients annually).

II. Application Objectives

Sweetener companies adopt activated carbon with four core objectives, focusing on "color compliance, purity improvement, functional preservation, and cost reduction": Deep decolorization to ensure color compliance. Through food-grade woody PAC (200 mesh), sucrose caramel color (removal rate >99%), xylitol lignin (removal rate >98%), and steviol chlorophyll (removal rate >99%) are precisely adsorbed. Sucrose whiteness is increased to ≥92% (superior to national standard GB 317-2018), xylitol color value ≤5 yellow, and steviol chlorophyll residue <1mg/kg. After use by a sugarcane factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, the whiteness compliance rate increased from 65% to 99%.

Enhancing Sweetness Purity and Breaking into the High-End Market: Using mesoporous activated carbon (55% of which is 2-50nm) to adsorb impurities in steviol glycosides (such as steviolin, ≈0.7nm) while retaining Rebaudioside A (≈0.85nm), the purity is increased to >95% (Rebaudioside A content ≥45%), meeting EU EC 1333/2008 and US FDA standards. After using this technology, a steviol glycoside factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, saw its high-end product proportion increase from 18% to 60%, and its unit price increase by 25%.

Retaining Functional Components and Enhancing Added Value: Utilizing the oxygen-containing functional groups (-OH, -COOH) on the surface of activated carbon to electrostatically repel arabinose (xylitol, ≈0.6nm) and Rebaudioside D (stevioside, ≈0.9nm), the retention rate of functional components is >95% (compared to 75% for traditional PAC). A xylitol factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, has increased the annual value of functional components by 760,000 yuan. Reduce refining costs and replace high-energy-consuming processes. The operating cost of activated carbon technology is only 0.6-1.2 yuan/ton of feed solution (1/3 of that of ion exchange), and it can be regenerated 3-5 times (regeneration cost is 30% of new carbon). A sugarcane factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, reduced its annual decolorization cost from 600,000 yuan to 220,000 yuan, a decrease of 63.3%.

III. Application Significance

The application of activated carbon in sweetener companies is a core support for enterprises' "quality baseline + high-end breakthrough + added value enhancement": Quality baseline: Globally, 55% of sweetener products are returned due to "color/purity defects." Activated carbon is one of the few technologies that can simultaneously remove caramel color, lignin, and chlorophyll while retaining sweet components, directly avoiding "product scrap" (for example, a steviol glycoside factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, saved 500,000 yuan/year after using it).

High-end Breakthrough: The EU and US require steviol glycosides to have a purity of ≥95%. Activated carbon's "mesoporous adsorption + functional retention" process is the only way to meet these requirements at low cost. After using this technology, one company saw its high-end product exports increase from 8 tons/month to 25 tons/month, gaining access to the EU market.

Added Value Enhancement: The retention rate of functional components increased from 75% to 95%. A xylitol factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, saw its annual profit increase by 760,000 yuan, equivalent to a 3 percentage point increase in gross profit margin.

IV. Application History

The application of activated carbon in sweetener companies has deepened alongside the "upgrading of sweetener purity requirements + explosive growth in functional demand":

1960s: Initial Stage. Domino Sugar in the US first used woody PAC (100 mesh) to treat refined sucrose liquor (containing 500 mg/L of caramel color). Through "adsorption-filtration," the whiteness was increased from 80% to 88%, becoming the world's first case of using activated carbon to improve the color of sweeteners.

2020s: The Intelligentization Phase. China's "14th Five-Year Plan for Food Industry Development" requires that "the retention rate of functional components in sweeteners be ≥90%." Activated carbon, combined with an "online color value/purity monitoring + automatic dosing" system, achieves precise adsorption (e.g., automatically adjusting the PAC dosage based on the chlorophyll concentration of the steviol glycoside extract), reducing operating costs by 25%.

V. Mechanism of Action

Activated carbon addresses the issues of substandard color, insufficient purity, and functional loss in sweeteners through a triple mechanism of physical adsorption, chemical selectivity, and pore size matching:

1. Physical Adsorption: Targeted Sieving of Pore Structure

Mesopores (2-50nm): Accounting for 55% of the total pore volume (specifically designed for sweetener molecules), it adsorbs medium-molecular-weight pigments (caramel ≈ 0.6nm, lignin ≈ 0.8nm, chlorophyll ≈ 0.9nm) via van der Waals forces, achieving an adsorption capacity of 300-500 mg pigment/g char (twice that of ordinary activated carbon), with an adsorption loss rate of <5% for sweet components (sucrose ≈ 0.5nm, xylitol ≈ 0.55nm, steviol glycosides ≈ 0.8nm).

Micropores (<2nm): Serving as a "deep purification channel," it adsorbs small molecule impurities (such as steviol ≈ 0.7nm), achieving a removal rate >95%. 1. **Large Pores (>50nm):** Serving as an "inlet channel," allowing large suspended molecules (>1μm) to enter the activated carbon interior, reducing the load on subsequent filtration.

2. Chemical Selectivity: Precise retention of surface functional groups.

The oxygen-containing functional groups (-OH, -COOH) on the activated carbon surface repel functional components (arabinose ≈ 0.6nm, rebaudioside D ≈ 0.9nm) through electrostatic repulsion, achieving a retention rate >95% (compared to 75% for traditional PAC).

3. Synergistic Regeneration: A "Key Step" in Cost Reduction.

Powdered activated carbon (PAC): After being mixed with sweetener residue, it is regenerated through high-temperature incineration (850℃), achieving a heat recovery rate >80%. The ash can be used as fertilizer raw material (containing ≥3% potassium). Granular Activated Carbon (GAC): Through steam regeneration (180-200℃, 0.3MPa), adsorbed pigments are desorbed into gaseous organic matter, which is then incinerated in a boiler (calorific value ≥15000kJ/kg). The regenerated carbon's adsorption capacity is restored to 85% of that of new carbon, and the cost is only 30% of that of new carbon.

VI. Application Methods

Sweetener companies use a combined process of "solution decolorization (PAC) + sweetness purification (mesoporous GAC) + functional retention," covering all scenarios involving sucrose, xylitol, and steviol glycosides:

1. Sucrose/Xylitol Decolorization: Food-grade PAC adsorption
Applicable scenarios: Sucrose refined liquid (caramel color 200-1000mg/L, whiteness <85%), xylitol hydrolysate (lignin 100-500mg/L, color value >8 yellow). Process Steps:

• Pretreatment: Sucrose refined liquor → Clarification tank (removal of suspended solids, SS≤30mg/L); Xylitol hydrolysate → Neutralization tank (adjust pH=7-8 with NaOH).
• PAC Adsorption: The feed solution enters the adsorption tank, and 50-100mg/L of food-grade wood-based PAC (200 mesh, iodine value ≥1000mg/g, ash content ≤3%) is added. Stir for 20 minutes until the sucrose whiteness increases to ≥92% (caramel color removal rate >99%) and the xylitol color value is ≤5 (lignin removal rate >98%).
• Separation: PAC is separated from the feed solution using a plate and frame filter press (filter cake moisture content ≤60%).

2. Stevia Glycoside Purification: Mesoporous GAC Fixed Bed

Applicable Scenarios: Stevia glycoside extract (containing chlorophyll 50-300mg/L, steviol 100-500mg/L, purity <90%). Process Steps:
1. Extraction Solution → Fixed Bed of Mesoporous Granular Activated Carbon (GAC, Φ3-6mm, mesoporous content 55%, iodine value ≥900mg/g) → Flow Rate 5-10m/h, Contact Time 20-30 minutes → Output Chlorophyll <1mg/kg, Stevioside <50mg/L, Purity >95% (Rebaudioside A ≥45%).

3. Functional Component Retention: Modified Activated Carbon Adsorption

Applicable Scenarios: Xylitol (Arabinose Retention Required), Steviosides (Rebaudioside D Retention Required).

Process Steps:
Purified Solution → Modified Activated Carbon (Carboxyl-Loaded, Φ3-6mm) Adsorption Column → Flow Rate 5-8m/h → Arabicose Retention Rate >95%, Rebaudioside D Retention Rate >95%.

VII. Application Process

Taking a stevioside factory (annual production of 500 tons, extract containing 150 mg/L chlorophyll and 300 mg/L stevioside, purity 88%), a cooperative client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, as an example:

• Extract Pretreatment: Stevia repens dried leaves → Ethanol extraction → Concentrated extract (chlorophyll 150 mg/L, stevioside 300 mg/L) → Filtration (removal of suspended solids, SS ≤ 20 mg/L).
• PAC Decolorization: The concentrated extract enters adsorption tanks (2 tanks, 300 m³ each), adds woody PAC (200 mesh, 50 mg/L), stirs for 20 minutes → Plate and frame filtration → filtrate chlorophyll < 5 mg/L.
• Mesoporous GAC Purification: Filtrate enters a GAC ​​fixed bed (2 units, each with 10 tons of carbon, Φ3-6mm, mesoporous content 55%) → Flow rate 8m/h, contact time 25 minutes → Output steviol <40mg/L, purity 95.5% (rebaudioside A 46%).
• Functional Retention: Purified solution → Modified activated carbon adsorption column (2 units, each with 5 tons of carbon, loaded with carboxyl groups) → Flow rate 6m/h → Rebaudioside D retention rate 96%.
• Drying and Packaging: Purified solution → Spray drying (180℃, 10 seconds) → Stevioside powder (purity 95.5%, conforming to EU EC 1333/2008) → Packaging.
• Regeneration and Reuse: After GAC saturation → Steam regeneration furnace (180℃, 0.3MPa) → Desorption gas sent to boiler for incineration → Regenerated carbon returned to the fixed bed.

PAC sludge → Plate and frame filter press (60% moisture content) → High-temperature incinerator (850℃) → Ash residue to potassium fertilizer (5% potassium content).

VIII. Application Effects

After the upgrade, a steviol glycoside plant saw significant improvements in its core indicators (based on actual operating data from a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology):

Indicators	Before modification (ion exchange method)	After modification (PAC + GAC with central hole)	Increase/Decrease	Compliance Status:
Chlorophyll Residue (mg/kg)	150	＜1	Decrease by 99.3%	Color Compliant
Steviol Glycoside Purity (%)	88	95.5	Increase by 8.5%	Compliant with EC 1333/2008
Rebaudioside A Content (%)	38	46	Increase by 21.1%	Compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 172
Functional Ingredient Retention Rate (%)	75	96	Increase by 28%	—
Annual Refining Cost (RMB 10,000)	80	28	Decrease by 65%	—
Percentage of High-End Products (%)	18	60	Increase by 233.3%	—

IX. Core Advantages

Our customized solutions for sweetener companies possess four irreplaceable advantages:

Highly Targeted Products Matching Sweetener Characteristics: Our developed wood-based food-grade PAC (200 mesh, iodine value ≥1000mg/g) specifically adsorbs caramel color, lignin, and chlorophyll, achieving a pigment removal rate >98%. Our mesoporous GAC (55% mesoporous content) is specifically used to purify steviol glycosides, increasing purity to >95%, with a sweet component adsorption loss rate <5%.

Functionality Retention, Enhanced Added Value: Modified activated carbon retains arabinose (xylitol) and rebaudioside D (stevioside) through electrostatic repulsion, achieving a retention rate >95% (compared to 75% for traditional PAC). A xylitol factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, has seen its annual value of functional components increase by 760,000 RMB after using this solution.

Compliant and Reliable, with Full Certification Coverage: Products have passed GB 29215-2012 "Food Additives - Activated Carbon", FDA 21 CFR Part 178.3520, and EU EC 1333/2008 certifications, fully meeting global sweetener industry standards.

Controllable Costs, High Cost-Effectiveness Throughout the Life Cycle:

• Mesoporous GAC: Can be regenerated 3-5 times (regeneration cost is 30% of new carbon), initial investment is only 800,000-1,500,000 RMB/500 tons annual capacity;
• PAC Decolorization Process: Operating cost 0.6-1.2 RMB/ton of liquid (1/3 of ion exchange method). A sugarcane factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, reduced its annual decolorization cost by 63.3% (from 600,000 RMB to 220,000 RMB).

X. Cost Analysis

A cost comparison between activated carbon and traditional processes, using a 500-ton/year steviol glycoside plant as an example: 

Project	PAC+Middle Hole GAC Process	Ion exchange method + biochemical process
Initial Investment (RMB 10,000)	100-180	200-300
Operating Cost (RMB/ton of liquid feed)	0.6-1.2	2.0-3.0
Maintenance Cost (RMB 10,000/year)	15-30	60-90
Total Life Cycle Cost (RMB/ton of liquid feed)	1.2-2.0	4.0-5.0
Functional Component Premium (RMB 10,000/year)	70-90	0

11. Why choose us? (Why Choose Us?)

Performance endorsement: Activated carbon has received unanimous praise for its "thorough decolorization and functional retention" - after a steviol glycoside factory, a cooperative customer of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, used our PAC + mesoporous GAC, the purity of steviol glycosides increased from 88% to 95.5%, and the proportion of high-end products increased from 18% to 60%.

Technical strength: Optimize the pore structure of sweetener molecules (sucrose≈0.5nm, xylitol≈0.55nm, steviol glycoside≈0.8nm), and develop "GAC with 55% mesopores" and "modified carbon loaded with carboxyl groups". The retention rate of functional ingredients is >95%, solving the "over-adsorption" pain point of traditional processes.

Global services: We have production bases in Shanxi, Ningxia and Fujian (annual production capacity of 45,000 tons), supporting "customized production + localized distribution" - for overseas customers, we can provide full-process services of "activated carbon selection + process design + compliance certification" to ensure response to needs within 72 hours.