How To Use And Interpret The Results From A High Performance Liquid Chromatography System At A Sugarcane Factory

In 2015, a sugarcane factory established and operated the first High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system in Louisiana. Although many HPLC systems exist, the factory opted for an ion chromatography (anion exchange) system with integrated pulsed amperometric detection. A gradient HPLC method was established to measure mannitol, glucose, fructose, and sucrose in a run time of 10 min. For the best accuracy, separate and higher dilutions are needed to quantitate sucrose due to its considerably higher concentration in sugar products (except molasses). Since an analytical technique is only useful if the results can be interpreted properly, training was essential for operations and analyses. Training topics included basic sugar chemistry, Leuconostoc mesenteroides sugarcane deterioration reactions, and color formation in the factory. A simplified chart was provided to the factory staff to help interpret the results. The HPLC system allowed the factory to: (i) monitor sucrose losses in "real time" and identify problems in processing, (ii) rapidly identify dextran presence via mannitol measurement and optimize dextranase application, (iii) rapidly monitor molasses exhaustion and enzyme applications, and (iv) explain difficult samples more easily. The HPLC system paid for itself in less than one year by allowing sucrose losses in a clarification tank to be accurately detected and calculated and then subsequently solved. The advantages and disadvantages of using a HPLC system in a sugarcane factory are described.