28 Tons of Powdered Activated Carbon Shipped to Brazil for Sugar Refinery Decolorization

Order Summary

The Problem

The refinery was producing raw sugar with a color level above what their buyers accepted. Their previous supplier's carbon had inconsistent decolorization power batch to batch — some runs came out clean, others did not. In sugar processing, color comes from melanoidins, caramels, and polyphenols. These are large molecules that need a carbon with the right pore structure to trap them effectively.

They reached out asking for three things: stable decolorizing power, low ash so it would not add impurities, and fast filtration so the carbon would not slow their production line.

What We Supplied

We recommended a wood-based powdered activated carbon, acid-washed, because that combination works best for sugar liquor. Here is why each spec matters:

1. Wood-based raw material — gives a wider mesopore structure than coconut or coal carbon, which is exactly what you need to adsorb large color bodies in sugar syrup.
2. Acid-washed, low ash (≤5%) — keeps iron and other minerals out of your product. You do not want to introduce new impurities while removing color.
3. Methylene blue ≥12 ml — this is the practical indicator for decolorization capacity in sugar, more relevant than iodine value alone.
4. Fine, uniform particle size — faster adsorption kinetics and clean filtration, so the carbon does not hold up the line.

For refineries comparing carbon types, our sugar decolorization guide goes deeper into why mesopore volume matters more than iodine number in this application.

Why Powdered Carbon, Not Granular

People sometimes ask why we did not send granular carbon. In sugar decolorization, contact time is short and you want maximum surface contact fast. Powdered carbon dosed directly into the syrup, then filtered out, gives you that. Granular carbon in a fixed bed is used more in polishing or continuous water treatment where flow is slow. For batch decolorization in a refinery, PAC is the standard.

Color removal works by physical adsorption. According to the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA), color is measured in IU at 420 nm. A properly dosed wood-based PAC can cut color substantially in a single treatment stage.

Packaging & Shipping

28 tons loaded into one 40HQ container. Each pallet carries 25 kg PP bags, wrapped with moisture-barrier film and strapped for stable stacking. We added desiccant packs inside the container to control humidity during the ocean crossing — PAC is hygroscopic and must stay dry to maintain its adsorption capacity on arrival.

We handled full export documentation: commercial invoice, packing list, COA per lot, MSDS, certificate of origin, and bill of lading. The container shipped from Tianjin to Santos Port, with an estimated transit time of 35–40 days.

The Result

After the first production batch with our carbon, the refinery reported consistent color reduction across runs and no filtration slowdown. Batch-to-batch consistency was the part they cared about most — it let them commit to a color spec with their own downstream customers. They have since moved us into their regular supply schedule.

Why Refineries Work With Us

• Factory direct — three production bases, 20+ years, no middleman markup.
• Batch consistency — every lot ships with a COA (iodine value, methylene blue, ash, moisture, particle size). No more "first batch good, second batch bad."
• Export experience — we handle documentation and logistics to 50+ countries, including full container loads to South America.

Frequently Asked Questions