Sugar producers urged to use stainless steel eqp’t

MANILA, Philippines - Sanyoseiki Stainless Steel Corp. supports the use of innovative technologies of sugar industry in the country to become globally competitive.

An industrial supplier, the company joined the Philippine Sugar Technologists Association (Philsutech) on its 60th annual convention in Lahug, Cebu recently.

Sanyoseiki, maker of Allegeni and Smith Muller stainless steel, encourages more sugar producers to modernize equipment by using stainless steel instead of conventional carbon steel.

Mary Angeline Baylon, marketing manager of Sanyoseiki, said stainless steel is best known for its corrosion resistance due to the presence of chromium as an alloying element which forms an invisible, protective surface film that is self-repairing in the presence of oxygen. “This makes it highly resistant to chemical and mechanical damage. These are important because the handling of sugar cane or beet is a highly corrosive and abrasive process.”

Besides its well-known high temperature tolerance, stainless steel is advantageous in the sugar industry because it is chemically inert. “This means that there is no metallic migration that influences the taste and appearance of the sugar during processing. Stainless steel is also biologically inert, which prevents bacterial formation on the material,” she said.

Most sugar producers use carbon steel because of its low cost. But the hostile environment in sugar processing with abrasive particles, moisture, heat, acidity and exposure to the elements quickly overpowers conventional carbon steel. Money initially saved in using carbon steel is eventually lost through frequent repairs and replacements.

Moreover, reduced corrosion and smoother processes contribute to lower power consumption.