Cassava starch extraction process

Following is instruction of the extraction process during cassava starch production line:

Chart flow of cassava starch processing machine

Powerful flushing is needed to release the cassava starch granules from the cells, the cells are torn apart in the rasper and form a filtering mat retaining the starch. Water has previously been used for the cassava starch extraction, but today the extraction takes place in closed systems, allowing the use of the juice itself or process water from the refining step.

The starch is flushed out and leaves the cassava starch extraction sieves along with the fruit juice. The cell walls (pulp) can be concentrated further on dewatering sieves to a drip-dry pulp with 12 - 15 % dry matter.

The extraction takes place on rotating conical sieves. The high efficiency makes it feasible to utilise high quality sieve plates made of stainless steel, which will withstand abrasion and CIP-chemicals. The sieve plates have long perforations that are only 125 microns across.

The cassava starch extraction process is a counter current process. It is followed by a fine fibre washing on conical sieves also. The washed fibres are combined with the pulp and may be used as cattle feed.

Cassava crusher machine

Excess juice is removed on a couple of hydro-cyclone concentrators. The concentrated starch - crude starch milk - is washed on the refining line.

Fruit juice is the natural juice initially removed in the concentrators. Fruit water is spent process water mixed up with residual fruit juice removed during refining. The split of the effluent in fruit juice and fruit water is an option of the Millennium process - named after its first introduction.