Study on the Development of an Oyster Shell-Based Clarifier for Enhancing Sugar Industry Processes

Abstract

The sugar industry is inherently reliant on the use of lime as a clarifying agent, specifically calcium oxide. Oyster shells possess a high content of calcium carbonate, which can be converted into calcium oxide through high-temperature calcination. This process not only addresses the issue of solid waste pollution caused by discarded oyster shells but also yields food-grade lime products with significant added value for the sugar industry. In this study, oyster shells were subjected to high-temperature calcination in a muffle furnace to determine weight loss rate and available calcium oxide content under varying temperature and time conditions. The resulting calcium oxide activity was compared with that of reference materials using SEM, FTIR, XRD, and BET analysis. The findings demonstrate that appropriately timed and temperature-controlled calcination of oyster shells produces viable calcium oxide suitable for clarification purposes in the sugar industry.