Testing of pH-value of sugar solutions from sugar factories

Abstract

It is known that sugar solutions can induce chemical attack on exposed concrete and cement mortars, but there is neither regulation nor standard for corrosion testing of cement stone due to the exposure of sugar solutions or recommendations for concrete mix design which will be subjected to this type of corrosion. There are even different opinions whether it is a low, medium or strong chemical aggressive type of attack on the concrete. When concrete is exposed to chemical attack, one of the most important parameter is the acidity of the environment, expressed in pH values. The authors of this paper gave results in studying various pH values of solution of sugar, molasses, and combinations thereof. The effects of concentration of sugar in the solution at the pH and their changes over time were also presented. The conclusions provide an explanation for consequences on concrete subjected to sugar solution, which occur primarily in sugar factories but also in other food processing industrial units.

Keywords

• pH-value
• sugar solution
• concrete corrosion