Citric acid production

Citric acid is the most important organic acid produced and used as an acidulant or PH-control agent in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. Citric acid has high economic qualities owing to its numerous applications in various industries. Citric acid is available as a colorless crystal, white crystalline powder, or as a liquid solution.

Commercially, and the most economically, citric acid is produced by fermenting carbohydrates found in starches and sugars. In fermentation, the sugar or molasses is converted to citric acid by microbial activity with the addition of nutrients. After fermentation, the citric acid needs to be recovered and purified from the broth.

Citric acid production

Download the application note to learn how Vaisala Polaris Process Refractometer measures concentration reliably throughout the citric acid production process accurately and inline, and provides:

• Target concentration of sugar or molasses, usually between 17 - 22 Brix
• Target concentration of citric acid in the evaporation feed and outlet
• Crystallization process monitoring.

The note also includes recommended Vaisala Polaris Process Refractometer installation points for the best performance.

Download our application note in PDF by filling in the form.

Discover all applications in sugar manufacturing here.

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