Application of THI® Acid Pickling Inhibitor and Mist Suppressant in Sugar Mills

In the sugar industry, equipment cleanliness and maintenance directly affect production efficiency and product quality.
The sugar-making process involves multiple heating, evaporation, and condensation stages, where evaporators, heaters, condensers, pipelines, and crystallizers are prone to scaling and corrosion during long-term operation.
To ensure heat transfer efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and extend equipment lifespan, sugar mills typically perform periodic acid cleaning.
During this process, the use of THI® Series Acid Pickling Inhibitors and Mist Suppressants plays an important role in ensuring cleaning safety and efficiency.

1. Causes of Scaling and Corrosion in Sugar Equipment

During sugar processing, cane juice or beet juice contains calcium, magnesium, iron, and silicon ions that easily precipitate during high-temperature evaporation and recirculation, forming carbonate scale, silicate scale, and organic sugar deposits.
These deposits may lead to:

• Reduced heat transfer efficiency
• Increased energy consumption and poor evaporation performance
• Localized overheating that accelerates corrosion
• Pipeline blockage and operational interruptions

To remove these deposits, sugar mills often use phosphoric, nitric, or hydrochloric acid for cleaning.
However, while these acids effectively dissolve scale, they may also corrode metal surfaces—especially stainless steel and carbon steel—causing damage.
In addition, acid mist generated during cleaning can negatively impact the work environment and operator safety.

2. Function of THI® Acid Pickling Inhibitor and Mist Suppressant

The THI® Series Acid Pickling Inhibitors and Mist Suppressants combine organic corrosion inhibitors with mist-suppressing agents to achieve a dual effect of corrosion protection and acid mist reduction, helping protect sugar equipment and improve workplace safety.

(1) Corrosion Protection

THI®F-115 Acid Pickling Inhibitor and Mist Suppressant performs effectively in phosphoric and nitric acid systems.
It forms a protective film on metal surfaces, helping to reduce corrosion rates and minimize the risk of pitting or over-pickling.

(2) Acid Mist Reduction

During evaporator and heater cleaning, acid mist is a common safety concern.
THI®F-116 Acid Mist Suppressant helps lower the surface tension of acid solutions, effectively minimizing acid mist generation and diffusion, thereby improving the air quality of the working environment.

(3) Cost Efficiency and Equipment Longevity

THI®F-117 Acid Pickling Inhibitor (Liquid Type) and THI®F-217 Solid Inhibitor maintain stable corrosion inhibition performance under different operating conditions.
They can help reduce acid consumption and metal loss, extend cleaning intervals, and lower maintenance costs.

(4) Environmental Protection and Safety

All THI® Series products feature low-odor, low-foam formulations that help reduce acid mist emissions and comply with the sugar industry’s environmental and occupational health standards.

3. Typical Applications in Sugar Mills

The THI® Series products are widely used in sugar mills for acid cleaning of various process equipment, including:

Equipment	Cleaning Purpose	Common Acid Type	Recommended Product
Evaporator	Removal of calcium-magnesium scale, sugar deposits, and rust	Phosphoric acid, nitric acid	THI®F-115 or THI®F-117
Heater	Removal of metal oxide deposits	Phosphoric or citric acid	THI®F-117 (Liquid Type)
Condenser	Removal of iron oxide and scale	Diluted hydrochloric acid	THI®F-115 + THI®F-116 combination
Pipelines and Storage Tanks	Removal of deposits and impurities	Organic acid or mixed acid	THI®F-217 (Solid Type)

In practice, sugar mills often use low-foam, low-odor acid pickling inhibitors and mist suppressants to maintain cleaning efficiency while reducing operational interference.
Sugar factories in India, Thailand, and Brazil commonly use a phosphoric acid + inhibitor-mist suppressant combination for cleaning evaporators and heat exchangers.
Meanwhile, sugar mills in Louisiana, USA, have adopted eco-friendly inhibitors to control acid mist and maintain stainless-steel equipment durability.

4. Application Results and Benefits

By applying the THI® Series Acid Pickling Inhibitors and Mist Suppressants, sugar mills have achieved the following results:

• More stable corrosion protection for metal equipment
• Reduced acid usage and maintenance frequency
• Noticeably lower acid mist emissions, improving workplace conditions
• Extended cleaning cycles and enhanced operational reliability

Customer feedback and field applications have shown that the THI® Series performs reliably and efficiently in sugar industry cleaning operations, balancing effectiveness, safety, and cost control.

Conclusion

The THI® Series Acid Pickling Inhibitors and Mist Suppressants not only enhance the cleaning efficiency of sugar production equipment but also help protect metal surfaces, optimize acid usage, and create a safer working environment.
They serve as important additives that support safe, sustainable, and efficient production in the sugar industry.

Honor & Honest is dedicated to developing and manufacturing high-performance, low-corrosion, and environmentally responsible metal surface treatment chemicals.
Our acid pickling inhibitor and mist suppressant solutions are widely applied in steel, chemical, power, sugar, and machinery industries, helping customers achieve cleaner, safer, and more efficient operations.

#HonorandHonest #THIseries #THIF115 #THIF116 #THIF117 #THIF217 

#AcidPicklingInhibitor #AcidMistSuppressant #CorrosionProtection 
#SugarIndustryCleaning #IndustrialCleaningChemicals #EcoFriendlySolutions