Tapioca starch factory

Tapioca is currently one of the most popular raw materials for starch production. Compared to other starches, tapioca starch can be easily extracted and can be completed within a limited capital range using a simple process in tapioca starch factory. It provides a relatively inexpensive source of raw materials that contain high concentrations of starch that match the characteristics offered by other raw materials. In addition, tapioca starch has a high thickening property, a neutral taste, an excellent texture and a high purity because the tapioca root contains a small amount of protein and lipid.

Tapioca starch factory

1. Pretreatment of raw material step

a. Selection: There are many varieties of tapioca, but they are mainly divided into two major categories, that is, bitter and sweet tapioca, depending on their cyanohydrin content. For industrial use, bitter varieties are most commonly used due to the high starch content. In addition to the variety, it is important to select high starch content tapioca for tapioca starch factory.

b. Transportation: After selection, the tapioca is transported into the reception yard in tapioca starch plant for further processing in tapioca starch factory. The yard may be divided into several bunkers, alongside a conveyor belt in the main courtyard to complete the treatment of the oldest tubers.

Raw material transportation

2. Tapioca cleaning and washing step

a. Cleaning: First of all, all the stalks of the roots must be removed for it will interfere with the crushing steps, blunt the rasper, and increase the fiber impurities in the tapioca starch manufacturing process. Then it is important to remove the attached impurities in tapioca starch factory. Dry sieve is widely used cleaning machine whose main function is to remove loose dirt, sand, gravel, leaves and other debris.

b. Washing: From a buffer bin the tapioca are fed into washing station in tapioca starch factory. Paddle washing machine is a high efficiency machine used for tapioca starch washing. Thorough dirt removal will lessen the problems later. High quality washing can improve refining because many impurities are similar to starch in specific weight and size, so washing is the only way to remove them.

Tapioca washing machine

3. Tapioca starch extraction and separation step

a. Crushing: Crushing is the first step in the starch extraction process in tapioca starch factory. It serves to open all the cells of tapioca, so that the tiny starch granules can be released thoroughly. The starch slurry obtained can be regarded as a mixture of pulp (cell walls), juice, and starch. With modern advanced rasper, crushing is a one-pass operation only. DOING rasper is a high speed and high efficient machine whose breaking rate is higher than 94%.

b. Separating: The starch slurry is rich in fibers which need to be separated in tapioca starch factory. The fiber separation firstly takes place in centrifuge sieve which utilizes high speed centrifugal force to remove fibers. Then it is followed by fine fiber sieve to further remove fine fibers.

c. Concentration and purification: It now remains to purify the crude starch slurry and remove residual protein and other impurities in tapioca starch factory. And as much starch as possible is excreted on a couple of hydrocyclone station, meanwhile, to save rinsing water the washing is done counter currently - i.e. the incoming fresh water is used on the very last step and the overflow is reused for dilution on the previous step, and so on.

Tapioca starch purification machine

d: Desanding: In tapioca starch factory, desanding is an important step to improve the taste of tapioca starch.

4. Tapioca starch dehydrating and drying step

a. Dehydrating: Then it's time for dehydrating. Peeler centrifuge is widely used in tapioca starch factory for decrease the moisture content of starch milk to the meet the standard for drying. The moisture content of starch after dehydrating is about 38%.

b. Drying: The moist dehydrated starch is dried in a flash dryer with high speed hot air in tapioca starch factory. The inlet air temperature should be moderate, for high temperatures may increase cold-water soluble starch. It is required that the moisture content of tapioca starch after drying is about 14%.