A novel method to enhance sucrose crystal growth was proposed and investigated. It was found that when sucrose solutions are irradiated by microwaves, the crystal growth rate is greater that in the traditional vacuum-evaporative crystallization. A kinetic model was established for the microwave-assisted crystal growth and X-ray diffraction analysis was also undertaken.

Certain physical properties of distilled water, tap water and sugar solution are affected when they are treated with a magnetic fileld. In particular, the evaporation rated of sugar solntion can be improved with a suitable magnetie field. The mechanism of this magnelic trcatment is discussed and the optimum magnetic conditions are proposed ofr improing the evaporation rated. It is concluded that magnetic teehnology could provide good prospects of energy saving in the sugar industry.

The influence of different denaturants on the phosphorescence spectrum and lifetime decay of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (AP) was investigated. Phosphorescence intensity and lifetime of tryptophan residue (Trp-109) decrease upon addition of guanidine hydrochloride, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, and urea or decreasing acidity. The experiments show that AP undergoes different pathways with different denaturants and that the activation energy data, DS8" and DH8" further confirm that there is a stable intermediate state between the folded and unfolded AP states in solution.

the problems of prod. e quality, especilly the colour of white sagar. ace prominent in sugar factories in China because of the present low dliciency of clarification and decolorization in the sulphitation process. Similar problems also occur in factories with car bonatation. The colour of white sugar may be either from inlusions inside the rytals or n the sugar surface. Thus it is necessary to remove the impurities both in the inclusions and on the surface as much as possible. As a preventive measure, it is desirable to reduee colour in the juice and raw syrup. To improve charification. a new clarificant, G409, has been developed. It can be used both in mixed juice clacitication and in syrup flotation creacmcnt after elther suiphltation or caronatation. The improved syrup flotation with G409 and H3PO4 has been applied in a number of factories using sulphitation and carbonatation in Guangdong and Fujia Provinces. The results indicate that the quality of white sugar can be improved effectively and economically.

The eVects of covalent cross-linking of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) on the thermal properties of soy protein isolates (SPI), including the thermal denaturation and glass transition were investigated by conventional and modulated diverential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The MTGase treatment signiWcantly increased the thermal denaturation temperatures (including the on-set temperature of denaturation, Tm and the peak temperature of denaturation, Td) of glycinin and-conglycinin components of SPI (P60.05), and the thermal pretreatment of SPI further increased the extent of this improvement. The MTGase treatment also improved the ability of SPI to resist the urea-induced denaturation. Modulated DSC analysis showed that there were two glass transition temperatures (Tg) in the reversible heat Xow signals of native SPI (about 5% moisture content), approximately corresponding to 45 and 180