How are sugar crystals separated from molasses?

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Sugarcane field — Sugarcane Field of sugarcane (*Saccharum officinarum*) in St. George Parish, Barbados.

To separate sugar crystals from molasses, manufacturers use centrifuges.21

After the sugarcane juice has been clarified and concentrated into a thick syrup, it undergoes crystallization, where seed crystals are introduced to encourage sugar formation. The resulting mixture of crystals and mother liquor (molasses) is then placed into basket-type centrifuges.23

As the centrifuge spins, the liquid molasses is forced away from the solid sugar crystals. In modern facilities, a fine jet of water is often sprayed onto the sugar pressed against the walls of the centrifugal basket to further reduce the syrup coating on each crystal. This process may be repeated multiple times, with each subsequent extraction yielding different grades of molasses, until the final stage produces blackstrap molasses.321