How does evaporation turn clarified sugarcane juice into syrup?

To produce syrup from clarified sugarcane juice, the liquid is processed through a multiple-effect system consisting of a series of three to five evaporators.12

In this system, steam is used to heat the first evaporator, causing the juice to boil. The vapor produced from this initial boiling is then used to heat the subsequent evaporator in the series. This process continues sequentially, effectively removing water from the juice to increase its concentration. Through this method, clarified juice—which typically contains 10–15 percent sucrose—is concentrated into evaporator syrup, which consists of 55–59 percent sucrose and 60–65 percent total solids by weight.1

During this concentration process, nonsugars can deposit on the walls and tubes of the equipment, forming scale that reduces the efficiency of heat transfer and may require periodic cleaning.1