Scandium as tracer in the sugar and alcohol agroindustry

Neutron activation analysis was used to develop a method of measuring the soil content in a sugar cane consignment. When sugar cane is cut and taken to the sugar and alcohol industries, different quantities of soil are loaded with the stalks, depending on harvesting mechanization and weather conditions. Despite the washing process before crushing, significant amounts of soil have been found in cane delivered to mills. Different soils were sampled at several mills in the State of Sao Paulo, as well as sugar cane stalks of the SP70-1143 variety grown on such soils. Elements present in soil but not in sugar cane have been studied to act as tracers of unwanted impurities. Sc has proved to be an efficient tracer of the soil entering these industries with the sugar cane. (author) 12 refs.; 3 figs.; 1 tab