JAMB - Chemistry (2004 - No. 30)
The allotrope of carbon used in the decolourization of sugar is
Graphite
Soot
Charcoal
Lampblack
Paliwanag
Charcoal is an amorphous allotrope of carbon, meaning it's a form of carbon that exists in an irregular, non-crystalline structure.
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Wood charcoal has a porous structure that provides a large surface area for adsorption, allowing it to absorb coloured material from sugar .
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Animal charcoal is obtained from bones, blood, and horn through destructive distillation, it has good adsorptive power and can decolourize raw sugar when boiled together.
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Activated carbon plays a multifaceted role in sugar cane refining, removing impurities and colourants from sugar solutions. Therefore, Charcoal is the allotrope of carbon used in the decolourization of sugar.