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Simulation of the production process of lactic acid from food residues for economic evaluation.

Abstract:

Lactic acid (LA) presents a growing demand in Ecuador, although there are currently no national industries that produce it. The objective of the research was to simulate the process of obtaining AL from food waste for its economic evaluation. The selection of residues left their availability at the national level, as well as the information available in the literature. Rice husk (RH) and cane bagasse (CB) were used. The software used for the simulation was SuperPro Designer® V 10.0. Material and energy balances, equipment design, and corresponding economic estimates are included. The simulation results for RH and CB show productions greater than 16 and, 22 Ton LA/batch respectively, with a net present value (NPV) close to 50 million USD and useful life of 15 years. The BC offered better economic indicators for LA production.