Análise de viabilidade econômica do processo de extração de ácidos graxos com solvente: um estudo de caso industrial utilizando o simulador computacional DWSIM

Abstract

Deodorization is a physical process that uses steam to remove volatile components from vegetable oils that affect the quality of the final product, known as oil deodorization distillate (DDO). This work analyzes the economic viability of separating fatty acids, focusing on lauric and myristic acids, obtained from the deodorization of blends in the food industry. As part of the methodology used, laboratory analyzes of collected fatty acid samples were carried out with the aim of obtaining initial data on the composition using gas chromatography. Furthermore, the incorporation of parameters, based on literature data, allowed the analysis of the solubility of fatty acids in ethanol. In the case study, the common practice is to sell the fatty acid at prices comparable to those of crude oil or to use it as fuel in boilers to generate steam, resulting in low profitability. The proposal to separate fatty acid components based on solubility differences aims to meet market demands and increase the profitability of the by-product of physical crude oil refining. From the sizing and simulations, an annual production of 770,880 kg of DDO and 2,081 kg of myristic acid was calculated. The results are a Net Present Value (NPV) of -R$ 2.721.427,96 and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 0.12%, showing that the project does not have an economic forecast for a 10-year horizon.