Design of a Recovery System for Organic Acids in a Banana Freezing Process

Abstract

3.5 million liters of water are used and disposed of during the treatment process, and to sum up, 54000 kg of acids have been used and reported from this study's food company. This research evaluates the viability of implementing a recovery system of organic acids to reduce costs of acquiring raw material and minimize its disposal to the environment. For the design, the acid solution used in the process was studied, and a series of unit operations and chemical reactions were proposed. After this, the process was simulated using an engineering software (Pro/II®) to obtain the material and energy balance to be used in cost calculations. Finally, the research estimates the cost of investment based on Ecuadorian banks' norms and laws and the Microsoft Excel macro-enabled file Capcost. The design system was able to recover 19.2 kg of solid acids for every 632 kg of acid in the solution in the process.