Project study of an acetone, n-butanol plant

• Main Author: Villanueva, Rafael S. S.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1961
• Subjects: Acetone; Manufacturing
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/708
• Institution: De La Salle University

This is a project study on the manufacture of acetone, normal butyl alcohol and ethanol without any by-product recovery. The study made here is principally on acetone which is the product with the known market. This study includes the market study of acetone, process of manufacture, equipment specifications, cost estimation, organization and overall economy of such a plant using the fermentation process by means of saccharolytic bacteria. The main raw materials is cane blackstrap molasses which is to be fermented by the strain of bacteria known as Clostridium Saccharo-Acetaperbutylicum. Approximately 623 short tons of mixed solvents is to be produced per year from 3690 short tons of blackstrap molasses. The ratio of solvents produced is 68% n-butanol, 30% acetone and 2% ethanol. All percentages are by weight. The by-products are not studied due to lack of time. Literature surveys showed that to operate this plant at a profit all by-products should be processed and marketed. Recommendations for utilization of by-products are: CO2- either made dry ice or used to make methyl alcohol H2- either sold pure to edible oil factories or used to make methyl alcohol dried butyl stillage - used either as fertilizer or as animal feed. The products from this plant could be exported at a cheap price. In the Philippines it will necessarily be cheaper to produce these solvents by the fermentation of molasses since molasses is cheaper here and more abundant than in most foreign countries. The estimated total plant cost, allowing for an expansion of 10% in two years, is P757,600.00. The plant, it was found out is not profitable. The total expected gross sales per year is P500,000.00 while the yearly production cost is P634.000.00. A loss of 134,000.00. The acetone and ethanol produced was assumed all sold while the n-butanol was assumed only 15% sold. If the butanol were all sold the plant could be profitable.