Polylactic Acid Production from Corn
Polylactic Acid Production Costs Report | Issue D | Q4 2024
| Report Details |
| 140 kta United States-based plant | Q4 2024 | 107 pages |
This report presents a cost analysis of a 140 kta (kilo metric ton per annum) United States-based plant. You can add a customized cost analysis, assuming another location (country), when ordering a premium edition of this report.
Report Abstract
This study approaches the economics of Polylactic Acid production from corn in the United States. Initially, shelled corn is passed through a wet milling process to form corn starch, which is hydrolyzed to dextrose. Then, dextrose is fermented into lactic acid in a process similar to Cargill process. Finally, lactic acid is polymerized using a melt-phase polymerization process similar to the one proposed by NatureWorks.
The report provides a comprehensive study of Polylactic Acid production and related Polylactic Acid production cost, covering three key aspects: a complete description of the Polylactic Acid production process examined; an in-depth analysis of the related Polylactic Acid plant capital cost (Capex); and an evaluation of the respective Polylactic Acid plant operating costs (Opex).
The Polylactic Acid production process description includes a block flow diagram (BFD), an overview of the industrial site installations, detailing both the process unit and the necessary infrastructure, process consumption figures and comprehensive process flow diagrams (PFD). The Polylactic Acid plant capital cost analysis breaks down the Capex by plant cost (i.e., ISBL, OSBL and Contingency); owner's cost; working capital; and costs incurred during industrial plant commissioning and start-up. The Polylactic Acid plant operating costs analysis covers operating expenses, including variable costs like raw materials and utilities, and fixed costs such as maintenance, labor, and depreciation.
Process Schematic
The process under analysis comprises three major sections: (1) Starch Hydrolysis; (2) Glucose Fermentation; and (3) Lactic Acid Polymerization.
Starch Obtaining and Hydrolysis. Shelled corn is fed to grain cleaners and sent to steeping vessels where it is soaked in dilute solution of sulfur dioxide, produced in the Sulfur Burner. The solid matter slurry obtained is submitted to a sequence of unit operations to recover corn starch, while the steep water is concentrated in evaporators, and sent as corn steep liquor (CSL) to Fermentation downstream. The starch is then mixed with enzymes and sodium carbonate in the Hydrolysis area, being converted into glucose, which is sent to Fermentation.
Glucose Fermentation. The fermentation is carried out in an agitated jacketed fermenter, fed with glucose, CSL, and sodium carbonate. The fermentation broth is sent to Ultrafiltration to remove cell debris, concentrated in an evaporator, and then to an extraction column to extract the lactic acid (LA) in an organic phase, which is routed to a distillation column to separate the extractant solvent from the LA. The LA-rich stream is then back-extracted with hot water in an extractor train, generating a LA-lean organic phase which is recycled to the first extraction, and an aqueous phase rich in LA that is concentrated in an evaporator and sent to polymerization
Lactic acid Polymerization. The concentrated LA stream is fed to the Prepolymer Reactor, where it forms low molecular weight polylactic acid (PLA) and water, which is removed and disposed. The low molecular weight PLA is sent to the Depolymerizer and broken into lactide molecules, which are purified in a Drying Column and in a Meso-Lactide Removal Column. Lactide is fed to a polymerization reactor, forming PLA, which is sent to a Devolatilizer to remove unreacted lactide. The PLA is routed to Extrusion and then packed in bags to be stored.
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Production Process Information
Process Consumptions
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Plant Capital Cost Summary
Operating Cost Summary
Production Costs Datasheet
Plant Capital Cost Details
Operating Cost Details
Plant Cost Breakdowns
Plant Capacity Assessment
Process Flow Diagrams
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Content Highlights
Plant Capital Cost Summary
Summary outlining the capital cost required for building the Polylactic Acid production plant examined
Plant Capital Cost Details
Detailing of fixed capital (ISBL, OSBL & Owner’s Cost), working capital and additional capital requirements
Plant Cost Breakdowns
Breakdown of Polylactic Acid process unit (ISBL) costs and infrastructure (OSBL) costs; plant cost breakdown per discipline
Operating Costs Summary
Summary presenting the operating variable costs and the total operating cost of the Polylactic Acid production plant studied
Operating Cost Details
Detailing of utilities costs, operating fixed costs and depreciation
Plant Capacity Assessment
Comparative analysis of capital investment and operating costs for different Polylactic Acid plant capacities
Production Process Information
Block Flow Diagram, descriptions of process unit (ISBL) and site infrastructure (OSBL)
Process Consumptions
Raw materials and utilities consumption figures, by-products credits, labor requirements
Process Diagrams
Process flow diagrams (PFD), equipment list and industrial site configuration
Other Polylactic Acid Production Cost Reports
Polylactic Acid Production from Lactic Acid
This report presents the economics of Polylactic Acid (PLA) production from lactic acid using a melt process similar to the one proposed by NatureWorks. In this process, lactic acid is first oligomerized and then depolymerized into lactide, a cyclic dimer of lactic acid, which is then polymerized to yield PLA by ring opening polymerization. The economic analysis presented is based on a plant constructed in the USA.
Details: 140 kta United States-based plant | Q4 2024 | 107 pages | Issue A From $1,199 USD
The cost analyses presented in this report target a 140 kta (kilo metric ton per annum per annum) United States-based plant. For those interested in cost analyses considering other plant capacities and/or locations, Intratec offers a customized analysis as an optional feature.
Polylactic Acid Production from Glucose
This study approaches the economics of Polylactic Acid production from glucose syrup in the United States. First, lactic acid is produced from glucose syrup using a fermentation process similar to Cargill process. Then, lactic acid is polymerized into poly(lactic acid) using a melt-phase polymerization process similar to the one proposed by NatureWorks.
Details: 50 kta United States-based plant | Q4 2024 | 107 pages | Issue C From $1,199 USD
The cost analyses presented in this report target a 50 kta (kilo metric ton per annum per annum) United States-based plant. For those interested in cost analyses considering other plant capacities and/or locations, Intratec offers a customized analysis as an optional feature.
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