Sequential hydrothermal process for production of flavanones and sugars from orange peel: an economic assessment
Daniel Lachos‐Perez, Luz Selene Buller, William Gustavo Sganzerla, Lissara Polano Ody, Giovani L. Zabot, Tânia Forster‐Carneiro
Abstract
Abstract An economic evaluation was conducted of flavanone and sugar production from orange peel (OP) using a sequential hydrothermal process. The process was conducted at laboratory (2 × 5 L), pilot (3 × 10 L), and industrial (3 × 500 L) scales. The results demonstrate that the scale‐up process decreased the cost of manufacturing (COM) with a significant increase in flavanone and sugar production. The lowest COM was of US$ 25.72/kg flavanones and US$ 1.43/kg sugars, both on an industrial scale. The predominant costs at the industrial scale (>90%) were the cost of utilities and the cost of raw materials. A low capital payback time was obtained, which decreased as return on investment and gross margin increased. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats matrix demonstrates the relevant business topics related to the scale‐up of OP processing. Thus, the current scale‐up project can be considered as a promising approach to the production of flavanones and sugar from OP on an industrial scale. © 2020 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd