The process to be designed and implemented as Vanguard Scientific Systems’ Biomass Recycling Expansion Facility is to produce pulp from the cellulose portion of the spent biomass. The pulp will then be sold to manufacture paper products. This design will be economical and practical. While hemp has already been used to manufacture paper products, this facility will have many advantages.
The project uses spent biomass from an essential oil extraction to create a pulp product using autohydrolysis. Hemp pulp can be sold for around $4,000-$5,000 per ton (Alibaba) setting an achievable profit margin. At a capacity of at least 10,000 lbs of biomass per day composed of about 55% cellulose, the process will be capable of producing around 2.75 tons of pulp per day. Assuming a selling price of $4,000/ton and 7 days a week of operation gives a gross yearly profit of just over $4 million.
The process will be designed to be profitable while minimizing waste. Per the User Requirement Specification document received from VSS, the scope is to design a biomass recycling expansion and cost it. Under this, the team has been exploring compliance requirements, process and operational requirements, constraints, and the project life cycle.
The wax extraction utilizes room temperature ethanol to achieve a broad spectrum of lipids removed. The protein separation uses a saline solution at an elevated temperature of 35°C to create a soup-like mixture after two hours. A centrifuge is required to separate the soluble proteins and liquid from the solid biomass.The autohydrolysis pulping uses hot water at about 200°C to separate hemicellulose from the cellulose biomass and convert it into an acetic acid byproduct.
In these three operations, the total vessel cost including installation totals about $3.77 million predicting a reasonable net profit. While this currently does not include operating labor, power, byproduct credits, and other designed elements such as heat exchangers and pumps, it is a preliminary cost that will be further explored.
