Átrico: indústria de ácido cítrico

Abstract

The high demand in several industrial sectors, the abundance of raw materials and the presence of qualified labor to produce citric acid in Brazil are key factors to be carried out in this work, whose main objective is to do a study of the feasibility of creating a national company, Átrico, dedicated to the manufacture of high purity citric acid from the main by-product of the sugarcane industry, the sugar cane molasses. A submerged fermentation process by Aspergillus niger will be used, looking for socio-environmental responsibility and providing a quality product in order to contribute to the country's development, since a large part of this compound still comes from imports. The total annual citric acid production will be 2,000 tons per year, with 7 fermenters operating in parallel, producing approximately 6 tons per day. Analyzing all the pertinent criteria, the chosen city to host Átrico is Sertãozinho, located in the interior of São Paulo, the largest state of the country in terms of alcohol and sugar mills and industries, thus facilitating access to raw material and main consumers. Finally, the financial analysis of the investment was carried out and it was concluded that it is profitable with the beginning of the return from the fourth year.