CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Currently, crude oil, natural gas and coal are still the primary raw materials in the
production of chemicals. The increasing concern on sustainability, environmental
conservation and energy shortage drives the search for viable, renewable and
environment friendly alternatives to replace fossil resources as raw material in the
production important chemicals. Plant biomass is considered as the most feasible
alternative as it is a sustainable resource and does not liberate fossilized carbon.
Agricultural residues include corncobs, straws, stalks, stems, hulls, bagasse, etc.
It is estimated that 200 million tons of these residues are produced annually, of which
about 20 million tons are cobs. The actual quantity of the availability for processing,
however, is much less. It is this quantity and its cost to industry that make up the primary
considerations in the industrial utilization of this material. Corncobs are an agricultural by-
product which is currently used as substrate for combustion. Due to high contents of
chlorine, the combustion must take place in continuously monitored industrial power plants
(Gebeshuber, 2011). As a renewable raw material, the corncobs from grain maize are a
potential feedstock to produce biogas, biodiesel and bioethanol to fulfil the increasing
demand for biofuels (Ioannidou et al., 2009).
Many chemicals such as succinic acid, 1,3-propanediol and ethanol which were
hitherto made from petroleum refining are now being successfully produced from
renewable biomass. Among these chemicals, itaconic acid (IA) is an important platform
chemical which has a wide range of actual and potential applications. It can be used to
replace a wide range of petroleum-based chemicals which will reduce dependence on
petroleum and the attendant deleterious environmental effects. Despite of this, it only
occupies a niche market because of its high cost relative to acrylic acid and other
alternatives thus limiting its use to low volume markets.
There is also a naturally occurring sugar alcohol or polyol called xylitol which is
found in most plant material such as fruits and vegetables. Currently, xylitol is
commercially extracted from birch wood and corn cobs and many processes are in

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development stage to extract xylitol from other hemicellulose sources such as sugar cane
bagasse. Xylitol is widely used as a sugar substitute and the interest in xylitol has
increased considerably in recent years, due to many commercial applications in different
markets such as food, dental related products, and pharmaceuticals.
The viability and impact of the conversion of an agricultural waste material such as
corn cobs as inexpensive sources of glucose and xylose for itaconic acid and xylitol
production is clearly evident. Furthermore, the transformation of these waste materials
into valuable ones provides a cost-effective way of reducing wastes. The country doesn’t
have industrial companies that invest in this kind of chemical manufacturing. It is time for
the Philippines to learn, create and produce value added products and products that are
actually beneficial not only to mankind but to the environment. It is time to build the first
ever itaconic acid and xylitol plant in the Philippines to make the country known for its
great contribution to replace the petrochemicals in the chemical industry.

OBJECTIVES OF THE DESIGN

General objectives
The general objective of this study is to design the first manufacturing plant in the
Philippines that provide itaconic acid and xylitol derived from corn cobs.

Specific Objectives
Specifically, the objectives detailed herein are elaborated and evaluated in the
following chapters of this study. They are summarized as follows:
1. To develop a manufacturing plant layout that will be functionally better for the industry
and cost savings;
2. To provide the technical feasibility of the manufacturing plant that manifests effective
utilization and operation;
3. To be able to present the market feasibility of the manufacturing plant accounting for
the economic demands, and product design and volume;
4. To assess the effects of the itaconic acid and xylitol production in financial, socio-
economic and environmental aspects.

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BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Currently, the utilization of renewable resources for sustainable technology is in

the renown of consumer as well as industrial attention, especially, chemical industries
because of their availability, low cost, credentials towards environmental issues such as
lower ecotoxicity, CO2 footprints and inbuilt biodegradability.

Corn commonly known as ‘maize’ is second to rice as the most important crop in
the Philippines, with one-third of Filipino farmers, or 1.8 million, depending on maize as
their major source of livelihood. The corn production in 2017 reached 7.9 million tons, up
10 percent from 7.2 million ton in 2016. Area harvested increased to 2.55 million hectares
from 2.48 million hectares in 2016, while yields improved 7 percent to 3.1 tons per hectare
from 2.91 tons per hectare.
There are a lot of food industry that make use of corn. They only use the corn
kernels and the other parts such as the leaves, stalk and cob become waste. The only
way of utilizing it here in the Philippines is for cooking. Corn cobs are used as fuel.
As a renewable raw material, the corncobs from grain maize are a potential raw
material in producing itaconic acid. Itaconic acid must be one of the most important and
promising chemical to be produced. It is produced commercially by microbial fermentation
using the fungus Aspergillus terreus and is obtained when glucose is used as the
substrate. But glucose is too expensive to be used as a raw material for commercial
production of itaconic acid. Therefore, other raw materials that are cheaper than glucose
can be used.
The main product of this plant is the itaconic acid and xylitol since corn cobs can
be pretreated to degrade both of cellulose and hemicellulose. Cellulose degradation will
yield glucose for itaconic acid production and hemicellulose degradation will yield xylose-
rich hydrolysated for xylitol production. Both of them will be produced through
biotechnology by fermentation.

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LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Plant Location and Production Level

Maicon, Inc. will be utilizing 15,000 kg of corncobs per batch of production, two
batches per day. The plant will produce 4,037 kg of itaconic acid and 4,325 kg of xylitol
crystals per day. The plant will conduct its operation 24 hours a day for 330 days annually.
The start of full operation will be two and a half days after the start-up. This start-up is
allotted for the IA production and xylitol production. After producing IA and xylitol in that
span of two and a half days, the plant will be able to produce IA and xylitol crystals
continuously. There will be shutdowns semi-annually for the maintenance and major
repairs on the plant area.
The proposed plant will be located at Brgy. Escribano, San Juan, Batangas. The
location conforms with the industrial zone provisions.

Raw Materials Availability

The corncobs will be coming from the different farm lands in the provinces of
Central Luzon, mostly from Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. Industrial chemicals will be acquired
from numerous unaffiliated domestic and international suppliers. The company will still be
open to changes in the cost of supplies used as raw materials in the manufacturing
process.

Transportation Facilities

The plant is accessible through land transportation. The products and raw
materials will be transported using trucks since the products are in crystal form and are
distributed in bulk orders and the raw materials are agricultural solid wastes. The plant will
be alongside the road which will make the transportation of products and raw materials
easier.

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Energy and Water Availability

The company will need an assistance of National Grid Corporation of the

Philippines (NGCP) for the power supply and the company will also provide a power
generating unit for energy source. The water requirement for the operation of the plant will
be coming from the surface water accessible in the area. The water that will be acquired
will be treated for it to be used. The lignin produced will be processed and will be converted
to additional energy source of the manufacturing plant. The water and energy source are
both stable and there will be no problem in the supply. If malfunctions occur, the industrial
contracts shall compensate for losses in the production.

Land Adequacy

The allotment area for the plant is 15 ha. (375 m x 400 m). The plant is composed
of the process area where the production of IA and xylitol will take place. There will be
allotted areas for the physical and chemical pre-treatment process, fermentation,
purification and packaging. There will also be an area for the treatment of xylitol.
Wastewater treatment facility and warehouse will also be available in the area. There is
an excess lot area for the future expansion of the plant. The allotted are for the plant is
enough for the plant and its other facilities.

Labor Site and Site Topography

There are a lot to consider like the construction, contracting, operation and
maintenance of the plant. The people living in the region will be prioritized in hiring. Only
the qualified personnel and those who have experience is suited for the labor.
The topography of the 15 hectares land is level with some bumpy portion since it
is originally a farm land. The farm land will be subjected to contouring before the
construction of the plant.

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Years of Projection, Capture Market & Availability

The company will start its full operation on February 2023. It is estimated to operate
for 30 years. The primary goal of this company is to supply the need for itaconic acid and
xylitol in the Philippines. Its focus is the production of itaconic acid since it is a promising
chemical that has lot of potentials. As of now, it is used as a material in manufacture of
plastics, adhesives, elastomers, paints and coatings.
There will be seminars and conference that will be held in the area for the people
to know about the plant. The seminars and conference will include the introduction and
objectives of the company. Having this type of activities will make it easier for the people
to understand and create a strong bond with the consumers locally. If there will be a
change or increased in the demand of the product then the company will upgrade its facility
to reach the demand of the consumers and sooner or later enter the global market.

Technical Limitations

This study will focus in the design of plant that will produce itaconic acid and xylitol.
The corncobs upon receiving shall immediately undergo physical pre-treatment processes
and chemical pretreatment processes. Maicon Inc. will use alkaline hydrolysis
(microwave-assisted) and filtration for chemical pretreatment. Also, acid hydrolysis will be
used for cellulose and hemicellulose degradation. With these kind of processes, the plant
is subjected to technical limitations involving the control of temperature during hydrolysis.
Also, in the fermentation processes, the plant is subjected to technical limitations involving
control of pH and temperature. The whole process will be computer-based which involves
the automation of machines composing the processes. Control panels will be helpful for
technical feasibility of fermentations and other processes.

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Equipment Limitations

There will be different equipments that will be installed and used in the production
process. The plant will be using equipment for several areas: wastewater treatment, pre-
treatment of raw material, production of itaconic acid and xylitol and for the purification of
Itaconic acid and xylitol. pH regulator for final pH adjustment and any post treatment and
control panel depending on the level of automated operation needed will be used for
fermentation. To ensure the quality of products and efficiency of the manufacturing
equipments to be used, the equipments will be fabricated according to the specifications
provided while minor equipments will be purchased locally.

Environment Limitations

The plant will produce a product that will be beneficial to the environment. The
plant also uses an environment-friendly technology. The plant does not pose any harm
nor threatened any signs of pollution. In the production of, the company should regulate
in all the employees the policies of the Health, Safety and Environmental Guidelines. The
plant should also follow the policies of the said guidelines. There should be a group of
people assigned to environmental monitoring in the plant to ensure the safety of the
workers and the neighboring citizens. The company ensures that the product will be
released in compliance with the proper regulations. Control options are based on the
increasing control aptitudes on an environmental viewpoint.
The company will conform to the Occupational Safety and Health Standard of the
Philippines in safety consideration of the employees and the neighboring citizen. It will
acquire a certification on ISO 14001:2015 as evidence on the compliance on the criteria
for management system of the environment. It will also be certified to ISO 9001 for all its
activities throughout the world and for its Quality Management. The company will actively
participate with professional authorities for the development of international standards and
regulations.

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Laws and Regulations

The company will comply with the technical, legal and corporate requirements,
regulations and practices to produce and market the product. With the advent of
globalization, international standards will have a great impact in the company to comply
for the compliance across international markets. The company will secure an
Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) under PD 1586 and the Pollution Control
Law (PD984) before the initial operation of the plant. The company will comply in RA 9002,
the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act for the plant to follow the utilization of
biodegradable waste in the same way confirming that there will be no threatening or
harmful effects to the environment. It will also comply with RA 8749, the Clean Air Act of
the Philippines to ensure that the production processes will not contribute to the increasing
pollution in the air. The plant should also comply with DAO 35, Effluent Regulations of the
Philippines. It comprises the rules and guidelines with respect to plant construction. The
company will also have a certification with ISO 9000 for periodic checks and for the quality
control of the plant’s system. For safety purposes, the company will also acquire a
certification with ISO 31000 that indicated the proper risk management system in the plant.
The company will have a complete report on all the expenses and earnings. The
company will monitor the quality of the product and make sure that it won’t harm the
environment and the consumers.

Financial Limitations
There will be investors and stockholders that will support the manufacturing of the
plant. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the total capital will be shouldered by the stockholders
and investors. These includes the operational cost, construction, material cost, equipment
and manufacturing the products. They are also assigned in direct sales, promotional
advertisements and other activities that will help in the success of the company. The
remaining twenty-five percent (25%) will be borrowed from the bank. The price of the
product should be based on the cost of operational and materials during the process. The
price should match the market price.

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Significance of the Study

Itaconic acid is one of the top bio-based chemical building blocks and thus a
promising platform compound to produce polymers, coatings, chemical compounds and
biofuels. It is an important monomer for the synthesis of, e.g. poly-acrylates, rubber,
colors, additives, adhesives, emulsifying agents, lipids, pharmaceuticals, herbicides and
biodegradable polymers for the packaging industry.
Due to the high demand of Itaconic acid in the global market, the study aims to
build the first Itaconic manufacturing company to supply the needs of the country regarding
in importation of the said compound from the other country. Also, it will give way to the
other company to have a supplier and not a distributer of Itaconic acid that will lessen their
cost of importation.
On the other hand, xylitol is a natural sugar found in small amounts in different
fruits and vegetables. This chemical is a common ingredient in sugar-free chewing gums,
candies, mints and oral-care products (Gunnars, 2018). Xylitol provides several health
benefits and uses. It helps diabetic patients for it can be used as a table sugar substitute
and contains lower glycemic index compared with sucrose and glucose and has negligible
effect in blood sugar (Lafelice, 2014). Production of xylitol from corn cobs further helps in
the proper utilization of bio-wastes and since it can be used as a table sugar substitute
and in oral healthcare; this promotes higher consumption of the said chemical for improved
health to the consumers.
Upon erecting the company, it will give privilege to the local people to have a job.
Because of the demand of manpower needed for the production inside the plant.
Also, our study aims to create a bio-based Itaconic acid and xylitol production,
wherein our raw materials are from the waste such as corn cobs. Since itaconic acid is
being produce from fossil fuels, the said fact of having its tremendous depletion is
alarming.
Lastly, the goal of the study is to create a pathway that will lead to production of a
very promising chemical through innovation strengthen by strong supporting studies and
to utilize the mass of wastes, such as the corn cobs.

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Definition of Terms

Aspergillus terreus, also known as Aspergillus terrestris, is a fungus (mold) found

worldwide in soil. Although thought to be strictly asexual until recently, A. terreus is now
known to be capable of sexual reproduction. This saprotrophic fungus is prevalent in
warmer climates such as tropical and subtropical regions. Aside from being located in soil,
A. terreus has also been found in habitats such as decomposing vegetation and dust. A.
terreus is commonly used in industry to produce important organic acids, such as Itaconic
acid and cis-aconitic acid, as well as enzymes, like xylanase. It was also the initial source
for the drug mevinolin (lovastatin), a drug for lowering serum cholesterol.

Corncob also called cob of corn, is the central core of an ear of maize (Zea mays ssp.
mays). It is the part of the ear on which the kernels grow. The ear is also considered a
"cob" or "pole" but it is not fully a "pole" until the ear is shucked, or removed from the plant
material around the ear. Young ears, also called baby corn, can be consumed raw, but as
the plant matures the cob becomes tougher until only the kernels are edible.

Enzymatic hydrolysis is a process in which enzymes facilitate the cleavage of bonds in

molecules with the addition of the elements of water. It plays an important role in the
digestion of food. processing. It is rarely used except for the determination of glutamine
and asparagine, which are converted to aspartic and glutamic acids together with
ammonia by acid hydrolysis. Since no single protease will hydrolyze all the peptide bonds
in proteins, the procedure is lengthy, and there is evidence of contamination by amino
acids derived from the enzymes.

Fermentation is a metabolic process that consumes sugar in the absence of oxygen. The
products are organic acids, gases, or alcohol. It occurs in yeast and bacteria, also in
oxygen-starved muscle cells, as in the case of lactic acid fermentation. The science of

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fermentation is known as zymology. In microorganisms, fermentation is the primary means
of producing ATP by the degradation of organic nutrients anaerobically.

Itaconic acid, or methylidenesuccinic acid, is an organic compound. This dicarboxylic

acid is a white solid that is soluble in water, ethanol, and acetone. Historically, Itaconic
acid was obtained by the distillation of citric acid, but currently it is produced by
fermentation. The name Itaconic acid was devised as an anagram of aconitic acid, another
derivative of citric acid. Itaconic acid, or methylidenesuccinic acid, is an organic
compound. This dicarboxylic acid is a white solid that is soluble in water, ethanol, and
acetone. Historically, Itaconic acid was obtained by the distillation of citric acid, but
currently it is produced by fermentation. The name Itaconic acid was devised as an
anagram of aconitic acid, another derivative of citric acid.

Sulfuric acid, also known as vitriol, is a mineral acid with molecular formula H2SO4. It is
a colorless, odorless, and syrupy liquid that is soluble in water, in a reaction that is highly
exothermic. Sulfuric acid is a very important commodity chemical, and indeed, a nation's
sulfuric acid production is a good indicator of its industrial strength. It is widely produced
with different methods, such as contact process, wet sulfuric acid process, lead chamber
process and some other methods.

Xylitol is a five-carbon sugar alcohol that is obtained through the diet. It is not
endogenously produced by humans. Xylitol is used as a diabetic sweetener which is
roughly as sweet as sucrose with 33% fewer calories.

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